Afternoon all! Our feature 3pm kickoff in the Championship on matchday 31 sees second-placed Bournemouth travel to seventh-placed Brentford. Team news coming right up...

BRENTFORD XI: Button; Odubajo, Craig, Tarkowski, Douglas; Dallas, Judge, Diagouraga, Jota; Pritchard; Gray
Subs: Bonham, Dean, Saunders, McCormack, Toral, Smith, Long

Outgoing manager Mark Warburton makes two changes to his Brentford side from last week's 3-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic - Alan Judge and James Tarkowski come in for Harlee Dean and Nico Yennaris.

BOURNEMOUTH XI: Boruc; Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels; Ritchie, Surman, MacDonald, Pugh; Kermorgant, Wilson
Subs: Camp, Ward, Smith, Gosling, Stanislas, Pitman, Fraser

Like Warburton, opposite number Eddie Howe makes two changes. Simon Francis is back at right-back, while Shaun MacDonald replaces the suspended Harry Arter in central midfield.

REFEREE WATCH! The man in charge today is Mike Dean, who is a Premier League regular and referees his first Championship match since December.

Howe's lineup shows no surprises, with his strongest available XI chosen. Arter is the only player from his usual side missing, but MacDonald should be a good replacement. I've only seen him one or two times this season, but he looked good when he started against Aston Villa in the FA Cup not long ago.

We've already had two of matchday 31's games in the Championship and the one that finished not long ago went exactly how both of these sides wanted it to. League leaders Middlesbrough played host to Leeds and somehow lost 1-0 after dominating the game and creating loads more chances.

That means that Bournemouth will go top if they win today, unless Derby win by four goals more than Bournemouth, which is unlikely. A draw will also be good enough for the Cherries to go top if Derby fail to beat Sheffield Wednesday.

Bournemouth are unbeaten in four Championship games, but have drawn two in a row to make it an extremely tight fight between the top five. Just four points separate them, with Norwich City three points further back in sixth.

Moving onto Brentford, they are a point adrift of Norwich in seven following three defeats in four games, including two in a row since the worrying news that Warburton would be leaving at the end of the season.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that Warburton would be leaving the club in the summer, despite the fantastic job that he's done getting the club promoted from League One last season and now challenging near the top of the Championship. The club's board and owner want to adopt a European head coach-sporting director model that would give Warburton very little control on transfers and that's the main reason he's leaving. A sad state of affairs and it does seem to have affected results on the pitch.

STAT: Brentford are winless in seven against Bournemouth (D4 L3), failing to score in the last two. However, Bournemouth have won none of their last five league visits to Griffin Park (D4 L1), with the last three ending level.

PREDICTION TIME: Kickoff is moments away in West London, so I best make my pre-match prediction. Bournemouth have to start as favourites given Brentford's recent slide, but I'm going to back a 2-2 draw.

The reverse fixture on the second weekend of the season back in August went Bournemouth's way, with Junior Stanislas scoring the only goal of the game in the second half.

KICKOFF! A little behind schedule, but we're underway at Griffin Park as Brentford, in their red-and-white stripes and black shorts, kick us off. Bournemouth are in their all-white away kit.

No goalmouth action in the early stages of the match. It's a lovely day in the capital and there's a good atmosphere despite it being one of the smaller stadiums in the Championship.

Ritchie has been one of the division's outstanding players this season and he has caused some problems in the last few minutes. His inswinging cross from the right just now was well held by Button.

Better from Brentford in the last couple of minutes, but they've done very little to worry the Cherries' backline.

UPDATE: The first goal of the afternoon in the 3pm Championship kickoffs arrives at the City Ground as Nottingham Forest lead Bolton. I'll keep you updated on any big goals involving these two sides at Griffin Park.

SAVE! Bournemouth create the first chance as Francis's low cutback is turned goalwards by Wilson, with Button using his feet to make a smart stop.

Out of nowhere, Brentford take the lead. It's good work from Pritchard as he pounces on a loose ball on the right of the area before dinking in a cross that falls at the feet of Douglas. The midfielder signed a new contract yesterday and he celebrates it with a goal by turning smartly and lashing home.

Bournemouth come forward looking for an instant response, but a Ritchie corner from the right comes to nothing.

UPDATE: Bournemouth's promotion rivals Ipswich fall behind at home to Reading as Jamie Mackie scores against the run of play.

Bournemouth do look a little shaky at the back as Pritchard again nicks the ball. This time he goes for goal himself, but it hits the head of Cook.

BOOKING! First yellow card of the game is shown to Bournemouth striker Kermorgant for diving. That's a good spot by Dean as there was little, if any, contact on the edge of the box.

