Brentford B were beaten on penalties by Swedish side AIK Fotboll in their second Atlantic Cup game.

After falling behind in the first half, Neil MacFarlane’s side battled admirably and equalised through captain Alex Gilbert in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage-time.

Ahmad Faqa netted the decisive penalty, after Gilbert saw his effort saved by Budimir Janosevic, as AIK claimed a 5-4 shootout victory.

Brentford started brightly on a crisp evening in Portugal. With two minutes on the clock, Fin Stevens advanced down the right to meet Ryan Trevitt’s cross-field pass. The full-back’s low delivery fizzed across goal and out of play.

AIK – who are using the competition as part of their preparations for the new Allsvenskan season - fashioned their own half-chance three minutes later; Elias Durmaz’s cross-shot headed away by Tristan Crama at Cox’s near post.

On 12 minutes, Michael Olakigbe latched onto a lofted pass up the left channel and rounded Janosevic, but the winger never looked in full control and the ball trickled out for a goal-kick.

On 16 minutes, Olakigbe drove up the wing and flashed a cross into the area. Stevens, collecting the ball at the back post, teed up Nico Jones on the edge of the area but the defender didn’t make a clean connection with his shot.

Brentford were inches away from an opener four minutes later with a set-piece crafted on the training pitches of Jersey Road.

With AIK’s defenders expecting Gilbert to loop a free-kick into the area from midway inside their half, the Bees captain opted to slide a low pass beyond the crowd, which was met by Trevitt who had peeled away from his marker. Trevitt set himself and went for goal but saw his low effort fly narrowly wide of the far post.

The Bees were dealt a cruel blow on 32 minutes as Taha Ayari drove beyond Cox after a neat one-two with Durmaz had opened up some space inside the area.

MacFarlane’s side responded well to falling behind and came close to an equaliser on 36 minutes with another well-worked free-kick.

The roles were reversed on this occasion, as Trevitt’s disguised pass found Gilbert in a central position 15 yards from goal. Gilbert was forced to improvise after a heavy first touch and his half-volley dropped wide of the keeper’s left post.

Brentford were on the front foot following the half-time interval. Seven minutes after the restart, Gilbert intercepted a loose pass and shifted the ball onto Olakigbe, whose well-struck effort from 20 yards clipped the base of the post on its way wide.

J’Neil Bennett, at full stretch, was then close to diverting a deep cross towards goal, before Stevens shot wide from distance after a foray down the right.

Just after the hour mark, Trevitt’s free-kick from the edge of the area was comfortably held by Janosevic in the centre of his goalmouth.

Brentford threatened again on 69 minutes. Gilbert won the ball in his own half, immediately lifted his head and switched to Olakigbe, whose long-range effort was palmed away by the keeper.

At the other end, two minutes later, Victor Andersson’s deflected effort from the edge of the area was held by Cox following a rare AIK venture into Brentford’s half.

Substitute Isaac Holland then glanced a header wide of target after the Bees had worked the ball in from the left.

AIK had a golden opportunity to double their lead in the first minute of stoppage-time. Crama’s under-hit back pass sent Calvin Kabuye racing through on goal with only Cox to beat, but the Brentford keeper got down low to his left to deny him.

Cox’s late save proved to be vital. With just seconds remaining, Trevitt received a throw-in from Stevens and swung a left-footed cross deep into the area. Gilbert read the flight of the ball perfectly and glanced beyond the keeper to send the game to penalties.

After his last-gasp heroics, it was a cruel twist of fate that saw Gilbert miss the only penalty of the shootout – his effort, following a stutter, saved by Janosevic.

Faqa struck the decisive penalty for AIK, despite Cox getting a strong hand to his spot-kick.

Brentford B: Cox, Stevens, Adedokun (Vine 87), Oyegoke, Crama, Jones (Syla HT), Olakigbe (Beckham 77), Trevitt, Bennett (Waruih 77), Gilbert, Yogane (Holland 62)

Subs not used: Angelini (GK), Tavaziva (GK), Wilcox, Dickov, Waruih, McManus, Wilson, Lisbie, Booth

AIK Fotboll: Janosevic, Bjornstrom, Thill, Kabuye, Ceesay, Bonde, Lusaka Sichenje, Faqa, Andersson, Durmaz, Ayari

Subs: Papagiannopoulos, Hussein, Faraj, Guidetti, Nordfeldt (GK), Tihi, Durmaz, Otieno, Magashy, Modesto