Brentford were forced to settle for a place in the play-offs after the most dramatic of endings saw them lose 1-0 to Doncaster Rovers at Griffin Park on Saturday.

With the sides level and Brentford needing a win to seal promotion, Marcello Trotta struck the crossbar with a penalty deep in stoppage time.
It was heart-break for the Bees who, roared on by a capacity crowd, came close to getting that elusive goal, but saw the visitors race away after the penalty miss and score themselves to grab the League One title.

Bradley-Wright Phillips came close to putting the Bees ahead twice in the first half, hitting the post after a quarter of an hour and then seeing Neil Sullivan hold his shot just before the break.

In between Simon Moore saved James Coppinger's shot from 25 yards.

Early in the second half Moore held Coppinger's cross into the six yard box, while Jonathan Douglas missed a great chance to break the deadlock, but blazed high over the bar from just inside the box.

Substitute Adam Forshaw then crossed from the left and Harlee Dean's header was saved by Sullivan as the Bees continued to press.

Forshaw then shot over the bar after a corner was cleared to him on the edge of the box.

The game's decisive moment came in the closing seconds. After a penalty was awarded for a handball by Jamie McCombe, Trotta blasted his kick off the bar and Billy Paynter raced away down the right before crossing for Coppinger to steer the ball into an empty net.

It was the cruellest finish possible for the Brentford side which must now lift itself for the challenge of the play-offs.


Brentford: Moore, Logan (sub Forshaw 64), Dean, Craig, Bidwell; Adeyemi, Douglas (sub Trotta 77), Diagouraga, Forrester (sub Saunders 69); Wright-Phillips, Donaldson

Subs (not used): Gounet, Hodson, Pierre, El Alagui

Attendance: 10,300

Man of the Match: Harlee Dean