Brentford ended their Under-21 Professional Development League Two South season with a 2-1 defeat against Colchester United.
The Bees fell behind in the first half but levelled before the break as Antonio German lashed home.
But the home side had the better of the game and deserved their winning goal, which came with 20 minutes remaining.
Brentford had chances to earn a share of the spoils but anything other than a home win would have been unjust on a lively Colchester side.
The home side started brightly and a young Brentford team were overrun in midfield for much of the opening 15 minutes.
Colchester got runners from midfield in to attacking areas and left back Michael O’Donoghue, in particular, was a threat.
The home side had chances – Joe Taylor saved from Connor Hubble and a Jordan Sanderson shot was blocked – but couldn’t find a way through.
Taylor made a fine save to deny striker Kaine Sheppard, tipping a shot over, before the Colchester front man shot wide soon after following a nice turn.
Brentford slowly started to get back in to the game and Luke Norris could have put them ahead when he latched on to a long ball but his attempted chip bounced wide.
Norris had a header blocked and Sam Griffiths fired across goal for The Bees, who could have had a penalty when Norris got in behind Zach Fagan and appeared to be clipped but the officials waved away the appeals.
O’Donoghue had a shot blocked but Brentford appeared to be in the ascendency, in terms of possession and territory, when they fell behind.
Tosin Olufemi got away down the right and to the by-line, he picked out Hubble with the cut back and the midfield man fired low past Taylor.
The goal gave the home side a boost and Brentford, who were struggling to deal with the numbers coming at them – particularly when they got their defensive line wrong, had to hold firm.
Sheppard shot over and a Sanderson shot from 30 yards faded inches wide.
Sheppard went close again when he picked up a poor George Pilbeam back pass before O’Donoghue shot wide and Hubble blazed over.
German miss-hit a shot when released by Norris as Brentford started to regain a measure of control.
They got Charlie Adams in to the game more and he started to run at a home defence that looked ill equipped to cope when the attacking midfield man made the right choices.
It also opened up space for Norris, German and Josh Clarke.
Brentford’s equaliser, however, came from a defensive mistake – Norris picked up a poor Zach Fagan pass and found Adams, his shot bounced kindly for German and the striker swivelled before firing high past Shaun Phillips and in to the net.
The Bees, all of a sudden, had the momentum and should probably have gone in ahead at half time.
Phillips tipped an Adams shot around the post and then denied Norris with his legs before the striker had a shot blocked when a corner wasn’t dealt with.
Taylor got down well to deny O’Donoghue but Brentford went in at the break with the upper hand.
That momentum did not continue after the break, however.
A Freddie Ladapo shot deflected wide and Hubble headed over for the home side during a lively start to the second period.
Brentford should probably have taken the lead when Adams picked up a weak Phillips kick; he raced through and had only the goalkeeper to beat but the stopper got down well to palm away the shot.
The game drifted through the second half but Brentford handed the hosts the third goal, which proved to be the vital one.
Pilbeam played a poor back pass and Ladapo beat Taylor to it, he rounded the onrushing Brentford goalkeeper and rolled the ball home.
The goal set up an exciting final 20 minutes as Brentford chased the game and Colchester broke well.
German headed a Norris cross wide from eight yards when he really should have scored and then brought a low save out of Phillips.
Taylor denied Ladapo at the other end and Sanderson shot over before Norris missed the target after good work by Clarke.
Mason Spence curled a shot just wide for the home side and Norris missed the target from the edge of the penalty area after exchanging passes with German.
Fagan slid in to turn a German cross just past his own post with Norris waiting to pounce and Griffiths headed over before Sam Szmodics bounced a shot just wide at the other end.
Phillips saved at the feet of Norris and Morris headed wide as Brentford pushed forward while Szmodics missed a great chance to seal it when he shot over from 12 yards.
An Adams free kick landed on top of the crossbar at the death for The Bees but they couldn’t find a way through and Colchester took the points.
The defeat meant Brentford ended their Under-21 Professional Development League Two South season with 38 points from 20 games and in fourth place.
They were two points behind Brighton and Hove Albion and four behind Charlton Athletic and Cardiff City, who finished in the top two and qualified for the end-of-season Professional Development League Play-Offs.
They will compete against the top two teams in the northern division for the overall title.6
Colchester United Development Squad: Shaun Phillips; Mason Spence, Max Fitzgerald, Zach Fagan, Michael O’Donoghue (sub Ryan Melaugh 58 mins); Jordan Sanderson; Tosin Olufemi, Connor Hubble, Jack Paxman (sub Sam Szmodics 58 mins), Freddie Ladapo; Kaine Sheppard (sub Jack Simmonds 58 mins)
Subs (not used): Jackson Ramm, Nnamdi Nwachuku
Brentford Development Squad: Joe Taylor; George Pilbeam, Sam Griffiths, Kieran Morris, Makhosini Ryan Khayne; Tyrell Miller-Rodney (sub Joe Maloney 76 mins); Josh Clarke, Lewis Lavender (sub Montell Moore 56 mins), Charlie Adams; Luke Norris, Antonio German
Subs (not used): Michael Onovwigun
By Chris Wickham