Brentford defender John Egan scored twice just after the break to consign the Blues to a 2-0 defeat at Griffin Park. Egan nodded home a header on 48 and then slammed in a rebound eight minutes later.

Boss Mick McCarthy made two changes from the team which beat Barnsley 4-2 on the opening day. Hat-trick hero Grant Ward was handed his first league start for the Blues, as was loanee Conor Grant, the duo having come on as half-time subs last week.

The pair started in wide roles, Ward on the right and Grant on the left, with Freddie Sears moving up front alongside Daryl Murphy.

The injured David McGoldrick dropped out of the squad, while Teddy Bishop moved to the bench. New re-signing Luke Varney wasn’t included in the 18.

Ward struck the first shot of the game in the third minute after Ryan Woods needlessly surrendered possession midway inside his own half. The 21-year-old brought the ball forward before hitting a powerful low drive which Brentford keeper Daniel Bentley claimed confidently.

Neither side created another opportunity in the first quarter of a hour in a fairly open and even game but with little penalty area action.

On-loan Everton man Grant went close to his first Town goal in the 17th minute when he curled a 25-yard freekick just past Bentley’s right post, Jonas Knudsen having been fouled.

Grant went close again in the 21st minute after breaking into the area on the left having been fed by Murphy but Bentley managed to bundle his low near-post shot wide. From the resultant corner Christophe Berra headed over.

Town continued to look the more dangerous side and almost went in front in the 24th minute.

Sears fed Knudsen to his left and the full-back sent over a low ball to Ward, whose effort was blocked by Callum Elder. The ball cannoned off Sears to Murphy at a tight angle on the right but the Irishman was only able to turn on to the roof of the net.

Brentford’s first chance of the game came in the 32nd minute when Woods threaded in Josh Clarke between Berra and Knudsen. But, with the Danish international putting him under pressure, Clarke screwed his shot well wide.

Adam Webster picked up the game’s first booking for a foul on Scott Hogan in the 39th minute.

The Blues threatened again four minutes before the break when Cole Skuse played Murphy in on the left, however, the Irishman’s low ball towards Sears was cut out by Harlee Dean.

Brentford’s best chance of the half came a minute later, Webster challenged Hogan on the edge of the box and the ball fell to Lewis Macleod, who scraped a shot only just past Bartosz Bialkowski’s right post when he should have hit the target.

Soon after at the other end, Murphy flicked on a long ball to Sears on the edge of the box but the Town number 20, without a goal in 28 games, shot well wide.

That was the last chance of a half in which the Blues had had the better of the chances and Bentley was the busier keeper.

However, the Bees had started to look more threatening towards the end when Macleod should have done much better with his opportunity.

The second half was only three minutes old when the home side took the lead. After Webster had headed a cross from the right behind ahead of Bialkowski, Macleod sent over the corner and completely unmarked home debutant John Egan - he had escaped the attention of Webster - headed into the corner of the net with Bialkowski having no chance.

Brentford went looking for a second and on 52 Bialkowski did well to save from Macleod from a tight angle on the left. The Bees kept up the pressure and Knudsen did well to block a subsequent strike from Nico Yannaris.

The home side doubled their lead in the 56th minute when, after another corner on the right, Sears half-cleared to Yannaris, who hit a powerful low strike which Bialkowski couldn’t hold onto and Egan followed up to claim his second of the afternoon.

Town sought to get back into a game and on 58 Berra headed wide from a Grant corner after Bentley had come and failed to claim. Soon after, Ward volleyed a Knudsen cross from the left just wide.

Brentford threatened to make it 3-0 just after the hour when Romaine Sawyers was twice thwarted by the Town defence, Webster diverting his second effort behind.

Blues boss McCarthy switched Grant for Bishop in the 66th minute, then a minute later Brentford swapped Maxime Colin for Sam Saunders.

Soon after the substitutions Bialkowski tipped a powerful Macleod strike over with the Bees looking more likely to score a third than Town were to pull one back.

However, on 72 Bishop completed a one-two with Sears and whipped over a cross from the right which Murphy only just failed to reach at the far post.

There was another scare for the Blues a minute later when Bialkowski was forced to kick under pressure and only found Macleod but the former Rangers man looped back into the keeper’s hands.

Former Bee Jonathan Douglas replaced Bru on 78, initially to boos from the home fans which were quickly replaced by applause.

The substitute almost pulled a goal back two minutes after coming on. Following a freekick, he did well to find himself space before eventually scuffing to the keeper.

Brentford sub Saunders will feel he should have made it 3-0 in the 83rd minute when found by Sawyers’s cross from the right but he volleyed well over.

Moments later, Murphy was found at a tight angle at the far post and shot well wide when he probably should have played the ball across the area.

Two minutes later, with the Bees well on top and passing the ball around slickly, Woods curled just wide, then hit a subsequent effort past the same post.

A frustrated Murphy shot wide from distance on 88 before the Bees replaced Macleod with Konstantin Kershbaumer, then Josh McEachran came on for Yennaris as the game moved into injury time.

