Brentford 3 (Swift 38, 67, Canos 56)
Wolves 0
There was no joy for Wolves at Griffin Park as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat against Brentford to make it seven League games without a win.
Kortney Hause returned to the defence after his lengthy injury lay off and there were also starts for Nathan Byrne and Kevin McDonald. Dropping down to the bench from the team that lost to Huddersfield at the weekend were Tommy Rowe, George Saville and Dominic Iorfa.
Brentford kicked-off attacking the end of the ground that housed around 1,000 travelling supporters.
The Bees won an early corner that was taken by Sergi Canos. The ball was only half cleared as far as Marco Djuricin who ballooned a shot high over the bar.
The first threat from Wolves came in the sixth minute when Rajiv van La Parra sent over a cross that Bjorn Sigurdarson headed straight at David Button.
The keeper was soon back in action, this time diving low to gather an angled drive from Byrne after Joe Mason and Sigurdarson had carved out the opening.
Alan Judge almost made the breakthrough in the 22nd minute when he let fly from 25-yards out with a low effort that clipped the outside of the near post before it went behind.
Matt Doherty, who was back on his natural right side, went on a run into the Brentford box but his final shot was high and wide of the target.
Then it was Judge again, from even further out this time, that stung the hands of Carl Ikeme with a rasping drive that the keeper managed to turn behind.
In the 35th minute a Brentford free-kick taken, by Josh McEachran, had the Wolves defence in trouble. The ball flicked off a defender’s head in the heart of the box and fell to Judge at the far post. He turned it back for Harlee Dean who from just six-yards out succeeded only in finding the side netting.
Brentford took the lead in the 38th minute. Judge drove towards the area and the ball ran to John Swift and although his shot lacked power, it trickled into the net off the legs of Ethan Ebanks-Landell.
There was a half chance for Wolves to level before the break after van La Parra had fired a low cross into the box. Mason took possession and turned before hitting a shot from an acute angle that Button turned behind at the near post.
Half-Time: Brentford 1 Wolves 0
The home side started the new half on the front foot forcing two corners before a van La Parra cross flew dangerously across the Brentford goalmouth with no-one there to get a final touch.
A great run by Doherty almost brought its rewards. He laid the ball off to McDonald and his low drive from 22-yards forced a great save from Button.
But things went from bad to worse for Wolves in the 56th minute as Brentford went two up. Jake Bidwell and Judge combined to set up Canos who ran into the box and rammed the ball across Ikeme and into the far side of the goal.
Kenny Jackett made a double change shortly afterwards sending on Saville and Adam Le Fondre going on for Byrne and van La Parra respectively.
But before the pair had any time to settle Brentford bagged a third. Canos’s low cross ran into the six-yard box were Swift had the easiest of tasks in registering his second of the night.
McDonald was booked for a heavy challenge on Swift before Le Fondre drew a routine save from Button with an angled drive.
There was to be no late consolation, however, indeed it took two excellent Ikeme saves in stoppage time to prevent a fourth home goal.
The keeper did well to keep out an effort from Lasse Vibe and, from Judge’s corner he somehow managed to paw away Jack O’Connell’s powerful header.
Brentford: Button, Bidwell (capt), Dean, Djuricin (Vibe 85), McEachran (Kerschbaumer 81), Woods, Judge, Swift, O’Connell, Yennaris, Canos (Saunders 76).
Unused subs: Bonham, Hofmann, Barbet, Clarke.
Booking: Kerschbaumer (90+2 – foul).
Wolves: Ikeme, Doherty, Hause, McDonald, Batth (capt), Ebanks-Landell, van La Parra (Le Fondre 63), Coady, Sigurdarson, Mason, Byrne (Saville 63).
Unused subs: Martinez, Iorfa, Rowe, Price, Hunte.
Booking: McDonald (71 – foul).
Referee: C. Breakspear.
Attendance: 8,769 (938 away supporters).
