Brentford 1 Preston North End 0 - Match report as PNE bid farewell to Griffin Park and probably their play-off chances too

Ollie Watkins' fourth-minute goal settled the late afternoon contest and with two matches to play, North End trail sixth-placed Cardiff City by five points.

For them to turn it round at this late stage would take too much of a swing of results, the lack of wins since the end of February hitting them hard.

PNE didn't play badly at all in West London but as in many of their games of late, they didn't produce a host of chances.

A free-kick from the recalled Darnell Fisher forced Bees keeper David Raya into making a save at full stretch in the first half, while Tom Barkhuizen was denied by Raya too.

There was plenty of effort from North End, plenty of determination, plenty of neat football but they needed more of a threat going forward.

With Brentford moving down the road to a new stadium in the summer, this was PNE's final visit to a venue which hasn't been the happiest of hunting grounds these last few years.

Alex Neil had made five changes to the side which had started the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

He switched to a 3-5-2 system as Jordan Storey, Fisher, Ledson, Alan Browne and Barkhuizen came into the starting XI.

Ben Pearson and Ben Davies missed out through injury, Saturday's goalscorer Jayden Stockley, Brad Potts and Scott Sinclair dropping to the bench.

Storey, Patrick Bauer and Andrew Hughes were the trio at the back, with Fisher at right wing-back and Joe Rafferty on the left.

The message as North End left the dressing room was no doubt keep it tight early on, yet they found themselves behind inside the fourth minute.

Brentford worked the ball down their left-wing and then across the pitch, a bit too easily if the truth be told.

Emiliano Marcondes then slipped a pass into the box which Watkins got ahead of Storey to meet and drive a right-foot finish over Declan Rudd from 10 yards.

You feared the floodgates might open but to their credit PNE held firm and began to get a foothold in the contest.

Daniel Johnson threaded a ball through the Bees defence to let in Barkhuizen who tried to lift a shot over David Raya, the keeper managing to get a glove to it and take it behind.

In the 20th minute Rafferty's free-kick from the right-wing was cleared as far as Ledson on the edge of the box, the midfielder's volley clipping a defender and flying just over.

At the other end a Marcondes shot caught a big deflection which saw it loop into the air and drop just over the bar.

North End's best chance of the first half came when Browne was fouled 30 yards out, presenting them with a free-kick.

Fisher took it, putting plenty behind the right-foot effort and Raya dived to his right to superbly tip it away.

As half-time approached it needed some good goalkeeping at the other end from Rudd to prevent Brentford doubling their advantage.

A flowing passing move ended with Saïd Benrahma hammering a shot goalwards which Rudd sprang to meet and pushed it up into the air.

When it came down, the keeper was first there to punch clear.

Two minutes into the second half a foul on Ledson saw North End awarded a free-kick on the right.

Rafferty delivered it into the middle, Bauer angled a header into the six-yard box, the ball bouncing round before being hacked clear for a corner.

Watkins went close in the 56th minute with an effort fairly similar to the one he scored with.

The home side had counter-attacked North End, the ball finding Watkins who took it into the box before hitting a shot just over Rudd's bar.

In the 62nd minute, the visitors worked the ball well down the right channel, Fisher, Browne and Barkhuizen all involved.

Barkhuizen got into the box and pulled it back for Ledson, the midfielder's side-foot effort too close to the keeper who saved comfortably.

Neil made a triple substitution with 16 minutes left, Stockley, Sinclair and Potts replacing Fisher, Browne and Barkhuizen.

That saw PNE revert to a 4-3-3 formation, Stockley flanked by Sinclair and Maguire, with Potts in behind him.

In the closing stages, Josh Harrop and Billy Bodin joined them from the bench as North End went all out attack.

Harrop had a sight of goal in the 89th minute, Rudd having delivered a free-kick from the PNE half into the Bees box.

Hughes got up to head it into the middle where Harrop put a header too close to the keeper who saved.

Three minutes into stoppage-time Bauer met a free-kick from Rafferty but headed wide at the far post.

Brentford: Raya, Dalsgaard, Jansson, Pinnock, Henry, Norgaard, Jensen (Dasilva 68), Marcondes (Žambůrek 87), Benrahma, Mbeumo (Valencia 74), Watkins. Subs (not used): Canos, Dervişoğlu, Jeanvier, Fosu, Roerslev, Daniels.

PNE: Rudd, Storey, Bauer, Hughes, Fisher (Stockley 74), Ledson (Harrop 84), Browne (Potts 74), Johnson, Rafferty, Maguire (Bodin 84), Barkhuizen (Sinclair 74). Subs (not used): Gallagher, Huntington, Nugent, Hudson.

Referee: Darren England (Barnsley)