Brentford 3-1 QPR: Bees make history with double over Hoops

Brentford claimed their first double over west London derby rivals QPR in more than half a century with a convincing 3-1 win at Griffin Park on Saturday.

Spanish winger Jota scored two second-half goals in four minutes to add to Yoann Barbet's first-half strike as the Bees outclassed the Hoops, whose goal came from Joel Lynch.

The hosts broke the deadlock after the half-hour mark when centre back Barbet smashed Jota's corner into the roof of the net on the half-volley.

Jota made it two after an hour when he sent Rangers keeper Alex Smithies the wrong way from the spot after Maxime Colin was scythed down in the box by Nedum Onuoha.

Lynch gave the visitors hope two minutes later when he glanced home Luke Freeman's corner at the near post.

But Jota made it safe seconds later with a goal-of-the-season contender as he took Barbet's drilled diagonal ball in his path, left former Bees player Jake Bidwell for dead with his first touch and slotted home coolly beneath Smithies to send the home fans delirious.

Brentford started on the front foot, and went close when top scorer Lasse Vibe's sharp turn and drive hit the side netting.

The visitors' big striker Matt Smith caused problems and when his header was diverted towards goal by Lynch it looked odds on certainty to go in but for 'keeper Daniel Bentley's full-length stop.

Lynch went close again just before the opening goal, racing on to Smith's headed flick-on only to fire well wide on the volley.

After Barbet's goal, Brentford were switching play effortlessly but their final ball lacked the quality to breach a Rangers defence and add to their score.

Left back Rico Henry almost extended the hosts' lead 10 minutes before the break, but his low cross-shot was well saved by Smithies.

Rangers' best chance of the first half came just before the interval when Bidwell crossed for Smith, whose powerful header was parried into the path of Conor Washington by Bentley only for the striker to blaze wide.

Massimo Luongo's long-range effort bounced harmlessly off the top of the bar to leave the Bees' lead intact in time added on.

After the break Rangers looked more dangerous and might have equalised when Lynch's far-post header appeared to loop over the Brentford defence only to be headed off the line by Barbet, much to the fierce protests of the visitors who insisted it was over.

A five-minute period then settled the game before Jota scored his penalty on the hour mark, only for Lynch to give his side some hope just two minutes later. However, Jota's wonder goal in the 64th minute sealed the points.

The win made it the Bees' first double over Rangers since 1965 following their 2-0 win at Loftus Road earlier in the season.

Brentford manager Dean Smith

"We know what we are about and we get our heads down and get on with our job. People will always have opinions but all we can do is keep working hard. Results like this mean we can go about our jobs with smiles on our faces.

"It was a comfortable and fully deserved win without us ever really getting near our usual levels.

"I told them to have clarity about what they do, to have clear heads and no ill-discipline and not to let emotion get involved in the game. They did that. We deserved to win but we weren't perhaps as clinical as we have been."

QPR manager Ian Holloway

"We need to think clearly under pressure and we have to get back to doing that every week. We have to dust ourselves down, start again and find a way of playing that's nailed down,

"Brentford played well, I hate to say it, but now it's about how much you care and how you do it. Six games ago we were top of the form table and since then we've had one win to get and we still need it.

"For me it's simple. We have to draw or win next week. We still have work to do."