Brentford climbed to fourth in the Championship by coming from behind to beat West London rivals Fulham 2-1 at Griffin Park.
Despite being forced onto the back foot for long spells, it was Fulham who took the lead in the second half when Hugo Rodallega slotted past David Button.
Harlee Dean, whose error led to Fulham's goal, equalised in the 81st minute with a powerful strike, before Jota secured all three points in the first minute of stoppage time when his deflected strike beat the helpless Marcus Bettinelli.
Read below to find out how a dramatic night unfolded.
Good evening everyone. Two London rivals face off in the Championship tonight as Brentford host Fulham at Griffin Park. Brentford can climb to fourth this evening, but they'll have to stop a Fulham side that are on a six-game unbeaten run in the Championship.
Brentford have proved a lot of people wrong with their form this season, and they can pile the pressure on the other teams in the playoff places with a win tonight. Mark Warburton's side won three successive games before the international break, scoring eight goals in those fixtures. Can they pick up three more points tonight?
Kit Symons has changed the mood at Fulham in his short time in charge. A run of six games without a defeat has taken them to 17th in the table, and they'll move six points clear of the relegation zone if they can beat Brentford tonight.
BRENTFORD: Button, Bidwell, Craig, Dean, Douglas, Odubajo, Toral, Judge, Gray, Diagouraga, Pritchard
SUBSTITUTES: Bonham, Saunders, Dallas, Jota, Smith, Tarkowski, Proschwitz
The big team news for the hosts is that Jonathan Douglas is back from suspension to start in midfield, forcing Jota to settle for a spot on the bench. Andre Gray retains his place in attack after scoring twice in the win over Millwall in Brentford's last game. He's found the net seven times this season. Alan McCormack and Scott Hogan remain on the sidelines with long-term injuries.
FULHAM: Bettinelli, Zverotic, Bodurov, Burn, Stafylidis, Parker, Christensen, Williams, Ruiz, Rodallega, McCormack
SUBSTITUTES: Kiraly, Hutchinson, Roberts, Woodrow, Eisfeld, Dembele, Hyndman
Marcus Bettinelli has recovered from a thumb injury to start in goal for the visitors, which allows Symons to name the same team which beat Huddersfield Town 3-1 before the international break. Bryan Ruiz and Ross McCormack lead the attack for Fulham once again.
These two sides have already met at Griffin Park this season. McCormack scored the only goal of the game in August as Fulham beat their London rivals in the second round of the League Cup. Brentford's supporters will be desperate for revenge this evening as they aim to reach fourth spot before their rivals play on Saturday.
Symons recognises just how much this game means to the Fulham fans. Just a few moments ago, he told Sky Sports: "Belief is a big thing. I've brought a certain way of working and the players have bought into it. This is one of the biggest games of the season for our fans and the players are fully aware of that."
Tonight is the first league meeting between the two teams since Fulham won 2-0 at Griffin Park in the old Division Two in April 1998. It's Fulham who boast a very good record in this fixture, having avoided defeat in the previous six games. Brentford have not beaten Fulham since a 2-0 triumph in the League Cup in 1992.
Kickoff is less than five minutes away now. The players are on their way out of the tunnel, and there's plenty of noise coming from the stands already. It's a sell-out at Griffin Park this evening.
It will be Brentford who get the game underway. Can these two sides live up to the hype surrounding this West London derby?
Scrappy start to this game as both sides look to find their feet. Pritchard has already shown that he will look to drift around the pitch looking for space, but a poor touch in the right corner hands possession to the visitors.
Parker makes a silly mistake with a terrible pass inside Fulham's half of the pitch, but Brentford quickly lose the ball again. It's been a bit of a nervy start to the match, with both teams making a number of errors early on.
Rodallega gets away from his marker to collect a long throw from Stafylidis, before knocking a pass into the box which finds McCormack. However, Odubajo recovers well to help his central defenders out with a good tackle as Brentford go on the front foot again.
McCormack and Rodallega get their wires crossed as the former leaves a pass for his striker partner, who is a few yards away from latching onto the ball. Brentford have settled the better of the two sides, but there's been very little action in attacking areas.
Another mistake from McCormack as he chips a hopeful pass straight into the hands of Button. Symons will be happy with how Fulham have pressed the hosts, but they must look after the ball better when they do win possession.
Much better from Fulham as they step up the tempo with a promising counter attack. Douglas clips an inviting ball into the box for Judge, but the offside flag halts the home side's progress.
CHANCE! The first opportunity of the game falls to the hosts. Gray does brilliantly on the right wing to hold off a couple of challenges before hitting a cross to the back post. Pritchard collects the ball in plenty of space, but Zverotic recovers well to block the winger's effort. Bettinelli calmly tips over a Dean header from the corner which follows.
Fulham have been very disappointing going forward in the early stages of the game. A long hopeful ball from Bodurov gifts possession back to the hosts. Bettinelli is then forced into an awkward position as he collides with a post while collecting a cross from Toral.
