Keane Lewis-Potter’s well-taken brace earned Brentford a 2-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday.
Following a first half at Molineux that produced little goalmouth action, the Bees took charge after the break. Lewis-Potter struck twice in 20 minutes to give the west Londoners a commanding lead and Caoimhín Kelleher saved Jørgen Strand Larsen’s penalty during the closing stages to keep Brentford's clean sheet intact.
Head coach Keith Andrews made three changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Leeds United the previous weekend.
Rico Henry, Yehor Yarmoliuk and Kevin Schade started at Molineux, while Aaron Hickey, Jordan Henderson and Dango Ouattara (AFCON) were the three players to make way. Hickey and Henderson were named among the substitutes.
Kelleher was the first keeper called into action after an uneventful opening 20 minutes.
David Møller Wolfe’s cross from the left struck Nathan Collins’ outstretched leg, diverting the ball towards goal, and Kelleher adjusted quickly to tip over the bar at full stretch.
André’s free-kick was blocked by Rico Henry after the full-back tripped Fer López on the edge of the box.
Brentford’s first chance fell to Lewis-Potter. The forward raced down the right and saw his initial cross for Igor Thiago blocked.
When the ball bounced back to him 20 yards from goal, the former Hull City man took aim for the bottom corner and forced José Sá into a smart stop to his right.
López almost got in behind the Bees backline during the final moments before the break, but Kelleher advanced off his line and dealt with the danger.
Brentford made a bright start to the second half. Lewis-Potter lifted the ball into the box and Schade’s diving header was acrobatically kept out by Sá.
The ball was recycled to Schade on the edge of the area and the German’s first-time effort struck Sá’s legs.
Schade then beat Sá to a cross from the right, but Ladislav Krejčí hacked behind for a corner with his keeper still grounded.
Brentford made the breakthrough on 63 minutes. Vitaly Janelt lofted the ball into the box and neither Santiago Bueno nor Krejčí, occupied by Thiago, dealt with the danger. Lewis-Potter ghosted in and beat Sá with a controlled finish.
Wolfe’s looping header landed on the roof of Kelleher’s net as Wolves attempted to mount a comeback.
At the other end, substitute Mikkel Damsgaard, picked out by Schade with an early cross from the right, lifted over Sá and narrowly wide of the far post.
But Brentford were not to be denied a second. Michael Kayode played the ball up the right channel for Damsgaard, and the Dane’s cross was brilliantly volleyed home by Lewis-Potter at full stretch.
Wolves had a chance to reduce the deficit after Kelleher brought Matt Doherty down in the six-yard box, but the Brentford keeper made amends, launching himself to his left to save Jørgen Strand Larsen’s penalty.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (5-3-2): Sá; Hoever (Arokodare 81), Doherty (Tchatchoua 90), Bueno, Krejčí, Wolfe; André, Gomes, López (Mané 65); Hwang (Arias 90), Strand Larsen
Subs: Johnstone, González, Pond, Olagunju, Rawlings
Brentford (4-3-3): Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Henry; Janelt, Yarmoliuk, Jensen (Damsgaard 64); Lewis-Potter, Thiago, Schade
Subs: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Pinnock, Henderson, Ajer, Konak, Nunes, Donovan
Attendance: 27,622 (1,595 away)