More reasons to celebrate after Morrison swoop

AS ONE veteran striker departed Griffin Park, another took his place to help lift the club’s fortunes.

Gary Alexander had scored 14 goals before npower League Two side Crawley snapped him up on loan just under a month ago, with the promise of a permanent two-year contract.

The effect on Brentford was immediately apparent. Uwe Rosler’s team were clearly short of forwards. They weren’t helped, either, by a Twitter rant from on-loan forward Saido Berahino, which led to him being asked to sit out a game — and lost three fixtures in succession.

Six points off sixth spot with two games in hand on Notts County, the Bees slumped to straight defeats at home to Sheffield United (2-0) and in away games at Leyton Orient (2-0) and Bournemouth (1-0) without even getting on the score sheet.

Then, in came Sheffield Wednesday’s much-travelled striker Clinton Morrison.

And though the 32-year-old has yet to slot into a regular spot in the side, his experience can’t have hindered Brentford’s sudden progress.

A target for Athletic in the summer, Clayton Donaldson, has banged in four goals in three matches in defeats of visiting Rochdale (2-0) and away-days at Preston (3-1) and, most recently, MK Dons (2-1).

Rosler’s men even have an outside shot at the play-offs — but to have any chance of getting there, tonight’s home clash with Athletic is as “must-win” as that football cliché goes.

Brentford (probable, 4-4-2): Lee; Dean, Thompson, Osborne, Bidwell; Logan, Diagouraga, Douglas, Forrester; Saunders, Donaldson.