After hitting the bottom of League One on Tuesday night, Brentford bounced back with this vital 2-1 victory over London rivals Charlton Athletic at Griffin Park on Saturday, writes Simon Webster.

The Bees were positive from the opening exchanges, and after going two goals up in the opening half hour, had just enough to hold off the Addicks’ revival during the second half.

Bees’ boss Andy Scott was relieved to see his side finally win again: “In the first half I thought we were fantastic. We were understandably a little bit deep in the last 20 minutes and they went very direct and we looked a little nervous. But we got the win and that’s the main thing.”

Scott made two changes to the side that lost at Brighton, with Leon Legge replacing Pim Balkestein in defence and Toumani Diagouraga regaining his berth in midfield at the expense of Marcus Bean.

Brentford put Charlton under pressure from the opening minutes and after a couple of early attacks nearly scored when Michael Spillane headed a Kevin O’Connor free kick wide at the back post.

The Bees took the lead within a quarter of an hour when Charlton failed to clear an O’Connor corner and Gary Alexander capitalised on some confusion in the defence to hammer the ball home at the second time of asking.

Charlton first real chance saw Therry Racon fire a low shot wide of the left post after Scott Wagstaff had been tackled on the edge of the box.

Myles Weston was giving Simon Francis a torrid time down the left hand side and after half an hour he once again skipped past Francis and his low cross was cleared only as far as Diagouraga, who took one touch before hitting a glorious left footed shot into the corner of the net.

Charlton went to a more attacking formation during the second half and Racon had a couple of chances, first firing a free kick over the bar, then seeing Legge get in a superb block to foil his shot from inside the box.

The Addicks pulled one back with just under 20 minutes remaining when substitute Kyel Reid did well to deliver a low cross that Wagstaff drilled home from just inside the right hand post.

The Bees thought they had wrapped things up when Spillane headed home a free kick from wide on the right, but it was disallowed for off-side.

Substitute Akpo Sodje did his best to draw the Addicks level, twice breaking down the right wing, only to see Ben Hamer make comfortable saves each time as the Bees held on for a vital three points.

Brentford: Hamer; Spillane, Legge, Osborne, Woodman; Wood (sub Hunt 85), O’Connor, Diagouraga, Weston; Alexander (sub Bean 76), Forster (sub Hudson 90) Subs: Lee, McCracken, Saunders, Adams

Attendance: 6342

Man of the Match: Craig Woodman

Goals: Alexander 13, Diagouraga 31