Brentford made it nine games without defeat as they played out a goalless draw with Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Ground on Saturday, writes Simon Webster.

With both sides safe in the top half of the table, there was a distinct end of season feel to a game played in glorious sunshine.

Afterwards Bees’ boss Andy Scott showed he already has one eye on next season: “I think that probably sums our season up. Some good stuff, some not so good stuff, but a committed, hard working effort. We have drawn a lot of games this season, but if that is a starting point for next season and to improve up the league, it is not a bad place to start.”

Scott made two changes, with captain Kevin O’Connor making a welcome return in midfield and Danny Foster in defence for the injured Marcus Bean and Pim Balkestein, with keeper Wojciech Szczesny fit to start despite being carried off on Tuesday night.

In the opening exchanges some patient build up play from Rovers eventually saw Charlie Reece attempt to chip Szczesny from the edge of the box, but his effort was a couple of feet too high.

Almost immediately after some neat footwork from Andy Williams saw him make space on the edge of the six yard box, but he pulled his low shot wide of the left hand post.

At the other end Carl Cort started and finished a move that saw him combine with Myles Weston down the left before firing in a low shot from the edge of the box that was easily held by Mikkel Andersen in Rovers’ goal.

After half an hour a long ball from Karleigh Osborne was chested down by Cort into the path of Charlie MacDonald on the edge of the box and his slightly scuffed shot came back off Andersen’s right hand post.

Shortly after a free kick from Sam Wood wide on the left was headed onto the crossbar by Leon Legge from 15 yards out.

Five minutes before the break, substitute Darryl Duffy made an instant impact when he played in Andy Williams down the right but his shot was superbly blocked by the out-rushing Szczesny.

Early in the second half Brentford failed to clear a Rovers corner and the ball fell to Duffy, whose weak shot was deflected over the bar by an off balance Osborne. >From the resulting corner on he left, Daniel Jones’ header was cleared off the line by Sam Wood.

Midway through the half an early long ball down the right found Williams and he just got the better of Osborne before firing over the bar.

At the other end Danny Foster set up Macdonald just inside the box, and after switching to his left foot he shot into the arms of Andersen.

The best chance of the second half fell to Rovers when Eliot Richards created space down the right and cut the ball back to Chris Lines, who brought a point blank save from Szczesny from six yards out.

Lewis Grabban could have won it for Brentford in the closing stages when he was clean through, but his shot was blocked by Andersen.

Brentford: Szczesny; Foster, Osborne, Legge, Wood; Grabban, O’Connor, Diagouraga, Weston (sub Ainsworth 63); Cort, MacDonald Subs (not used): Bull, Hunt, Strevens, Blake, Saunders Attendance: 6048 (445 Bees fans) Goals: None Man of the Match: Karleigh Osborne Match Rating: 3/6.