Brentford head coach Dean Smith felt a draw at Fulham was a fair result, but it could have been better had an effort from Jota not been ruled out for offside.

Brentford first took the lead, then were forced to come from behind to take a 2-2 draw in a see-saw derby at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

The Bees went ahead after Alan Judge converted from the spot, only to see James Tarkowski head into his own net and then allow Moussa Dembele to ghost past him to put the home side ahead in the second half.

However, the Bees weren't to be denied and the introduction of Jota and John Swift renewed their forward momentum, with Jack O'Connell heading an equaliser in front of 5,000 away fans.

“Very entertaining game," said Smith, who is unbeaten in two games in charge and takes his men to Cardiff City on Tuesday night.

"It was pretty even in the first half. We started the second half very brightly, were passing it well.

"They probably scored against the run of play, but the lads showed great character to come back. I thought we might have gone on and won, but in all fairness a draw is probably a fair result.

"The bench pleased me. When you have a bench like that you can go and make an impact. Jota and Swift certainly made an impact when they came on.

"Jota scored a goal I didn’t feel was offside. If we had scored that we would have gone on and won the game."

After a cagey opening ten minutes Brentford came to life when Sergio Canos burst forward, working the ball to Konstantin Kerschbaumer, with the German's shot blocked.

But Fulham failed to clear properly and Nico Yennaris then surged forward, but he shot from the edge of the box was well wide.

The Bees took the lead when Jake Bidwell was fouled just inside the box by Ashley Richards, and despite stumbling and looking to continue his run, referee Coote pointed to the spot.

Judge calmly slotted home the resulting penalty.

Fulham countered down the left with Tom Cairney's dangerous low cross into the six yard box gathered by a diving David Button.

Bidwell continued to venture forward at every opportunity, with his next cross cross resulting into two quick shots both being blocked.

Seconds later Lasse Vibe turned and shot from the edge of the box, with Andrew Lonergan clutching his goal-bound shot.

Brentford weren't quite having it all their own way, with Ryan Fredericks' shot from the right punched clear by Button.

A teasing cross from Jamie O'Hara, again from the left, evaded everyone inside Brentford's box and went behind for a goal kick.

Fulham drew level five minutes before the break after Brentford failed to clear a corner from the left and when Ross McCormack whipped it in for the second time, Tarkowski headed past Button into his own net.

Kerschbaumer had a chance at the start of the second half when he dribbled his way into Fulham's box, before his shot was saved by Lonergan.

Then some nifty footwork from Canos wide on the right saw him cut the ball back into space in the box, where Bidwell was just denied by Fredericks.

A terrific surging run from his own half by Kerschbaumer saw him find Vibe, with the Dane's shot well saved by Lonergan.

Fulham took the lead when McCormack played a long ball into the path of Moussa Dembele, who shrugged off Tarkowski and fired past Button.

After the Bees made a double substitution Swift's deft pass into the box almost found Jota before the ball went behind.

Brentford drew level when Bidwell's perfectly placed corner from the right was headed home from close range by Jack O'Connell.

Minutes later Jota thought he had headed the Bees ahead when he got on the end of Swift's cross from the left, but he was adjudged to have been offside.

In an end to end game the next chance fell to Fulham, with McCormack's fiercely struck free kick pushed away by Button.

A brilliant last second block from Bidwell denied Dembele with five minutes remaining.

Brentford: Button; Yennaris, O'Connell, Tarkowski, Bidwell; Kerschbaumer (sub Swift 66), Diagouraga, Woods, Judge, Canos (sub Jota 66); Vibe (sub Hofmann 87).

Subs (not used): Bonham, Barbet, McEachran, Saunders.