Brentford let a two-goal lead slip as they left the Cardiff City Stadium with just a point after a feisty affair in South Wales.

Luca Racic and Bryan Mbeumo gave Thomas Frank’s men the ideal start inside 20 minutes before Junior Hoillet and Joe Ralls pulled the game level before the break.

Referee Simon Hooper made no friends on either side in a fixture both sides desperately needed to win in their quest for promotion.

The point leaves the Bees fifth in the table, three points clear of Bristol at the head of the chasing pack in seventh.

Quick Start

With just five minutes gone the Bees were ahead.

Racic superbly guided home Henrik Dalsgaard’s neat volleyed lay-off from a corner to notch his first for the club.

Just as the homeside looked to be growing into the game, with Callum Paterson testing David Raya with a fine long-range effort, they found themselves two down.

With 20 minutes gone Mbeumo stepped up to dispatch a free-kick from the edge of the box past the diving Alex Smithies, whose initial positioning will be questioned.

City’s best ploy was the long ball, with Paterson causing Ethan Pinnock and Racic issues in the air he almost pulled one back but for a diving Raya save pushing it wide of the post.

Frustration nearly got the better of Neil Harris’ men on 30 minutes, as Will Vaulks somehow avoided getting his marching orders after seemingly thrusting a knee and a palm into Christian Norgaard’s face while lying stricken on the deck.

The incident, right in front of the dugout, caused both managers to square off, with Frank understandably aggrieved by the lack of punishment.

Frank’s disappointment increased when City pulled one back on 35 minutes as Hoilett headed home Albert Adomah’s cross.

The fracas shook the Bees and apart from a Said Benrahma effort it was the Bluebirds who closed the half strongly, eventually getting an equaliser.

Sean Morrison flicked on a long throw to find Ralls at the back post who nodded home to give an unexpected halftime scoreline.

Missed Chances

The second half was 20 minutes old before it came to life, and again it was a ‘meaty’ challenge that got both sets of benches up.

With the ball to be won, Paterson’s lunging tackle caught goalkeeper Raya who had beat the forward to a through ball.

The Bees were awarded the free-kick but it rallied the home crowd.

On top and with their tail up, City should’ve been ahead on 65 minutes but Joe Bennet somehow skewed his back post effort wide with the goal gaping.

Questions were then asked again of the man in the middle when Cardiff appealed for three penalties in quick succession, all waved away by Hooper.

Cardiff were dominant but they left themselves open at the back were nearly punished late on but Josh Dasilva drilled his effort wide as both sides had to settle for a point.

TEAMS:

Cardiff City: Smithies, Sandersson, Bennett, Morrison, Nelson, Vaulks, Bacuna, Adomah, Ralls (Ward 80’), Hoilett, Paterson  SUBS: Etheridge, Flint, Glatzel, Murphy, Pack, Ward, Smith

Brentford: Raya, Henry, Pinnock, Dalsgaard, Racic, Norgaard, Dasilva, Marcondes (Baptiste 84’ (Zamburek 90’)), Mbeumo, Benrahma, Watkins SUBS: Daniels, Valencia, Dervisoglu, Fosu, Baptiste, Zamburek, Rasmussen

Referee: S.Hooper