Brentford substitute Bryan Mbeumo scored the winner just two minutes after coming on as the 10-man Bees held on to beat Championship play-off rivals Bournemouth.
While that catapulted the Bees up above the Cherries into third, it also kept second-placed Watford waiting, for a few more hours at least, in their quest for automatic promotion.
A draw would have sent the Hornets up, but they must now wait to see how they fare later in the afternoon, still needing a win at home to Millwall.
As it was, Brentford made light of defender Pontus Jansson’s early second-half red card to end Bournemouth’s run of six straight wins – and officially book their play-off place.
The winner came on 77 minutes when Ivan Toney’s shot was only parried by Asmir Begovic and Mbeumo neatly threaded home the rebound past two wrongfooted Cherries defenders.
In an even, well contested first half, both sides went close.
The Championship’s 29-goal top scorer Toney had a shot cleared off the line before Begovic’s fine fingertip save from Matthias Jensen.
But Bournemouth three times carved open the Brentford defence to have men clean through on goal without managing to test Bees keeper David Raya.
The pace of the game changed following Jansson’s red card after getting himself in a clumsy tangle as he tried to deal with the close attentions of Dominic Solanke in reacting to a ball dropping over his shoulder.
He had already been booked – and referee John Brooks deemed it worthy of a second yellow card. But it actually had a worse effect on Bournemouth.
Although the Bees sat back looking to protect a point, they still ended up having the better chances as Bournemouth proved punchless up front.
Begovic had to go full length to his right to keep out an awkwardly bouncing shot from Emiliano Marcondes.
But he immediately came off, as one of two changes, Mbeumo came on – and two minutes later Brentford hit their winner, only their third victory in their nine-match unbeaten run.
The Bees now host relegation battlers Rotherham on Tuesday, before Bournemouth return to action next Saturday at bottom club Wycombe.
Line-ups
Bournemouth
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Begovic
- 15A SmithSubstituted forStaceyat 61′minutes
- 18Carter-Vickers
- 3S Cook
- 21Rico
- 11WilshereSubstituted forSurridgeat 77′minutes
- 8LermaBooked at 68minsSubstituted forPearsonat 81′minutes
- 19Stanislas
- 29BillingSubstituted forBrooksat 61′minutes
- 10Danjuma Groeneveld
- 9Solanke
Substitutes
- 6Mepham
- 7Brooks
- 14Surridge
- 17Stacey
- 20Riquelme
- 22Pearson
- 23Through
- 26Kilkenny
- 32Anthony
Brentford
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Raya
- 18JanssonBooked at 50mins
- 6Nørgaard
- 5Pinnock
- 30RasmussenSubstituted forGhoddosat 90+2′minutes
- 8JensenSubstituted forMarcondesat 74′minutes
- 27JaneltBooked at 87mins
- 7CanósSubstituted forGoodeat 54′minutes
- 24Fosu-HenrySubstituted forBech Sørensenat 55′minutes
- 15ForssBooked at 68minsSubstituted forMbeumoat 75′minutes
- 17ToneyBooked at 80mins
Substitutes
- 4Goode
- 9Marcondes
- 19Mbeumo
- 20Ghoddos
- 28Daniels
- 29Bech Sørensen
- 36Stevens
- 39Gordon
- 41Bidstrup
Live Text
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Match ends, Bournemouth 0, Brentford 1.
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Second Half ends, Bournemouth 0, Brentford 1.
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Attempt blocked. David Brooks (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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David Brooks (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Mads Bech Sørensen (Brentford).
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Substitution, Brentford. Saman Ghoddos replaces Mads Rasmussen because of an injury.
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Offside, Brentford. Emiliano Marcondes tries a through ball, but Bryan Mbeumo is caught offside.
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Vitaly Janelt (Brentford) is shown the yellow card.
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Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Mads Rasmussen (Brentford).
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Attempt missed. Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ben Pearson with a cross.
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Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Charlie Goode.
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Junior Stanislas (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Emiliano Marcondes (Brentford).
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Substitution, Bournemouth. Ben Pearson replaces Jefferson Lerma.
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Foul by Jefferson Lerma (Bournemouth).
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Ivan Toney (Brentford) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Ivan Toney (Brentford) is shown the yellow card.
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Diego Rico (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Ivan Toney (Brentford).