Kermorgant again goes down, but this time it's neither a free kick or a dive. Button came out well and poked the ball away well for a corner. From the set piece, the ball finds Francis and his low shot is straight at Button.

Francis is disgusted at Pritchard after the latter fell very easily following barely any contact between the two. Dean thought it was a foul and Brentford have a free kick on the left.

It comes to nothing and there's news of another surprising goal in the promotion race..

UPDATE: Wednesday take the lead at Derby thanks to a Lewis McGugan free kick. So, Boro have lost and now Bournemouth, Derby and Ipswich are losing. Fifth is also playing sixth and it's currently goalless between Watford and Norwich City.

A quarter of the game gone and Brentford have looked pretty solid since scoring against the run of play in the 10th minute.

SAVE! Jota plays out on the right, but loves to cut inside and almost puts the hosts two up with a dipping drive that Boruc pushes away. Moments earlier at the other end, Bournemouth wanted a penalty when Diagouraga appeared to land on the ball with his arm when blocking a shot.

CHANCE! Another opportunity for the Bees as Pritchard beats the offside trap but can't get the better of Boruc's big frame as he prods wide.

You should have this page open in a new tab as it updates a live Championship table. As things stand, just three points separate the top five.

Bournemouth play some of the best football in the league, but this isn't pretty as Daniels's ball over the top is helped into the path of Pugh by Brentford's Diagouraga. The winger bears down on goal and sees the ball ricochet off Button into the post before he taps home.

"We're top of the league!" sing the Bournemouth fans and they're right. Bournemouth now top by goal difference.

OFF THE LINE! Gray rounds Boruc and tries to squeeze home from a tight angle, but there's Cook sliding in to make an excellent goalline clearance.

BOOKING! Ritchie wipes out Douglas to become the second Bournemouth player booked.

Fair play to Brentford, they've been completely dominant since conceding the equaliser. Given that Bournemouth are right there at the top, it would have been easy to lose all confidence.

"Off, off, off!" bellow the Brentford fans as Ritchie wipes out Dallas. It's a similar offence to the first booking and you have to say that he's really, really lucky to still be on the pitch. Dean clearly gave him a final warning.

Ritchie might be lucky to still be playing, but being on a tight rope won't make him any less cautious going forward. He's just tried his luck from distance, but it was an easy save for Button.

UPDATE: Goal number 1,000 this season in the Championship arrives as bottom-of-the-table Blackpool equalise at Blackburn Rovers.

CHANCE! Judge finds himself in acres of space at the back post from a corner but drags his shot from 14 yards wide of the near post. It would have been some effort to drill it through the mass of bodies in front of him.

BOOKING! Bournemouth aren't usually this robust in the tackle and that's probably their three best players in the book as Wilson is yellow-carded. One minute of added time signalled.

Oh dear Artur Boruc! What have you done! Pritchard's free kick from 30 yards is hit a la Ronaldo with loads of dip, but it's still straight at Boruc, who somehow punched it into his own net.

Plenty to talk about after that 45 minutes of football. It's Brentford who lead, and deservedly so you have to say, thanks to Pritchard's free kick in stoppage time.

Bournemouth have been far from their best, but the good news is that every other scoreline involving teams in the promotion race is going their way.

HALF-TIME SCORES: Blackburn 1-1 Blackpool, Brighton 1-1 Birmingham, Derby 0-1 Sheff Weds, Huddersfield 0-0 Cardiff, Ipswich 0-1 Reading, Millwall 0-0 Fulham, Forest 2-1 Bolton, Watford 0-0 Norwich, Wolves 2-0 Rotherham

Boro have already lost and with Bournemouth, Derby and Ipswich losing, as well as fifth-and-sixth Watford and Norwich drawing, no-one fancies it today!

Both sides have had four shots on target, but it's Brentford who have been the more dangerous side with eight total shots. On the balance of play, the Bees do deserve to be in front.

As well as being the weaker side, Bournemouth's three best players are in the book. Ritchie probably should have been sent off for sliding in after he had booked for a very similar tackle.

We're a little behind schedule, but should be back underway shortly. It wouldn't surprise me if Howe took off Ritchie soon, even though he's been Bournemouth's standout player this season, because he's on his last warning.

BOURNEMOUTH SUB: Ha, and there it is at the break. Ritchie off, Ryan Fraser on.

KICKOFF! The visitors get us back underway in West London.

Today's attendance at Griffin Park, by the way, is 11,459, with 1,632 of those travelling Cherries.

UPDATE: Derby equalise against Wednesday so as things stand the Rams are going top.

Judge with a teasing cross into the Bournemouth box that appears to take a deflection off a white shirt, but Dean points for a goal kick.

