Brentford’s Development Squad picked up their second straight win in the Under-21 Professional Development League Two South by beating Cardiff City 2-1.
Leon Redwood scored a first half goal and The Bees were much the better side before the break.
The second period was more even and Luke Norris added a second just past the hour mark.
Cardiff posed more threat later on and scored in stoppage time to try and set up a nervy finish but Brentford clinched a deserved win.
Brentford had the better of possession in the early stages; they stopped the Championship side from playing and pushed them back.
There were not many chances in the early stages as the visitors’ defence held firm, although Jake Reeves did drag a shot wide from a good position.
Nathanial Jarvis shot in to the side netting for Cardiff, Rudy Gestede headed over and Richard Lee palmed away a curling Declan John free kick.
Brentford opened the scoring midway through the first half with a fine goal – Charlie Adams set Redwood free on the right and the left back fed Antonio German before heading in to the box, when the cross came in, the full back slotted home at the second attempt.
Josh Clarke shot over after a good break and Adams missed the target with a curling effort as Brentford looked for a second.
At the other end, John had a free kick deflect wide and then put in a corner that was met by head of Gestede but Aaron Pierre made a fine block.
The Bees had chances to go clear before half time as they took complete control – German shot over and Pierre headed wide when well placed.
German came within a whisker of a second at the very end of the half when he shot inches wide from 25 yards with Cardiff goalkeeper Lee Kendall beaten after exchanging passes with Adams.
Brentford continued to hold the upper hand after the break and most of the game was in the Cardiff half, but there were few good openings.
Adams had a shot saved after a dart in to the box and Stuart Dallas shot in to the side netting but when the second came, it was a gift.
Kendall made a mess of a goal kick and Norris picked up the loose ball, he accelerated towards the penalty aware and lifted a shot over the advancing stopper and in to the net.
Cardiff responded to falling two behind by making two substitutions and changing their shape, and they grew in to the game.
Ben Nugent headed wide and missed an even better chance soon after, nodding wide from inside the six-yard box.
A Gethin Hill shot deflected wide and the same man fired over at the near post from a John cross.
Norris shot over for Brentford and Emmanuel Oyeleke fired wide when a corner was half cleared.
Norris thought he had his second when he met an Adams cross with a powerful downward header – Kendall somehow got down to turn the ball away and suggestions it had already crossed the line were waved away.
Oyeleke shot wide again for The Bees but Cardiff finished well.
Hill chipped an effort over and then had a shot blocked before Tom O’Sullivan blasted in from the edge of the box three minutes in to stoppage time.
But there were only seconds remaining and Cardiff could find no way to salvage a point they would scarcely have deserved.
Brentford: Richard Lee (sub Antoine Gounet h/t); Emmanuel Oyeleke, Sam Griffiths, Aaron Pierre, Leon Redwood; Jake Reeves (sub Stuart Dallas h/t); Josh Clarke (sub Alfie Mawson 81 mins), Charlie Adams, Tyrell Miller-Rodney: Luke Norris, Antonio German
Subs (not used): Sam Beale, Aaron Scott
Cardiff City: Lee Kendall; Kevin Sainte-Luce, Deji Oshilaja, Ben Nugent, Declan John; Theo Warton, Ibrahim Manseray, Jay Bowen (sub Tom O’Sullivan 64 mins); Nathanial Jarvis (sub Kane Owen 81 mins), Rudy Gestede (sub Gethin Hill 64 mins), Jesse Darko
Subs (not used): Cameron Clark, Ben Watkins
Bookings: Manseray (80 mins)
By Chris Wickham