Brentford 0 West Brom 1 - Report and pictures
Having coached him with the under-23s for several years, James Shan knows what Kyle Edwards is capable of.
But even Shan has probably never seen the 21-year-old score a goal of such individual brilliance, certainly not against opposition as good as this anyway.
On the same day as the FA Cup quarter-finals, Edwards evoked memories of Ricky Villa's famous goal in that competition six minutes after half-time.
It looked to everyone else that he'd overdone it, taken on too much, but his quick feet bamboozled two Brentford defenders before he poked the ball past goalkeeper Luke Daniels.
What a way to cap your first league start for the club, and Albion's what an inspired choice by Shan.
Despite Brentford being on top for large parts in a game affected by the blustery conditions, Edwards' goal proved enough to win this contest.
Considering Thomas Frank's men had won their previous seven games at Griffin Park, that is no mean feat.
Shan made three changes to the side that beat Swansea in midweek, adding fresh legs to his central midfield and handing 21-year-old Kyle Edwards his first league start for the club.
Brentford had the first shot, capitalising when the Baggies were briefly reduced to ten men because Dwight Gayle needed treatment.
Said Benrahma has been lethal at Griffin Park recently, but this time his effort was straight at Sam Johnstone.
That woke the hosts up, and former Baggie Romaine Sawyers was the next man in red and white to sting Johnstone's palms, this time from a narrow angle.
Gayle snatched at a shot from the edge of the area when he might have taken a touch, but it was Brentford who looked more lively.
The wind was affecting both teams. Johnstone's goalkicks were struggling to reach the halfway line while Brentford were overhitting a lot of their passes.
Kamohelo Mokotjo did exactly that, wasting a chance to play the dangerous Neal Maupay through on goal, before Benrahma tested Johnstone again.
Edwards fired a shot inches over the bar after being found in space by Morrison, but midway through the first half Brentford wanted a penalty.
Benrahma was in the thick of the action, and it was him who went down in a tangle of legs with Brunt, but referee Andrew Madley waved play on.
The Bees were controlling possession, and might have scored soon after when the ball was pulled back to Julian Jeanvier on the penalty spot, but he flashed his effort wide.
There was a minute's applause in the 34th minute from fans in both the home and away end in memory of Simon Carrington, Albion's club secretary who died this week from cancer.
During that applause, Johnstone had to save from point-blank range to keep the scores level, but then Albion broke up the other end and Stefan Johansen sent Edwards clear.
The youngster stood the ball up to the back post for Gayle, who slipped at the worst possible moment.
The Baggies were rarely on the same wavelength as each other, and they were misplacing passes while their hosts looked far slicker.
Just before the break, Johnstone tipped Yoann Barbet's free-kick around the post, a save made even more impressive because he stepped the other way first.
But six minutes after the restart, Edwards gave the Baggies the lead with a moment of individual brilliance .
When the 21-year-old was found on the right hand side by Johansen, he might've whipped a cross in for Gayle.
Instead, he jinked past Yoann Barbet like he wasn't there and drove into the box. Next it was Ezri Konsa who was left for dead as Edwards bore down on goal.
Then he flicked it past Luke Daniels in the Brentford goal to cap off a superb solo goal.
He was brimming with confidence after that, drifting past players on the right hand side with ease, and had to be hacked down by Moses Odubajo soon after.
In fact, the goal had given the whole team a lift. Albion might've made it two when Johansen's first time ball found Gayle in space, but he volleyed the bouncing ball wide.
And then Ahmed Hegazi tested Daniles from just inside the box.
But Brentford came roaring back at the Baggies, and it took three important blocks, two from Conor Townsend and one from James Morrison, to keep Albion's lead intact.
Dawson put the ball in the net, following up a Chris Brunt shot parried by Daniels, but it was correctly chalked off for offside.
Edwards was subbed off in the 74th minute for Hal Robson-Kanu, and he got a rousing send off from the away end.
Brentford kept probing, and kept asking questions of Albion's backline, but the Baggies spent the last five minutes up the right end of the pitch.
Daniels pulled off a full-stretch save to deny Gayle from a free-kick before Albion withstood the inevitable late barrage.
That makes it two wins and two clean sheets for Shan, and shaves the large gap from Albion and the top two to seven points.
Whether it's enough for the board to consider leaving him in charge for the rest of the season remains to be seen. They've got an international break to think about it now.
Key moments
26 Brentford want a penalty when Benrahma goes down in a tangle with Brunt. Referee Andrew Madley says no.
42 Johnstone tips a free-kick around the post superbly.
52 GOAL ALBION - Edwards scores a superb solo goal with a mazy run.
70 Dawson has the ball in the net but it's ruled out for offside.
Man of the match
Kyle Edwards - A moment he will cherish forever.
Position in the table
4th, with 67 points from 38 games
Teams
Brentford (3-4-3): Daniels; Konsa, Jeanvier, Barbet; Dalsgaard, Sawyers, Mokotjo (Dasilva 82), Odubajo (Marcondes 82); Maupay, Benrahma, Canos (Watkins 68).
Unused subs: Gunnarsson, McEachran, Forss, Sorensen.
Albion (4-1-4-1): Johnstone; Holgate, Dawson, Hegazi, Townsend; Brunt; Edwards (Robson-Kanu 74), Morrison (Livermore 79), Johansen, Rodriguez; Gayle.
Unused subs: Bond, Bartley, Mears, Barry, Murphy.
Referee: Andrew Madley
Attendance: (1,600 away)