Pugh's cross is a good one and there's Wilson to head over the bar.

SAVE! Again it's Pugh and Wilson who link up for the Cherries, with the latter denied by the feet of Button. A good few minutes from Bournemouth as they search for an equaliser.

Here's a picture from the first half of Douglas running away in celebration after opening the scoring.

UPDATE: Good news for Bournemouth fans as Derby fall behind again at home to Wednesday.

OFF THE POST! Fraser has been very bright since replacing Ritchie at the break and he's just gone close to a Cherries equaliser with a low shot that slipped through Button's guard and came back off the near post. The rebound fell to Fraser, but the angle was tight and he was only able to find the side-netting.

Wilson wags his finger angrily at the linesman after being flagged offside. It looked pretty close, but the England Under-21 was just ahead of the play I think.

BRENTFORD SUB: Jon Toral replaces Judge in the first Bees change.

SAVE! Fraser gets in behind his man and is met by Button, who does really well to use his chest to make the save as he was outside the area.

UPDATE: A goal in the game between fifth and sixth and it goes Norwich's way as Lewis Grabban scores from the spot. The top six are so close at the moment.

Brentford have done very little in the second half, but they do have a corner now as Pritchard's cross is looped out of play.

MISS! Oh my word, Gray heads over from about four yards at the back post. It should be 31- to the Bees.

BOOKING! Another Bournemouth player in the book for diving and again it's the right decision from Dean as Fraser wanted to go down the minute he beat Tarkowski to the ball. There was basically no contact and Dean was right there to see how easily the substitute went down.

SAVE! Button with a sharp stop at the near post to keep out Wilson's close-range effort before Surman's looped header also stays out. Bournemouth getting closer.

CHANCE! Boruc is out of position and Long, who came on moments ago, almost makes an instant impact with a curling shot that almost went over the Pole. Long replaed Gray up front., by the way.

UPDATE: Norwich are now 2-0 up on Watford, while Derby have pegged back Wednesday once again. Bournemouth are third in the as-it-stands table.

BRENTFORD SUB: Third and final change for the home side as McCormack takes Diagouraga's place.

BOURNEMOUTH SUB: Another change for Bournemouth as Smith replaces Daniels at full-back. Less than 15 minutes remaining now.

UPDATE: Derby now lead Wednesday 3-2 as Darren Bent (how many key goals has he scored for the Rams?!) tucks home from the penalty spot.

So, as it stands, Derby are going two points clear at the top. Bournemouth have lost a bit of their spark in the last few minutes and it doesn't look like they'll be finding an equaliser at the moment.

BOOKING! Brentford right-back Odubajo is the first Bee in the book as Dean thinks that he was time-wasting.

OFF THE BAR! Brentford go so close to a third goal as Jota's rocket from the edge of the box beats Boruc but cannons back off the frame of the goal.

Wilson's snapshot from 15 yards goes over the top after Pitman tumbled in the area. Dean waved away the penalty appeals, but Wilson will be disappointed not to have done better.

BOOKING! Dallas into the book for breaking up Bournemouth's attack illegally.

OFF THE POST! Brentford should have put this game to bed. First, Jota was denied by a great Boruc save before Long's deflected shot pinged out off the left-hand post.

CLOSE! End-to-end stuff at the moment as Bournemouth twice head wide good chances. First PItman, then Wilson failed to test Button.

Neat play down the right from Bournemouth, but Fraser spoons his cross out of play. Terrible.

CHANCE! Fabulous wing play from Jota as he dances his way down the right before again failing to beat Boruc from close range.

FIVE minutes added on at Griffin Park. This is a barmy end to the game.

Game over as Everton loanee Long turns home Pritchard's cutback from close range. Brentford have, surprisingly, been the more dangerous side in the closing stages and their playoff charge is right back on.

Bournemouth miss out on top spot and drop to third in the table by losing in West London. Brentford are still outside the playoffs, but they're now just five points off the automatic-promotion places in seventh. It's so, so tight up there.

Click here to see the table after matchday 32. Derby have gone two clear at the top, but then just five points separate Boro in second and Brentford in seventh. What a final couple of months it's going to be in the promotion and playoff races.

We'll finish on Brentford, who really needed that win after the last 10 days. We now know that Warburton will be on his way at the end of the season, but their promotion hopes are far from over thanks to victory over high-flying Bournemouth. They were at their attacking best and also did well without two of their first-choice back four against the Championship's most potent attack.

Time for us to go, but thanks again for joining us. Make sure you go wild with your mouse and click away to find our instant match reports for all of this afternoon's football. Enjoy!