Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Brentford 0

Brentford slumped to a disappointing defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Withdean Stadium on Tuesday night.

Glenn Murray’s first goal at home for nearly a year set the Seagulls on their way, before two late goals and the sending off of the returning Alan Bennett sealed the Bees fate on an evening, when they failed to seriously threaten Brighton’s goal.

Bees boss Andy Scott was scathing about his side’s performance afterwards: “Well, we have beaten ourselves, simple as that.

"We’ve given away free kicks in poor areas and not defended them. We have probably give away more fouls today than in the past three games together.”

Scott made only one change to the side that drew with MK Dons on Saturday, with Danny Foster returning at right back as Mark Phillips moved to centre-half to replace Tommy Smith, recalled from his loan spell by Ipswich manager Roy Keane.

Brentford had the first chance of the game after good work down the left by Myles Weston saw him cross to the back post, where Ben Strevens headed into the hands of Peter Brezovan.

After a quarter of an hour Brentford failed to clear a corner and the ball fell to Marcos Painter just outside the box, but he shot over the bar.

Brighton then had a good chance, when Elliott Bennett evaded Ryan Dickson down the right and his cross into the box was headed wide of the right hand post by Murray.

Brentford were denied a penalty after half an hour when Charlie MacDonald appeared to be tugged down inside the box following a long throw from Dickson on the left.

The Seagulls took the lead after 33 minutes, when Bennett floated a cross into the six-yard box and Murray headed past both Szczesny and the Bees defence into the back of the net.

Shortly after Murray almost followed it up with a second when he skipped past a couple of Bees defenders and shot wide of the left-hand post.

Brighton’s first chance of the second half came when Chris Holroyd broke down the left and crossed for Bennett to head over the bar from six yards.

The Bees soon countered when Kevin O’Connor’s free kick from the left was missed by Brezovan and fell to Sam Wood on the edge of the box, but he shot high over the bar.

With just over 12 minutes remaining substitute Gareth Ainsworth took a pass just inside his own half and raced into the Seagulls half, but his weak shot from the edge of the box was easily held by Brezovan.

During the closing stages the ball fell to Brighton’s Tommy Elphick inside the Bees box, but his shot was well blocked by Szczesny, before former Bee and substitute Nicky Forster skipped clear of the offside trap but fired high over the bar.

Brighton sealed the victory when Inigo Calderon’s free kick from wide on the right was met by a looping header from substitute Adam Virgo high over Szczesny into the top right hand corner of the net.

Brentford’s miserable night was compounded when substitute Bennett was sent off for a second yellow card after handling the ball inside the box and Forster found the bottom left hand corner of the net from the penalty spot.

Brentford: Szczesny; Foster, Legge, Phillips (sub Bennett h/t), Dickson; Wood (sub Ainsworth 62), Diagouraga, O’Connor, Weston; MacDonald, Strevens (sub Cort 78)

Subs (not used): Price, Bean, Saunders, Hunt

Attendance: 5,539 (371 Bees)

Man of the match: Charlie MacDonald

Match rating: 2/6