Ivan Toney was on course once more as Brentford boosted their bid for Europe by successful a feisty west London derby 3-2 in opposition to Fulham.
The striker took his tally for the season to 16 with one other lethal spot-kick to assist sink the Bees’ native rivals.
Unfortunately for Brentford and Toney, ought to they succeed of their unlikely bid to achieve the Europa League, they could must enter it with out their talisman.
Toney is going through the prospect of a prolonged ban after being charged with a complete of 262 alleged breaches of the Football Association’s playing legal guidelines relationship again to 2017.
But as he promised this week in a social media publish questioning the confidentiality of the FA’s investigation, Toney is concentrating on his soccer.
He bought his first sight of aim with simply two minutes on the clock, gathering the ball on the sting of the world earlier than curling a low shot in direction of the nook which Fulham keeper Bernd Leno palmed away at full stretch.
Moments later Toney’s strike associate Bryan Mbeumo missed the only of probabilities, arriving on the far publish to satisfy Rico Henry’s cross solely to fireplace large from all of 4 yards out.
Mbeumo was then denied by the outstretched leg of Leno earlier than Brentford’s lightning-quick begin was rewarded with a aim after solely six minutes.
Fulham didn’t cope with a nook and Ethan Pinnock’s drive took a depraved deflection off Fulham captain Tim Ream to depart Leno helpless.
Mbeumo virtually made it two with a curling free-kick which flew narrowly large and Toney tried an unorthodox go along with his bottom which just about discovered Yoane Wissa, earlier than the 26-year-old clipped the crossbar with a free-kick.
Moments later, and completely in opposition to the run of play, Fulham equalised from a free-kick of their very own.
Andreas Pereira’s effort from the sting of the field got here again down off the crossbar and bounced up for Manor Solomon to nod into an empty internet for his fifth aim in 5 matches.
Serbian midfielder Sasa Lukic, making his full Fulham debut with Joao Palhinha suspended, was lucky to flee a second reserving simply earlier than half-time when he tripped Wissa because the winger threatened to burst clear on aim.
Brentford had been gifted the lead 5 minutes into the second half when Issa Diop was penalised for the slightest kick on the foot of Christian Norgaard.
Toney stepped as much as calmly convert his twenty first penalty from the 21 he has taken for Brentford, stretching the Bees’ unbeaten streak to 12 Premier League matches and holding them within the hunt for Europe.
Toney virtually had one other with an outrageous effort from the midway line which floated simply over.
Instead Mathias Jensen doubled the lead with 5 minutes remaining when he tucked away a cut-back from substitute Kevin Schade, earlier than Carlos Vinicius pulled one again for Fulham in stoppage time.
