Ivan Toney capped his return to football with a goal in Brentford's 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
The pre-match headlines were dominated by the return of Toney, who was back after eight months on the sidelines due to a suspension for breaching Football Association betting rules.
Danilo sent Forest ahead in the early stages before Toney levelled with a brilliant free kick, and Brentford were then ahead in the 59th minute through Ben Mee, but Chris Wood made it 2-2 in the 65th minute.
Thomas Frank's side were not to be denied, though, winning it in the 68th minute courtesy of an excellent finish from Neal Maupay, with the Bees triumphing in the league for the first time since the start of December.
The result has moved Brentford into 14th position in the table, boasting 22 points from their 20 matches, while Forest have dropped to 16th and sit just four points outside of the relegation zone.
Toney started and captained the Bees in his first match since the start of May, but it was Forest that silenced the home fans in the third minute of the contest, with Danilo's wonderful volley from distance making the breakthrough at the Brentford Community Stadium.
Ryan Yates was next to try his luck for Forest in the seventh minute, firing wide of the post in the seventh minute, and Brentford were struggling to get going in the early stages.
However, Toney came up trumps in the 19th minute, with the returning striker finding the back of the net from a free kick just on the edge of the box, impressively picking out the bottom corner.
A January exit for the forward is unlikely, but it seems almost certain that he will be on the move this summer, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur all believed to be interested.
Brentford thought that they had taken the lead in the 31st minute through Keane Lewis-Potter, but the attacker's effort from close range smashed against the crossbar and somehow Forest were able to clear.
Callum Hudson-Odoi had a half-chance down the other end before the interval, but his strike was kept out by Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken, and the two teams entered the half-time break on level terms.
Brentford had the first opportunity of the second period, with Toney delivering a brilliant pass into Lewis-Potter, but he was unable to find a route past Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner.
Lewis-Potter had another opportunity in the 56th minute, but he got his strike all wrong at the far post, and the ball drifted harmlessly wide of the Forest goal.
Brentford were able to score a second in the 58th minute, with Mee heading a near-post corner from Mikel Damsgaard into the back of the net.
Forest were not behind for long, though, with Wood using his head to guide a cross from Hudson-Odoi into the bottom corner to silence the Brentford supporters in the 65th minute.
The visitors came close to a third in the 67th minute, with Orel Mangala free on the edge of the box, but the midfielder's effort was just wide of the post.
Instead, it was Brentford that made it 3-2 in the 68th minute, as Maupay worked space inside the Forest penalty area before turning and striking into the bottom corner.
VAR had a look at a possible handball from Maupay, but the goal was given, much to the frustration of the Forest players, who surrounded the referee to make their case.
Turner had to keep out a strike from Mathias Jensen in the 84th minute, but Brentford ultimately did not need a fourth, with their defence remaining strong in the latter stages, including 10 minutes of additional time, as the Bees shaded a five-goal thriller on Toney's return to action. body check tags ::