Rodallega nearly creates a chance for himself with a superb touch over the head of Dean, who does well to get a toe on the ball before the striker can unleash a shot. McCormack then watches his half-volley from the edge of the box hit another Brentford defender.
Douglas shows what Brentford were missing when he was suspended as he storms past a couple of challenges in midfield, before exchanging passes with Toral. Zverotic recovers well again to dispossess the midfielder in the box. Brentford on top.
SAVE! Bettinelli comes to the rescue for the visitors by getting a strong hand on Toral's diving header. Brentford are piling on the pressure now.
CHANCE! Brentford miss another opportunity a corner into the box causes problems for the Fulham defence. A loose ball eventually drops to Douglas, who fires wide of the post from a tight angle. Three Brentford players were unmarked for a moment. Fulham must do better.
UPDATE: In tonight's other Championship fixture, an own goal from Reading defender Alex Pearce has given Cardiff City a 1-0 lead in the Welsh capital.
Fulham are rushing things when in possession. Ruiz strikes a poor pass straight to Button after failing to notice Rodallega drop deep in an attempt to get involved. Far too many mistakes from the visitors in the first half. In truth, they're lucky to still be on level terms.
Bodurov hesitates under pressure from Gray, and he almost pays the price as a slip gifts the ball to the Brentford forward on the edge of the box. Gray spots the run of Toral, but his pass is intercepted by Stafylidis.
YELLOW CARD! A long ball over the top allows Rodallega to display his pace. Dean struggles to keep up with the forward, before receiving the first booking of the game with a push on his rival. Brentford manager to clear the free kick which follows.
YELLOW CARD! Fulham piles players into the six-yard box for a corner, but Burn's eagerness to make life difficult for Button results in him being booked by David Coote. Ruiz eventually takes a corner which is easily cleared at the near post.
SAVE! Gray does superbly well again to lead a counter attack following Fulham's corner. The striker beats a couple of Fulham defenders before seeing a cross cleared to Diagouraga, whose effort looks destined to break the deadlock until Bettinelli makes a stunning fingertip save.
Fulham are showing signs of improvement, but they look very vulnerable whenever Gray gets himself into a one-on-one situation. Brentford should probably have taken the lead by now. Will they regret missing their chances in the first half?
Douglas becomes the latest player to miss a chance for the hosts as he volleys over from Bidwell's cross. It was a difficult opportunity for the midfielder, but he would have expected to hit the target.
Brentford fans are furious when Diagouraga goes down under challenge from Stafylidis after storming clear of the Fulham defence. Replays show that Stafylidis did put a hand on the midfielder's shoulder, but he probably shouldn't have gone down. However, the referee decides against booking him for diving.
YELLOW CARD! A break in play allows the referee to book Toral, who had blocked the path of Williams in the early stages of a Fulham attack. No arguments from the Brentford midfielder.
SAVE! Parker gives Brentford a free kick with a foul on Toral 25 yards from goal. Judge steps up to target the top corner, but his effort is beaten away by Bettinelli. Another good save from the Fulham goalkeeper.
Brentford have certainly been the better side, but they may regret not breaking the deadlock if the first half ends goalless. Fulham will surely create chances at some stage.
SAVE! Fulham should be ahead in the first minute of added time. McCormack drifts out to the left wing to collect the ball in plenty of space. His cross is inch-perfect, but Rodallega's header is pushed away by Button. Rodallega has to score with a free header from eight yards out.
HALF TIME: BRENTFORD 0-0 FULHAM
Brentford dominated for long spells of the first half, but poor finishing and some excellent goalkeeping from Bettinelli means this West London derby remains goalless. Despite struggling for much of the opening 45 minutes, Fulham showed what they can do when McCormack created that brilliant chance for Rodallega. There is surely plenty more drama to come at Griffin Park.
Considering how long Fulham were on the back foot for in the first half, Symons will be pretty happy that his side still have a chance of collecting all three points tonight. He'll know that they must retain possession after the interval. The likes of Ruiz and McCormack have been wasteful in the final third of the pitch.
BENCH WATCH: Warburton will be delighted with how Brentford attacked at pace, but he does have Tommy Smith on the bench if he wants to get another player close to Gray, who had led the line superbly. Cauley Woodrow is an attacking option for Fulham, while Mousa Dembele could be introduced to replace the ineffective Ruiz.
UPDATE: Peter Whittingham scored a penalty late in the first half to extend Cardiff's lead over Reading to 2-0. Alex Pearce has also been sent off for the visitors. Cardiff will return to the top half of the table with a win tonight.
David Coote was forced to get his yellow card out four times in the first half, with Burn, Zverotic, Dean and Toral all one poor tackle away from being dismissed. It's been a typical derby match at Griffin Park. The players will be back out in a few moments.
Fulham will get the game back underway.
Brentford have settled quickly early in the second half. The lively Gray forces his way into the box again, but his cross is headed away by Bodurov.
McCormack's disappointing night continues as a flick results in the ball rolling out of play. It's not been his best game, but we know he can produce a moment of brilliance at any moment.
