Brentford 1-0 West Bromwich Albion: Ollie Watkins gives Bees victory

Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game at Griffin Park as Brentford beat leaders West Bromwich Albion to hot up the Championship automatic promotion race.

The Bees striker's goal-line finish in the 16th minute was enough to leave Slaven Bilic's Baggies still winless - and goalless - in their two games since the return of football following the coronavirus suspension.

But Brentford's second straight victory moved them to within five points of top spot, before second-placed Leeds United's game with fourth-placed Fulham on Saturday.

Leeds, who trail Albion only on goal difference, need only a point to return to the top. But if Fulham were to win, it would reduce the gap between the top two and the chasing pack to four points.

• Relive Brentford's victory over West Brom

The game's only goal in west London was a beautifully worked team move to earn Watkins his 23rd Championship goal of the season, taking him level as the division's top scorer with Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic. But it still owed a little to luck.

A nice five-pass cross-field move got Josh Dasilva into a menacing position inside the left half of the penalty area. But, when his low left-foot cross took a cruel touch off the covering Semi Ajayi's heel, that wrong-footed keeper Sam Johnstone to allow the grateful Watkins to turn the ball in almost on the goal-line.

For all their attacking endeavour in a decent game, the closest Albion came to an equaliser was when half-time sub Kenneth Zohore crashed a right-foot curling shot from 20 yards against the bar.

Bees truly dreaming of the top flight

While Albion have now gone three games without a goal, going back to the 0-0 draw at Swansea in March that preceded the season suspension, Brentford have made a tremendous restart.

If Saturday's two late goals at Fulham were not enough to get them excited, beating the Baggies must really have Bees fans now seriously dreaming of starting life in their new home come September in the Premier League.

They were forced into a late change in midfield when Mathias Jensen injured a quad muscle in the warm-up, with Emiliano Marcondes - one of Saturday's goal heroes - forced to start in his place. But it did not deflect them and, on the first-half balance of play, they were worth their interval lead.

Albion could have been hampered when main playmaker Matheus Pereira needed treatment following a hefty challenge from Christian Norgaard.

He stayed on following lengthy treatment and, following the introduction of Zohore and Filip Krovinovic in a double interval reshuffle, Albion did at least carry a greater threat in a revised 4-3-3 formation.

Yet, apart from Zohore's effort against the bar just seven minutes after coming on, their only effort was from Pereira who had a run and left-foot shot straight at keeper David Raya. And Thomas Frank's Bees had late chances to have won by more.