Bees pile pressure on Pearce
Stuart Pearce finds himself under pressure at Nottingham Forest after Brentford romped to a simple 3-1 win at the City Ground and ensured the Reds notched up a tenth game without a win.
Forest's defensive fragility was exposed again as they handed the Bees two of their goals - and might have conceded more.
Jon Toral fired Brentford into a 17th minute lead and Andre Gray pounced on an awful back pass ten minutes before the break to double that advantage.
When Kelvin Wilson gave away a clumsy penalty three minutes after the break, it was game over for the Reds as Alex Pritchard converted from the spot.
Michail Antonio pulled one back in the 82nd minute, but it was scant consolation for Pearce's leaky side, who have now let in 15 goals in six matches - and are seeing their promotion hopes fade away.
Brentford should have had the game wrapped up by half time, with Forest maintaining their habit of shooting themselves in the foot courtesy of some woeful defending.
Pearce fielded a side that was set up to be more solid, after conceding three goals in their previous two games, with Michael Mancienne playing in front of the back four - and top scorer Britt Assombalonga left out of the starting line-up.
But it made little difference as the visitors took the lead in the 17th minute - and shattered Forest's fragile confidence.
The goal came as Moses Odubajo carved out the space for a cross. Jack Hunt's attempts to clear saw him sustain an injured that eventually forced him off, but as he rolled around in pain, Toral arrived to hammer a rising shot high into the roof of the net, from just inside the box.
Henri Lansbury had a shot blocked following good work from Michail Antonio and Danny Fox forced a smart save from David Button with a spectacular drive as Forest responded.
But, after replacing Hunt in the 32nd minute, Eric Lichaj had barely been on the pitch for two minutes before suffering a nightmare moment, as his weak back pass fell well short of Darlow and gave Gray the chance to apply a simple finish to make it 2-0 to the visitors.
Mancienne had a header brilliantly saved and Fox flashed another effort wide as Forest looked for a way back into the game.
But they were fortunate not to go into the break three behind, with Jonathan Douglas firing wide from a great position and Gray denied by a fine save.
The third goal was not long in coming, however, with Wilson producing a clumsy challenge on the speeding Gray to concede a penalty just three minutes after the interval. Pritchard converted from the spot.
Fox went narrowly wide with another shot, Lansbury saw a free kick saved well by Button - who also denied Antonio - and Tom Ince was inches wide with a shot.
But Darlow also saved brilliantly to deny the rampaging Gray.
Forest did finally pull one back in the 82nd minute when Antonio cut in from the right for a second time, after being fed by sub Jamie Paterson, and hammered an unstoppable shot beyond Button.
The home side were down to ten men by that stage when, having made all their substitutions, they saw Fox carried off injured.
Source: PA
