After a stuttering first week, Brentford got their league season off to a flying start with a resounding 5-1 win over Crewe Alexandra at Griffin Park on Saturday.
Despite a burst of heavy rain, thunder and lightning doing its best to disrupt the match, the Bees turned in an impressive showing, one which saw both strikers notch doubles and captain Kevin O'Connor turn in a commanding performance at the heart of the midfield 'diamond'.
Clayton Donaldson opened the scoring when he controlled a Farid El Alagui cross from the right and struck a shot across goal and in off the left hand post.
Striker partner El Alagui doubled the advantage seven minutes later when he took advantage of slack control by Mark Ellis and fired past Alan Martin.
Sam Saunders tried his luck with a free kick from 25 yards, which had keeper Martin at full stretch to palm away.
Crewe threatened when Ajay Leitch-Smith latched onto a knock-down, but Simon Moore raced to the edge of his box to clear just ahead of the striker, while Mark headed wide at the back post from a free kick on the right.
El Alagui extended Brentford's lead on the stroke of half time, firing home a cross from Shaleum Logan from ten yards out.
Crewe pulled one back almost immediately after the break, when Byron Moore broke down the right and cross for Mathias Pogba to steer the ball past Moore.
Yet despite Brentford inevitably slowly their furious tempo slightly during the second half, they weren't going to let their opponents back into the game.
They wrapped things up with two goals in the final six minutes, with first Harlee Dean heading home an excellent Saunders cross from the right and then Donaldson grabbing his second against his former side when he broke down the right side of the box and saw his shot deflected past Martin.
Brentford: Moore, Logan, Craig, Dean, Barron (sub Legge 73); O’Connor, Douglas, Diagouraga, Saunders (sub Forrester 85); El Alagui (sub Hayes 68), Donaldson
Subs (not used): Lee, Dallas, Fredericks, Redwood
Attendance: 4858
Man of the Match: Kevin O'Connor
Goals: Donaldson 13, 89; El Alagui 20,45; Dean 84
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