Brentford and Fulham played out a 0-0 draw in the west London derby at Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.
The Bees had the better of the game, with Dango Ouattara forcing a sensational save from Bernd Leno in the 90th minute, but both sides had to settle for a point from the Premier League fixture.
Head coach Keith Andrews opted to stick with the same side that drew 2-2 against Everton last Saturday. Aaron Hickey returned to the matchday squad for the first time in nearly two months, having sustained a hamstring injury in February’s home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.
The first chance of the game fell to the Bees, 10 minutes in. A short corner from Ouattara was played to Mathias Jensen, who whipped a cross into the box; Igor Thiago got in front of his marker and, despite not jumping, nodded his header just wide at the near post.
Ouattara was the next to try his luck on the Fulham goal, when a clever pass around the corner from Mikkel Damsgaard found the forward in some space. A driving run into the final third opened up some options, but the former Bournemouth man opted to carry the ball slightly wider and have a shot which was saved comfortably by Leno.
Ryan Sessegnon had the visitors' opening opportunity of the derby, when the full-back received a Tom Cairney pass on the half-turn inside the penalty area. He got the ball onto his left foot and fired towards goal, but he was crowded out by Michael Kayode and his effort flew over the crossbar.
The hosts had their best chance of the game in stoppage-time of the first half. Another set-piece was collected at the back post by Schade, who passed it to Keane Lewis-Potter. Saturday's left-back, standing on the edge of the six-yard box, cleverly dragged the ball away from two defenders, but got under his shot and it went over the bar.
The first real chance of the half came on 57 minutes, when Lewis-Potter put another good delivery into the area. It bypassed everyone in the centre of the box but reached Ouattara at the far post; he shifted it onto his stronger foot and fired powerfully straight at Leno.
Damsgaard went incredibly close just after the hour mark. A long ball was nodded down well by Schade, and the Dane ran onto it inside the penalty area. He hit the bouncing ball first time with the side of his foot, and it looked as if it might just loop over Leno, but it bounced just wide of the goal.
Another corner, another chance for Brentford. This one came with 15 minutes to play, as Nathan Collins flicked Jensen's set-piece to the far post, but it just evaded Thiago and Ouattara and went out for a goal kick.
Harry Wilson had a golden opportunity at the other end soon after. He appeared to beat the offside trap and found himself completely unmarked in the six-yard box; the Welshman misjudged his side-footed effort, however, and it almost went out for a throw-in. That was the final effort of the game for the Cottagers, who failed to have a shot on target on Saturday.
In the final minute, Leno was forced into his first real save of the game, and it was a fantastic stop by the German. Lewis-Potter found himself in an advanced area and picked out Ouattara in a central area inside the box. The forward got a good shot away, but the sprawling Fulham keeper sensationally dived and pushed it over the bar.
Brentford (4-3-3): Kelleher; Kayode, van den Berg, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Yarmoliuk, Jensen, Damsgaard; Ouattara, Thiago, Schade
Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Nelson, Ajer, Donovan, Bentt, Shield, Stephenson
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Bassey, Andersen, Sessegnon (Robinson 81); Cairney (Bobb 81), Lukić; Wilson, Smith Rowe (King 67), Iwobi (Chukwueze 40); Muniz (Jiménez 67)
Subs not used: Lecomte, Reed, Berge, Diop
Attendance: 17,171
Andrews disappointed with result but pleased with performance
Brentford head coach Keith Andrews believes there was "a lot to like" about his side's performance against Fulham.
"I'm disappointed," said the Bees boss. "I feel like if any team was going to win the game, it was going to be us.
"The bravery and personality we showed to win the game was really good.
"There were a lot of aspects today that I really liked: how we approached the game, the intensity without the ball, the desire, the collective press and courage.
"There was a lot to like about what we produced today."
Lewis-Potter: We were unlucky not to win derby
Keane Lewis-Potter discussed the Bees' 0-0 draw on Saturday, as well as the moment he almost assisted the winning goal at the Gtech.
"It's another point, but it's hard to take when you've had the better chances," he said. "They didn't have a shot on target, which says it all really. Their keeper made an unbelievable save, as well."
On that stop from Ouattara's effort, he added: "I thought that was it. [Leno]'s pulled off an unbelievable reaction save.
"When that happens, you just think it's going to be one of those days... we kept on going right until the end, we were just unlucky.
"The clean sheet is always good, keeping the opposition out. We maybe created enough today to score and, on another day, I think we do."