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Brentford vs Middlesbrough match report: Grant Leadbitter spot-on as Boro keep up Premier League chase

Brentford 0 Middlesbrough 1

Andy Sims
Saturday 31 January 2015 20:20 GMT
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Grant Leadbitter kept up his perfect penalty record this season as Middlesbrough snatched a 1-0 win at promotion rivals Brentford. The Boro skipper made it eight from eight from the spot a minute before half-time to fire Aitor Karanka’s in-form side back to within a point of leaders Bournemouth.

Middlesbrough arrived in west London fresh from their FA Cup win at Manchester City, but found Brentford a far trickier proposition in the early stages. Top scorer Andre Gray should have put the home side ahead after 10 minutes but planted his header wide from six yards out.

Moments later a powerful shot unleashed by Spanish midfielder Jota from 15 yards out was tipped over by Dimi Konstantopoulos.

James Tarkowski and Stuart Dallas also went close, but Brentford were left counting the cost of their missed chances when Boro’s Ben Gibson launched the ball forward. Bees defender Harlee Dean let the ball sail over him, blissfully unaware that Patrick Bamford had run in behind, and David Button charged out of his goal to bring down the on-loan Chelsea midfielder.

Button escaped with a booking, but Leadbitter punished him further by sending him the wrong way for his 12th goal of the season.

After the break Boro’s Jelle Vossen twice went close with headers, while at the other end Dallas crashed a volley narrowly the top and drove inches wide from long range.

In time added on another Dallas volley was deflected over and Konstantopoulos denied Jonathan Douglas from point-blank range as Boro held out for a seventh clean sheet in their past eight games. Mark Warburton, Brentford’s manager, said: “We were the better team in the first half, we did everything but score."

LINE UPS

Brentford: (4-2-3-1): Button Odubajo, Tarkowski, Dean (Smith, 89), Bidwell; Diagouraga (Toral, 76), Douglas; Peleteiro Ramallo, Pritchard, Dallas; Gray (Long, 76).

Middlesborough (4-2-3-1): Konstantopoulos; Fredericks, Omeruo, Gibson, Friend; Leadbitter, Clayton; Adomah (Forshaw, 68), Tomlin, Bamford (Garcia Martinez, 88); Vossen (Reach, 80).

Referee: Simon Hooper

Man of the match: Konstantopoulos (Middlesborough)

Match rating: 7/10

Half-time: 0-1

Att: 11,853

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