Pritchard is sticking to the right wing early in the second half. He buys himself some space with a couple of stepovers, but his cross fails to beat the first defender. Brentford are dominating possession once again. Symons may have to change something soon.
SAVE! McCormack almost produces the moment of magic with a fine strike from 30 yards which forces Button to tip the ball past the post. Good play from Rodallega to set up the chance with a cushioned header.
If Fulham can improve their final ball, they will be confident of breaking the deadlock. Despite dominating possession, Brentford do look vulnerable when the ball is played into the gaps between the central defenders and full backs. McCormack and Rodallega must take advantage.
SAVE! Gray takes Burn out of the game with a clever pass to Judge. Brentford's attacking midfielder returns the favour to release Gray, whose low effort is blocked by Bettinelli.
GOAL! BRENTFORD 0-1 FULHAM (RODALLEGA)
Brentford pay the price for missing their chances! It's an awful mistake from Dean as he gives the ball to Williams, and he finds McCormack, who invites pressure from a couple of defenders before picking out his strike partner. Rodallega keeps his cool to slot past a helpless Button. Fulham lead. Can Brentford respond?
Fulham are unbeaten in the Championship this season when they have scored the first goal. Brentford's supporters will be panicking, but the hosts have more than enough quality to get back in this game. Warburton's side have to take their next chance.
Fulham have tightened up at the back since taking the lead, which has caused some frustration for the hosts. The visitors are pressing the ball further up the pitch, with Parker leading the midfield forward to relieve the pressure on his defence.
SUBSTITUTION: Stuart Dallas is the first player off the bench for Brentford as he comes on to replace Toral, who has offered very little in the second half.
Dallas is involved immediately as he peels away from his marker to meet Judge's cross at the back post. His header across goal almost plays in Gray, but Bettinelli bravely collects the ball under pressure from the forward.
SHOT! Dallas is once again gifted a couple of yards of space inside the box, but this time he decides to try his luck. Unfortunately for the hosts, he is unable to keep his volley from sailing into the stand behind the goal.
Despite looking more solid at the back, Fulham have not look capable of adding to their goal since the opener. Symons will want his side to be positive when they do have the ball. Brentford will surely pile the pressure on in the closing stages.
Christensen's handball gifts Brentford a free kick just outside of the box on the right. Fulham manage to clear the first ball, and Dean runs out of space after winning the ball back for his side moments later. Good defending from the visitors.
SUBSTITUTION: Ruiz has been a periphery figure for much of the game, and his night now comes to an end as Thomas Eisfeld comes on for the visitors.
SUBSTITUTION: Diagouraga played a key role in Brentford's domination earlier in the game, but he has faded in the second half. Creative midfielder Jota is off the bench to give the hosts another threat going forward.
Fulham deserve credit for their improvement in the second half, but Brentford will be furious if they fail to claim anything from this game. The visitors appear happy to operate on the break now.
SAVE! Button keeps Brentford in the game with a fine save to deny Rodallega, who targeted the bottom corner after latching onto Eisfeld's clever through ball. Both goalkeepers have been excellent this evening.
GOAL! BRENTFORD 1-1 FULHAM (DEAN)
This is how you make up for a mistake! Dallas does very well on the left wing to somehow deliver a cross into the box. Dean, whose poor pass led to the Fulham goal, takes advantage of the loose ball to fire into the top corner. Bettinelli had no chance on that occasion. Will there be a winner?
SUBSTITUTION: McCormack wins a free kick for Fulham, and Warburton takes the opportunity to make another change as Nick Proschwitz comes on to replace Gray in the Brentford attack.
McCormack's free kick is deflected behind for a corner, but Brentford hold firm to clear the danger. Fulham may settle for a point now. The home fans want nothing but a victory.
Fulham want the victory, too. McCormack's delivery from the corner is superb, but Rodallega can't make a firm contact with a header at the back post. It's end to end actin at Griffin Park.
Brentford recycle the ball well after seeing a free kick cleared. However, Fulham have enough men back to deal with the threat as Zverotic dives in front of Dallas to relieve the pressure on the visitors.
Both teams have been willing to commit players forward late on, but the end product has been missing since Brentford equalised. There will be three minutes added on.
SHOT! Rodallega loses his balance on the edge of the box, but he still manages to get the ball to Eisfeld, whose low strike is easily saved by Button.
GOAL! BRENTFORD 2-1 FULHAM (JOTA)
Brentford complete the comeback! Jota is the hero as he cuts in from the left wing before unleashing a shot which hits Burn on the way to beating a helpless Bettinelli. Griffin Park has erupted.
FULL TIME: BRENTFORD 2-1 FULHAM
A thrilling West London derby comes to an end. Jota almost adds a third in stoppage time, but Bettinelli is off his line quickly to deny the substitute. He won't care though. Brentford pick up all three points.
Was that enough drama for you? Brentford's supporters will savour that victory for a long time. Warburton's side climb to fourth in the Championship, while Fulham remain 17th. That's all from our coverage tonight. Thanks for joining me.
Written by
Callum Mulvihill
Callum Mulvihill
