Two goals in the last ten minutes handed Brentford’s Development Squad a slightly unfortunate defeat against Leeds United at Elland Road.
A Courtney Senior goal just past the hour had given The Bees the lead in the Under-21 Professional Development League Two clash in Yorkshire.
Brentford had been forced to defend well to take that lead in to the closing minutes but looked as if they could hold it.
But they conceded with ten minutes remaining and then again with five minutes left on the watch to head back to West London with nothing to show for their efforts.
Brentford started the game positively and could have been ahead inside 30 seconds when Aaron Greene and Jermaine Udumaga worked the ball on to Josh Clarke, attacking from right back, but he lashed his shot wide.
The Bees had the better of the opening exchanges.
With full backs Clarke and Tom Field pushing on, the attacking outlook and pace worried the hosts.
The Bees were rotating the ball superbly in midfield with James Ferry and Udumaga linking the play and getting Brentford’s attackers in to the game.
When Bradley Clayton got on to a Field pass he set up Udumaga to shoot just wide from 20 yards and Greene had a shot blocked soon after.
Welsh Under-21 international Chris Dawson shot wide early on for the host but Brentford were dominating possession and territory as the game reached the 15 minutes mark.
Leeds, however, started to come in to it.
With Brentford high up the pitch there was space both in front and behind the visitors’ back line and Leeds started to exploit it, getting the ball forward quickly when they won it.
Mark Smith, in the Brentford goal, soon became the game’s key figure.
He made a decent low save from Kalvin Phillips before an even better one moments later.
Dawson played a long pass to release Lewis Walter, he fired in a shot that cannoned off the crossbar, it bounced loose and Brian Montenegro looked set to nod it in before Smith went full stretch to claw the header from the Paraguayan Under-20 international away.
Brentford went straight up the other end and Clarke beat Tyler Denton for the umpteenth time before setting up Udumaga but his low shot was well saved by Alex Cairns and Clayton was offside as he went to turn in the rebound.
Udumaga shot just wide when a corner was cleverly pulled back to him before Greene had a shot blocked after Senior had picked up a poor Cairns kick.
Montenegro should have opened the scoring for Leeds when he was again released in the inside left channel but his first shot was well saved by Smith and his second was blocked on the line by Gradi Milenge.
Phillips had a shot blocked and then fired just over as Leeds ended the half slightly the stronger.
The home side continued to hold the upper hand after the break.
Milenge made a fine block after Brazil Under-20 international Adryan had worked his way in to the box and Smith saved a Phillips shot soon after.
Smith then saved a powerful header from Dario Del Fabro before rushing out and denying Montenegro with his body after good work by Dawson.
When Brentford went ahead just past the hour mark, it was very much against the run of play.
And the goal was by no means a thing of beauty.
Clayton bundled his way through on the left and Herson Rodrigues Alves took the ball on, Senior then stepped on to it and placed it home with the Leeds defence appealing for offside.
The Bees could have made it two moments later when Senior sped down the right, away from Del Fabro, his cut back found Udumaga but the shot was blocked.
With Leeds now chasing an equaliser and Brentford leaving players forward to break quickly, the game started to stretch.
There were gaps all over the pitch and both sides were trying to exploit them.
Lewie Coyle stepped up from right back for the hosts and curled a shot that clipped the outside of the far post before an acrobatic effort from Del Fabro was blocked and then saved.
Udumaga shot well over for The Bees while a looping header from Dawson missed the target at the other end and a weak Walters effort was saved.
Smith saved well from Denton when the left back burst in to the box but Leeds’ pressure eventually told soon after.
Adryan delivered a free kick from the left and Italian Under-19 international Del Fabro got in front of the defence to flick a header home.
Brentford tried to respond and Udumaga shot over but Leeds had the momentum.
Adryan saw a shot deflect wide after Luke Parkin laid the ball in to his path and Del Fabro then headed wide from six yards when he really should have scored.
Tavares then saw a shot deflect wide but from the resulting corner Dawson’s delivery was met by Parkin and the header flew past Smith and in to the net.
Brentford could have snatched a draw at the death when a half cleared Zain Westbrooke cross fell to Senior but he dragged his shot wide and The Bees were beaten.
Leeds United Development Squad: Alex Cairns; Lewie Coyle, Dario Del Fabro, Ross Killock, Tyler Denton; Alex Purver (sub Luke Parkin 70 mins), Kalvin Phillips; Chris Dawson, Adryan, Lewis Walters; Brian Montenegro
Subs (not used): Eric Grimes, Tom Lyman, Jake Skelton, Jack Vann
Bookings: Phillips (90 mins)
Brentford Development Squad: Mark Smith; Josh Clarke, Gradi Milenge, Daniel O’Shaughnessy (sub Audrius Laucys 88 mins), Tom Field; Jack Warburton (sub Zain Westbrooke 81 mins), James Ferry; Aaron Green (sub Herson Rodrigues Alves, Jermaine Udumaga, Courtney Senior; Bradley Clayton
By Chris Wickham
As-it-happened updates can be seen here.