Brentford’s Development Squad came from two goals down to beat Under-21 Professional Development League Two South leaders Charlton Athletic on a wet and windy afternoon.
The Bees were second best for long periods of the first half and trailed 2-0 as Semi Ajayi and Joe Pigott both scored close range headed goals.
But Farid El Alagui, on his comeback from injury, scored just before half time and it was a different game after the break.
The Bees took control and scored three without reply, two from Josh Rees and one from Emmanuel Oyeleke, to take the points with a 4-2 win.
Charlton started the day four points and three places ahead of The Bees in the Professional Development League standings.
They fielded a strong team including former Brentford loan goalkeeper Ben Hamer, Dale Stephens, who has played 27 games in The Championship this season, and Mark Gower, a recent loan acquisition from Swansea City.
Brentford included El Alagui and Club Captain Kevin O’Connor, who have completed their rehabilitation from serious knee and ankle injuries respectively, as well as Lee Hodson plus Aaron Pierre, Jake Reeves, Charlie Adams and Emmanuel Oyeleke, who have all been in the First Team picture this season.
El Alagui could have scored within five minutes of his comeback with a power header from an Adams corner but Hamer got down well to turn it away and the striker also had a shot blocked.
But Brentford were on the back foot in the early stages.
Charlton bossed the midfield, broke forward with pace and in numbers and got their attacking players in behind Brentford with balls in to the channels.
Trialist goalkeeper Jake Larkins made a fine save from a curling Stephens free kick and then saved from Bradley Jordan but he could do nothing to prevent the visitors taking the lead 14 minutes in.
A corner was half cleared, Morgan Fox delivered it to the far post and Ajayi got up to head powerfully home.
El Alagui was just unable to reach a Hodson cross as Brentford tried to respond but they were on the ropes.
Pigott smashed a 25-yard drive against the crossbar and when the visitors broke when the referee allowed a foul on El Alagui to go unpunished, Gower squared for Stephens and the midfield man would have scored but for a superb block from Alfie Mawson.
Stephens had a shot blocked and Larkins denied Pigott and Osman Sow before the visitors doubled their lead.
It came from another Fox cross, this time a deep ball was allowed to travel to the far post and Pigott got between Pierre and Hodson to head in off the upright.
The visitors could have killed the game off before half time – a Jordan Cousins shot deflected on to a post, Pigott curled a shot wide and O’Connor blocked from Jordan.
Ajayi also headed wide when well-placed as Charlton threatened to run riot.
Luke Norris had a shot blocked for The Bees but they were having to fend off attacks at the other end.
However, the game changed after 40 minutes.
There was no noticeable change in shape or tactics but a poor pass from Hamer, playing the ball straight out ten yards from his dead ball line, was perhaps a sign of a change in Charlton’s mentality.
And Brentford pounced.
They pulled a goal back when a Pierre shot was blocked and El Alagui reacted quickest, his shot took a deflection, beat Hamer and flew in to the back of the net.
And they could have been level by half time – Norris burst in to the box and cut the ball back to Rees eight yards out, he looked set to score before Fox came across to throw his body between the Brentford man and the goal and, unbelievably, divert the shot over the top.
The momentum had clearly changed before the break and Brentford capitalised after the re-start.
Hamer saved a low Oyeleke shot before Pierre headed wide when well-placed and Norris shot over after a good move involving O’Connor, Adams and Oyeleke.
The Bees took control of the midfield after the break, Reeves started to dictate the play and Oyeleke and Rees broke forward at pace.
The hosts equalised when Hodson chipped a ball forward and El Alagui laid it in to the path of Rees, the on-loan Arsenal midfield player fired in a low shot that squirmed past Hamer and in to the net.
The wet conditions did not help the Charlton stopper but he should probably have kept it out.
Hamer saved from Hodson and Rees had a shot blocked before Oyeleke shot wide after cutting in off the left and Harry Lennon headed just past his own post.
Josh Clarke and Leon Redwood replaced El Alagui and O’Connor just past the hour and Brentford were ahead seconds later.
Clarke played a key part with a cross from the right and when it dropped Rees steered a shot in to the far corner.
The withdrawal of El Alagui enabled Oyeleke to play in a central role just off Norris and he popped up with the fourth.
It came at the end of a wonderful move.
Norris and Redwood combined on the left and fed the ball inside to Reeves, he spread the play to the overlapping Hodson, who moved it on again to Rees, he cut the ball back to Oyeleke and the midfield player finished with aplomb.
Charlton tried to respond but the game was up.
Larkins saved a Stephens volley before Courtney Harris and Jordan shot wide.
Brentford could have made it five on the break but Hamer saved a weak Clarke effort and the wide man missed the target with a shot soon after.
Harry Osborne fired in to orbit in the dying stages but Charlton’s fire had been extinguished the rain and a fine Brentford performance before then.
The win took The Bees within a point of Charlton at the top of the table with four games to go, the next of which is next Monday against Queens Park Rangers, who are also challenging for a top two spot.
Brentford Development Squad: Jake Larkins; Kevin O’Connor (sub Leon Redwood 62 mins), Alfie Mawson, Aaron Pierre, Lee Hodson; Jake Reeves; Charlie Adams, Josh Rees, Emmanuel Oyeleke; Farid El Alagui (sub Josh Clarke 62 mins), Luke Norris
Subs (not used): James Bransgrove, Tyrell Miller-Rodney
Charlton Athletic Development Squad: Ben Hamer; Harry Osborne, Semi Ajayi (sub Harry Lennon h/t), Kevin Feeley, Morgan Fox; Jordan Cousins; Mark Gower (sub Courtney Harris 54 mins), Bradley Jordan, Dale Stephens; Joe Pigott, Osman Sow (sub Ade Azeez 65 mins)
Subs (not used): Dillon Phillips, Harry Gerard
By Chris Wickham