Brentford hit rock bottom of League One following their second consecutive 1-0 defeat away from home, this time falling to league leaders Brighton and Hove Albion at the Withdean Stadium on Tuesday night.

Last week’s cup heroics against Everton have already been consigned to history for a Bees side struggling to make the impact in the league many expected back in August.

With his side struggling at the wrong end of the table, Bees’ boss Andy Scott was in philosophical mood afterwards: “That was a cheap goal we gave away and the Orient goal was a cheap one and if you have two away games and get two good points and decent clean sheets it is a different story.

“Nothing is going for us at the moment but we can’t sit back and wallow in it. You just get on with it and learn from the negatives.”

Scott made three changes to the side that lost at Leyton Orient on Friday night, with Sam Wood, Marcus Bean and Nicky Forster coming in for Nicky Adams (tactical), Toumani Diagouraga (flu) and Charlie MacDonald (ankle ligaments).

The decisive goal of the game came from on loan Kazenga LuaLua, who proved the difference maker on the evening and showed why he is on Newcastle United’s books.

The left winger showed his promise within the first ten minutes when he took a cross-field pass from Radostin Kishishev wide on the left, cut inside and fired a low shot just wide. A few minutes later Kishishev again found LuaLua, who this time shot wide of the right hand post.

Brentford’s best chance of the half came when Myles Weston found space on the left and his cross into the six yard box was headed wide by Forster, who really should have found the target.

Ben Hamer proved to be the Bees’ best player on the night and approaching half time he did well to turn a snap shot from Ashley Barnes behind for a corner.

Just before half time, Hamer again did well to get down low to save LuaLua’s shot after a purposeful run down the left resulted in a low shot.

Brentford opened the second on the front foot and from out of nowhere Sam Wood rattled the crossbar with a shot from the edge of the box.

On the hour mark Hamer made a superb block when he raced out to deny Barnes in the middle of the penalty box.

Chances for the Bees were few and are between, but Kevin O’Connor came close with a free kick from 35 yards which nearly sneaked in at Casper Ankergren’s left hand post.

Brighton almost took the lead when substitute Glenn Murray latched onto a long ball into the box, only to see Hamer get down low to make another magnificent save.

However, from a short corner on the left, LuaLua picked up the ball and despatched a terrific low shot into the bottom right hand corner with a little over ten minutes remaining.

The Seagulls again threatened in the closing stages as Brentford failed in their attempts to rescue a point and go into Saturday’s London derby with Charlton Athletic languishing at the foot of the table.

Brentford: Hamer; Spillane, Balkestein (Legge h/t), Osborne, Woodman; Wood (sub Adams 80), O’Connor, Bean, Weston; Alexander (sub Cort 79), Forster.

Subs: Lee, McCracken, Saunders, Hudson

Attendance: 7640 (207 Bees)

Man of the Match: Ben Hamer