Leroy Rosenior's team of crocks and rookies have made a winning start to his reign as Brentford manager, with two 1-0 victories over Blackpool and Northampton in the space of four days.

Oli Skulason, one of four players returning after long injury lay-offs, grabbed the decisive goal against the Seasiders at Griffin Park on Saturday, while Tuesday night's match-winner at newly promoted Northampton was debutant Chris Moore, bought in the summer with a £50,000 cash booty from Coca Cola's Win a Player competition.

And 19-year-old keeper Clark Masters, thrown in for his first Bees display on Saturday in the absence of the suspended Stuart Nelson, responded with a man-of-the-match performance.

Skulason, who missed all but the first two games of last season with a ruptured cruciate ligament in his left knee, has formed a new midfield partnership with Thomas Pinault, playing his first league match since rupturing his left ankle ligaments nine months ago.

They were joined in Saturday's starting line-up by on-loan centre-half Matt Heywood, out for the last four four months of last season as he needed a cartilage operation on his right knee, and Alex Rhodes, who has been plagued by a knee injury.

In all, Brentford started against Blackpool with five debutants, and brought on a sixth in ex-Staines Town wide man Gavin Tomlin to replace former Torquay man Jo Kuffour.

The youngest was 18-year-old left-back Darius Charles, who did enough to keep his place alongside skipper Kevin O'Connor and vice-captain Andy Frampton in defence for the visit to Sixfields.

Rosenior said: "It was a relief to get points on the board.

"Clark Masters made a wonderful debut and kept us in the game, while Darius also played very well.

"Considering Oli has been out for a year, to come back and play at the tempo he did for 90 minutes and get the winning goal was tremendous."

Skulason week got even better with the news he had been called into the Iceland squad for a friendly at home to Spain next Tuesday.

He capped an impressive performance by scrambling home a 74th-minute winner to ensure the 6,048-strong crowd at Brentford's season-opener did not go home disappointed.

Brentford v Blackpool: Masters; O'Connor, Frampton, Heywood, Charles; Brooker (Tillen, 63mins), Pinault, Skulason, Kuffour (Tomlin, 52); Rhodes, Willock. Subs not used: Moore, Osbourne, Ide. Att: 6,048.

Moore, whose winning strike came after 71 minutes, partnered Jo Kuffour up front against the Cobblers after Callum Willock and Rhodes picked up knocks.

Club captain Nelson returned in goal and kept the Bees' second successive clean sheet.

Brentford v Northampton: Nelson; O'Connor, Frampton, Heywood, Charles; Tomlin, Skulason, Pinault (Griffiths 75), Tillen; Moore (Rhodes 79), Kuffour (Ide 89). Not used: Masters, Brooker. Att: 5,707.

Brentford, who are fourth in the table, could go top if they win at Brighton on Saturday.

* For more on Brentford, see this Friday's Richmond & Twickenham Times series - only 50p.