Northampton Town 1 Brentford 0 Brentford's fast-fading play-off hopes suffered another blow with defeat against relegation haunted, ten-man Northampton Town at the Sixfields Stadium, writes Paul Fitzsimons.

In a team selection that surprised many of the travelling Bees fans, Steve Coppell replaced captain Paul Evans, Gavin Mahon and Lloyd Owusu with Eddie Hutchinson, Steve Sidwell and Mark McCammon.

The first half was a poor spectacle, with both sides contributing numerous errors and often resorting to kick and chase tactics. Chances, such as they were, were very few and far between. Gottskalksson flapped at a Northampton corner midway through the first half but just managed to keep the ball from crossing the line. He was also nearly deceived late in the half when diving too early at a scuffed Sam Parkin effort, fortunately the Icelandic keeper recovered just in time and managed to pull off the save.

Brentford's only chance arrived right on the stroke of half-time when the visitors produced a free-flowing counter attack move. The ball fell to Stephen Hunt on the edge of the area and his curling effort clipped the top of the bar and went over. Mercifully the referee did not prolong the agony anymore than he had to and blew his whistle right on the 45 minute mark to send the Bees and the Cobblers in level at the break.

The second half carried on as the first had left off with endless mistakes once again at a premium. With 20 minutes remaining Coppell made a double substitution, replacing the ineffective Mark McCammon with Owusu, and bringing on Mahon for Sidwell in the centre of midfield.

The transformation was instant as Brentford finally developed an attacking option and began to look as though they actually wanted to win the game. Burgess hit the side netting with an effort on 75 minutes and Owusu began to cause the home team problems with his pace and movement.

Then on 82 minutes came the moment that seemed destined to move the Bees one step closer to victory. Veteran striker Marco Gabbiadini, already been booked in the first half, was adjudged to have dived in the Brentford penalty area and the referee promptly dismissed him with a second yellow card.

Despite the man advantage the travelling fans remained mindful, memories of the recent defeat by ten-man Port Vale still painfully fresh in the mind, and their apprehension proved well founded as, with four minutes remaining, Northampton took the lead and the three points. A long ball over the top found substitute Eddie Asamoah. Gottskalksson started to come but then, realising he was not going to make the interception in time, began to back peddle towards his goal. Asamoah spotted the keeper in no mans land and lobbed him with a precise chip.

Brentford fought back valiantly in search of an equaliser and had an Owusu goal ruled out for offside, but despite four minutes of injury time, the Bees could not find the net and were forced to concede defeat to a tenman side for the second time in as many weeks.

Brentford: Gottskalksson, Dobson, Anderson, Powell, Ingimarsson, Hunt, Sidwell (Mahon 68), Hutchinson, O'Connor, Burgess, McCammon (Owusu 68).