Sky Bet Championship: Brentford reinforce play-off credentials with 3-1 win over Blackburn

Brentford consolidated their place in the Championship play-off places with a 3-1 victory over Blackburn at Griffin Park on Saturday afternoon.

The in-form Bees, who came up from League One last season, had won five games on the trot to move into the top six before last weekend's defeat at Huddersfield.

But they responded in style to sink a Blackburn side, whose recent run of one defeat in 10 matches had raised the prospect of a promotion tilt of their own.

With Jordan Rhodes relegated to the bench, it was left to Rudy Gestede to cancel out Jonathan Douglas' opener but, by the time Rovers' go-to front man was introduced, Andre Gray and Jota had ensured Brentford were home and dry.

Former Rovers youngster Douglas struck in the 15th minute after Moses Odubajo's cross was met with an unconvincing header from Grant Hanley, who cleared the ball only as far as Jake Bidwell on the left of the area.

The Bees full-back fired a low shot goalwards and Douglas stuck out a foot to divert it past Jason Steele for his second goal in two games.

Lacklustre Blackburn eventually finally found their shooting boots as the first half drew to a close, with Ben Marshall forcing the first save of the game from home goalkeeper David Button with a rising shot.

And as the half ticked into stoppage-time Rovers levelled, Craig Conway crossing from the right and Gestede acrobatically volleying past Button with the aid of a deflection.

Early in the second half Jota went on a mazy run into the penalty area only to see his curling effort well saved by Steele.

But the second goal did arrive in the 55th minute when Gray expertly controlled the Spanish midfielder's ball on his chest, spun away from his marker and fired across Steele and into the net.

Blackburn should have equalised two minutes later when Gestede nodded the ball into Conway, who missed his header in front of goal, and Marshall crashed the rebound against the post.

It proved a pivotal moment as within two minutes Brentford had wrapped up the points, Jota latching on to a loose ball in midfield, charging through another gaping hole in the Rovers defence and coolly slotting past Steele to seal another three points for the west Londoners.