Brentford 1 (Legge 13) Walsall 0

Brentford booked their place in the third round of the FA Cup, where they will host Championship side Doncaster Rovers, thanks to a Leon Legge goal against Walsall at Griffin Park on Saturday.

In a match that bore a remarkable resemblance to last Saturday’s league tussle, the Bees put on a significantly better display than they had when visiting Wycombe in midweek.

Again, they looked lively during the opening exchanges and, after Legge put them ahead in the opening quarter of an hour with his first goal since signing in the summer, they continued to look the most likely to score.

Walsall came back into the match during the second half but were unable to find a way past the recalled Lewis Price in goal.

Brentford boss Andy Scott said: “First half, I thought we were very good again.

"The first 37 minutes were exactly how I wanted it, then we invited a bit of pressure on us for the end of the first half.

“In the second half, we did the right thing in spells but we started to get a little bit nervy.

"But it is a cup tie and they put pressure on us and we kept a clean sheet which is a big thing for us.”

Scott fielded a much-changed side, with James Wilson suspended and fellow loan signings Pim Balkstein and Wojciech Szczesny prevented from playing by their parent clubs.

As well as the recalled Price in goal, Ryan Dickson returned at left-back and was joined by Legge and Alan Bennett at the heart of the defence.

Legge scored what proved the decisive goal after only 13 minutes, when he arrived late at the back post to head home an out-swinging corner kick from John Bostock on the left.

Brentford almost doubled their lead 10 minutes later, when Dickson saw his header from another Bostock corner cleared off the line by Steve Jones.

Bostock then came close when he placed a free-kick from 25 yards out onto the roof of the net.

Walsall launched a rare attack that resulted in Mark Bradley’s low shot being comfortably held by Price, before Netan Sansara cut in from the left and blazed over the bar from just inside the box.

Walsall survived shouts for a Bees penalty early in the second half, when Dickson cut in from the left and saw his shot cannon off the hand of a defender.

Brentford continued to enjoy the majority of possession and a great cross-field pass from Bostock released substitute Cleveland Taylor through the middle but Clayton Ince did well to deny Taylor inside the box.

Walsall broke down the left and, after Troy Deeney’s shot was blocked in the box, it fell to substitute Sam Parkin and his shot was turned behind by Price.

With time running out, Jones beat the offside trap but as he raced into the box Legge arrived with a superbly timed tackle to deny Walsall their best chance of the game.

In stoppage time, the ball broke to Bradley but his shot flew left of the goal and Brentford were left to contemplate who they would like to draw in the next round of the cup.

Brentford: Price; Foster, Bennett, Legge, Dickson; Bostock (sub Murphy 89), Bean, O’Connor, Wood (sub Taylor 72); MacDonald (sub Hunt 83), Strevens

Subs (not used): Moore, Saunders, Cort, Osborne

Attendance: 2,611

Goals: Legge 13

Man of the match: Leon Legge

Match rating: 3/6.