Ivan Toney was on target again to give Brentford‘s chances of securing a place in Europe increased after a 2-0 win Premier League win in the fight Southampton.
The Bees had a 12-game undefeated streak, backing their aspirations broken in a 1-0 defeat at Everton, but returning on a rainy day on the south coast.
Toney poked his 16th goal of the season into the net from a corner in a game with few clear chances, and Yoane Wissa finished all three points with one second in second-half stoppage time.
The result keeps the Saints rooted to the bottom of the table despite the recent improvement in fortunes, including a draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Brentford started brighter between the two sides, forcing Gavin Bazunu to take action to reject Bryan Mbeumo and the hosts are also struggling to make room for the forward.
After a cautious half-hour opening, after Christian Norgaard’s header, Toney was the guest team to take the lead, taking a free kick to hit home the ball in the right place on the far post.
The striker rewarded the belief of his manager, Thomas Frank, who said ahead of the match that Toney could partner with Harry Kane for England.
Yoanne Wissa rounds out the points for Brentford late
(REUTERS)
However, questions have arisen over whether Toney should be allowed to take the field after being accused of violating FA gambling rules 262 times, still awaiting the FA’s decision, and there is the possibility of a lengthy suspension.
Carlos Alcaraz tried his luck from afar as Southampton tried to level the game, but his drive was always rising and he was just over the crossbar.
The home team nearly tied at the start of the second half and responded after being booed by some of the fan base at halftime.
Kyle Walker-Peters went into the penalty area and cut the ball back for Che Adams, but his shot was taken off the line by Aaron Hickey.
James Ward-Prowse also came very close to Southampton with a free kick from just outside the penalty area, but his curved shot was just off target.
Both sides were tense with 33 fouls before Brentford added a second to the nine-minute stoppage time, and Wissa beat the offside trap before placing the ball behind the net.