Brentford’s Development Squad ended their season with a home defeat against Charlton Athletic.

The Bees started slowly and found themselves a goal down inside 20 minutes.

But they fought back, ended the first half well and dominated long periods of the second.

Goals from Kyjuon Marsh-Brown and Tyrell Miller-Rodney put Brentford 2-1 up with 20 minutes remaining but two soft goals late in the piece cost them the win.

Charlton probably deserved it overall and in striker Karlan Ahearne-Grant they had the game’s most dangerous player.

The 17-year-old, who has played in the Sky Bet Championship this season, put Charlton ahead 17 minutes in.

He raced on to a long ball down the middle and got away from Brentford goalkeeper Mark Smith before rolling his shot home.

The visitors deserved their lead at that point, Tom Field had made a fine recovery tackle to deny Mikhail Kennedy and Archie Edwards shot over.

Zain Westbrooke and James Ferry missed the target from distance for The Bees but Charlton were on top.

Ahearne-Grant nearly made it two with a shot that hit his own man – Austin Lipman – when it appeared to be heading in.

Lipman should have then converted at the far post when a Terell Thomas cross deflected off Gradi Milenge and Smith saved well from Ahearne-Grant.

Charlton’s system – 3-4-1-2 – was making life difficult for Brentford.

They were struggling to play out and couldn’t get their wide players in the game.

When they did, late in the first half, they started to take control and push Charlton back, leaving space in the centre of the field.

Goalkeeper Dillon Phillips saved a low Josh Laurent effort before Westbrooke missed the target with a header and Aaron Greene fired a free kick narrowly over the bar.

Ahearne-Grant had a volley blocked at the other end and Lipman shot wide but Brentford were having more of the ball.

Substitute Herson Rodrigues Alves, who replaced the injured Field, was within a whisker of equalising with a lofted effort that deflected inches wide and Green fired another free kick – awarded when Phillips took out Miller-Rodney but was inexplicably not even booked – over the bar.

Charlton should have doubled their lead before the break when Lipman robbed Daniel O’Shaughnessy deep in Brentford territory but his touch was heavy and Smith saved.

Lipman had another shot blocked, when a pass could have returned a better result, early in the second half and Smith saved from Edwards but Brentford took control after the break.

Marsh-Brown, in particular, was heavily involved as Charlton struggled to get their players wide enough quickly enough.

Brentford switched the ball well and stretched the visitors.

Alves forced Phillips in to a low save and O’Shaughnessy shot over before a low Laurent shot was blocked.

Lipman had another golden chance at the other end when Jeremiah Kamanzi cleared poorly after a great piece of one-on-one defending but the Charlton striker shot wide from 15 yards.

Most of the action, however, was at the other end.

Green had a shot blocked before Marsh-Brown levelled it up.

The winger picked up a Westbrooke pass and cut inside Harry Lennon before curling a shot in to the top corner from 18 yards.

Charlton thought they had regained the lead almost instantly when Lipman slotted home but he was adjudged to be offside and Brentford retained the initiative.

A Miller-Rodney shot was saved and Ferry was denied soon after before an O’Shaughnessy header from an Alves cross was held by Phillips.

Brentford took the lead midway through the second half when they took advantage of Charlton being a man down with Edwards injured.

Laurent threaded a pass through and Westbrooke cut it back for Miller-Rodney to finish low.

Brentford seemed to have control of the game but, following a short break, as Edwards was treated, Charlton equalised from the kick-off.

The ball was played back and then lumped forward by Josh Staunton, Brentford allowed it to bounce and Ahearne-Grant nipped in behind to lift it over Smith and level it up.

Westbrooke fired a free kick wide for The Bees but Charlton won it with five minutes to go.

When Brentford failed to clear substitute Rhys Browne picked up a loose ball, turned past Kamanzi and slotted past Smith as the home defence failed to close him down.

Brentford had plenty of late possession but couldn’t fashion a chance and were beaten.

Brentford Development Squad: Mark Smith; Jeremiah Kamanzi, Gradi Milenge, Daniel O’Shaughnessy, Tom Field (sub Herson Rodrigues Alves 32 mins); James Ferry (sub Giovanni McGregor 82 mins), Josh Laurent; Kyjuon Marsh-Brown, Zain Westbrooke (sub Reece Cole 82 mins), Aaron Greene; Tyrell Miller-Rodney

Subs (not used): Chris Mepham

Charlton Athletic Development Squad: Dillon Phillips; JP Rylah, Josh Staunton, Harry Lennon; Terell Thomas (sub Levander Pyke 79 mins), Anfernee Dijksteel, Kieran Monlouis, Archie Edwards (sub Rhys Browne 70 mins); Mikhail Kennedy; Karlan Ahearne-Grant, Austin Lipman (sub Jack Munns 89 mins)

Subs (not used): Jordan Beeney, Kurtis Cumberbatch

By Chris Wickham