Bryan Mbeumo scored an injury-time winner in a seven-goal thriller as Brentford claimed a 4-3 victory over 10-man Ipswich at the Gtech Community Stadium.
George Hirst scored and set up Sammie Szmodics for another to put Kieran McKenna’s men in control in west London as they hunted their first win of the season.
Then, after Yoane Wissa scored, forced an equaliser own goal from Harry Clarke and Mbeumo netted a penalty to put Brentford 3-2 up, Liam Delap came on and grabbed an 86th-minute leveller for the visitors.
But Mbeumo showed his pedigree in second-half added-time as his cross was misjudged by goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, giving Brentford all the points.
A cagey opening needed a spark to light up the match and Kalvin Phillips did just that as he started the move to help Ipswich to the opening goal.
The Manchester City loanee expertly received the ball on the half-turn and punched a pass through to Hirst before his flick-on set up Szmodics nicely for a first-time finish into the bottom right-hand corner with 28 minutes gone.
The Tractor Boys had taken some time to get going but they were now at full throttle as they went and snatched a second in the 31st minute. A counter-attack saw Conor Chaplin slip in Hirst for a one-on-one and the striker, who replaced the in-form Delap in the starting XI, used a deft chip to lift the ball over Mark Flekken.
Brentford needed to offer a response and they did just that as they took their first chance of note to get back into the match. Keane Lewis-Potter broke away down the left and combined with Vitaly Janelt before his pulled pass into the six-yard box met the well-positioned Wissa for an easy tap in (44).
But Wissa was not done there as he continued to threaten in behind to help Brentford draw level before the break. Denmark international Mikkel Damsgaard produced a through-ball which split the Ipswich defence and, after Wissa took a shot, Clarke’s slide diverted the ball in for an own goal.
Clarke’s match took a further turn for the worse when he was caught in a foot race with Lewis-Potter and conceded a penalty six minutes after the break. Clarke was desperate to win the battle but threw his arms all over the attacker and brought him to the ground inside the area.
Brentford’s main man Mbeumo stepped up and showed Ivan Toney-like composure with a slow run up before blasting into the roof of the net.
A further foul on Lewis-Potter earned Clarke a second yellow card but, despite having 10 men, Ipswich took their next chance through substitute Delap who scored his fifth of the season with four minutes left.
The forward instinctively stormed into the box once Leif Davis received the ball on the left and he managed to poke in the full-back’s cross to level proceedings.
But Mbeumo, who had been the best player on the pitch, showed his quality to steal the win with 96 minutes on the clock as his curled cross caught Muric flat-footed as Brentford took all the points, but only after a final scare when Delap hit a post.
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