Bees defeated in south London (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Charlton Athletic 2 Brentford 0

10:59pm Monday 2nd January 2012 in Brentford FC By Simon Webster

Brentford pushed league leaders Charlton Athletic all the way before falling to a 2-0 defeat at The Valley on Monday.

After gifting Charlton a scarcely deserved lead in the first half, they were hit on the break as the game entered stoppage time, while in between failing to find a way past a well organised defence at the other end.

Afterwards a philosophical Bees' boss Uwe Rosler put his finger on what went wrong: “We didn't score when we dominated the game. I felt in the first half we were the better team.

“But we played offside inside our own box for the first goal. Despite all our good work we couldn't put it in in the final third in terms of a goal.”

Brentford's first chance came when Leon Legge stabbed a Myles Weston corner just wide of the post. From another Weston corner on the left, Jonathan Douglas then saw his shot deflected over the bar.

After the Addicks broke quickly down the left, Danny Green found space on the right, but his weak shot was easily held by Richard Lee.

The Bees gifted Charlton the lead after half an hour when they failed to clear a long throw from the right and after the ball was played back into the box, the defence failed to react and Lee slipped, allowing Michael Morrison to nod the ball over Brentford's keeper.

Both sides attacked early in the second half, with Clayton Donaldson just beaten to Weston's cross from the left by Addicks' keeper Ben Hamer.

After a slip in midfield, Bradley Wright-Phillips raced into the Bees' box, but Lee did well to dive at his feet and block his shot, before the striker fired his second attempt over the bar.

The Bees' goal lived a charmed life when Johnnie Jackson's header from a corner on the left cannoned off the post and the follow up shot was scrambled clear.

Charlton again came close when Yann Kermorgant found himself free in the penalty box but headed wide of the right hand post following a free kick from the half way line.

Substitute Sam Saunders first touch saw him fire a free kick into the wall and the referee wave away strong claims for a penalty after what looked like a hand ball just inside the box.

After the Bees were awarded another free kick on the edge of the 'D', Saunders shot high and wide.

At the other end a neat through ball from Kermorgant played in Leon Clarke, but Lee reacted quickly to smother the ball at the striker's feet.

The Bees were unlucky when a neat flick from Douglas set up Donaldson, but he shot over the bar from a tight angle on the left of the six yard box.

Green wrapped things up after receiving the ball on a counter-attack and wrong-footing Lee, before rifling a shot into the right hand corner.

Brentford: Lee, Bennett (sub Dean 63), Eger, Legge, Woodman; McGinn, Douglas, Diagouraga, Bean (sub Alexander 63), Weston (sub Saunders 72); Donaldson

Subs (not used): Moore, Forrester

Attendance: 17,506

Man of the Match: Jonathan Douglas