A calamitous opening thirty minutes cost Brentford as they were beaten 3-2 by a clinical Swansea side.

An early goal from Wayne Routledge, A Chris Mepham own goal and Leroy Fer strike looked to have settled the tie before half an hour. Ollie Watkins replied before the break to give Thomas Frank’s side hope.

Said Benrahma’s stunning free-kick on the hour pulled another back but the home side couldn’t find a third despite a number of chances.

Crazy 30 Minutes

The game was barely underway before Routledge tapped in Barrie McKay’s square ball after he’d picked Ezri Konsa’s pocket. 25 seconds was on the clock when the former Palace and Spurs man put the visitors ahead. Not the start the home support where looking for.

Still shook from the opening minute, the Bees defence looked lost, and it got worse on 22minutes. The Swans doubled their lead through a Chris Mepham. Some neat play between Nathan Dyer and McKay freed Dyer who squared it to the Oliver McBurnie who’s effort was sent goalward by the centre-back.

Fer added a third before the half hour to all but end the tie it seemed.

Henrik Dalsgaard gave away a needless freekick wide right which Swansea capitalised upon. The resulting cross wasn’t dealt with and the much-maligned back-line will have more questions to answer as Fer got on the end of the second ball to prod home. This resulted in a team huddle lead by Dalsgaard in the middle of the park as the Swansea players were still celebrating.

The home side needed a goal before the break and they got it through Ollie Watkins. Josh McEachran’s 25-yard effort bounced back off the cross-bar and Watkins was first to react to give the home side any hope for the second half.

Hope

Needing two goals Frank replaced McEachran for the more attack-minded Alan Judge.

Despite Daniel Bentley making a fine save from Fer early on and Mike van der Hoorn’s header clipping the top of the bar, Brentford did all the attacking.

Brentford’s best player, Benrahma brought the home side right back in it with a superb free-kick. 20-yards out it never looked like missing as Erwin Mulder was left rooted to the goal line. Game on.

The home-side grew in the second half and camped deep in the Swansea half. Maupay and Watkins both guilty of missing chances.

Substitute Sergi Canos looked to have found the equaliser in injury time but his volley from a Mepham knock-down clipped the top of the bar.