In the corresponding fixture on the opening day of last season the Blues were 2-0 up and Brentford hit back twice in injury time to level, but such a comeback never looked on the cards and referee Stephen Martin’s whistle confirmed Town’s first defeat at Griffin Park since November 1955.

Town had the better of the first half, although there were signs that the Bees were becoming more dangerous close to the break.

Egan’s two goals soon after the break took the game away from Town and they never really recovered and the Bees looked more likely to extend their lead than the tame Blues were to get back into the match.

Town have another tough away trip to Wolves on Tuesday before next Sunday’s East Anglian derby against Norwich City at Portman Road.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Webster, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Bru (Douglas 78), Ward, Grant (Bishop 66), Sears, Murphy. Unused: Gerken, T Smith, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Dozzell.

Brentford: Bentley, Colin (Saunders 67), Elder, Dean, Egan, Yennaris (McEachran 90), Woods, Clarke, Macleod (Kershbaumer 90), Hogan, Sawyers. Unused: Bonham, Bjelland, Hofmann, Ledesma. Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire).

Photo: Action Images

Keaneish added 19:05 - Aug 13 The reality is that when we have a manager who prides on himself on defensive quality and being hard to beat and we get beat and conceded soft goals, the writing has to be on the wall. Not since his second season have we been difficult to breakdown at the back. The goals conceded this season have been woeful and when a team looks beaten without fight after 65 mins of a game and with a bench as weak as ours, we're only heading in one direction...

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BillBlue added 19:15 - Aug 13 Kirbmeister - I too felt sorry for Elizabeth even as I marked her down. I was aware that her intention was probably to joke but today I was not in a mood for jokes, the situation is too serious. But cheer up Elizabeth you have a long way to go to catch me up and I usually give you positives too. COYB
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dukey44 added 19:33 - Aug 13 Mick please close the door behind u!!!
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LWNR2013 added 19:35 - Aug 13 I would usually be saying at this stage, early days, calm down etc etc. But those two substitutions were pointless and epitomises the decision of a manager with a meal ticket. ITID but seriously unsatisfied. Time for big changes.
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potter84 added 19:39 - Aug 13 By all accounts from what I've read and heard town were not at the races today! I start every season feeling positive as do all town fans. I think Mick has improved our team and I do think it would be a tad unfair to axe him this early on in the season. I do think we should give him the the opertunity To see how the next few games pan out. The transfer window isn't closed, we've spent a few quid, we have room for a few loans. If we bring in a goal scorer and he does he business everyone will praise mick, at the end of the day we are not a big club we don't spend the large sums of money and we don't have an owner who wants to invest like other clubs. Evans treats town as a business it's run like one. I feel he's had his fingers burnt by the likes of Keane got nowhere with the hapless Jewel and micks balanced the books made the money on some shrewed investments "Mings" so why would he change his mind set?! Any one in business will look after there money first, Evans sees mick as a sound investment so I'm afraid until ticket sales fall and players fail to sell looks like we are staying as we are! Get on with it my bloods blue my harts blue and no matter who's in charge I will support town it might not be the most entertaining football but it's my club and no amount of money can change that it's pride and passion followed by hope! One day it might happen who knows look what happens last year in the prem! No one saw that coming!

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runaround added 19:46 - Aug 13 Not good enough. Was expecting at least a point from today's match especially with 2 very tough matches to come in next 8 days. Dominating possession is no good if you don't score & we just don't seem to be able to defend properly, which considering our manager is a former international centre half is rather concerning. Not sure where we go from here under McCarthy. Every little silver lining we have like the Barnsley result soon evaporates into negativity. A win next Sunday will make a massive difference but I honestly can't see it happening

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BillBlue added 20:01 - Aug 13 Potter84. If we brought in a goal scorer mick would play him out of position and ruin his game exactly as has happened to the goal scorer we brought in from Colchester last year. It is time people like you wised up and I am not being rude when I say that, it is just the way I feel. COYB
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LWNR2013 added 20:07 - Aug 13 potter 84 .. Very well put and totally agree if I were'nt so frustrated. I wasn't to see some glory again.
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warktheline added 20:38 - Aug 13 Zzzzzzzz...bloody ground hog day! Hold on a minute, we haven't heard the dross from Essex 57 yet!
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warktheline added 20:46 - Aug 13 .....anyone for smugness this evening! Guess not!
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potter84 added 20:58 - Aug 13 BillBlue I get that your frustrated I am also and I'm fed up with lack of investment but can't see anything changing any time soon! I want to see a run like we had with burley I want to see the next Kieron dyer and Connor wickhams but I accept that our football club is what it is, as long as we don't go out of business, as long as we don't go into administration everything else on top of that is a bonus. I love every game we play I love every win we have I feel frustrated with every loss but that's football. Until we get millions of pounds to spend and the football leagues wise up and become fair on every level this is how I feel it's going to be. I only hope we get lucky and have a rare breed of talent within our youths to play the beautiful game and help promote our great club. Football and finance has lost touch with supporters, players don't value fans clubs don't value us either. Football should go back to basics but we all know that ain't going to happen players should lower there wages clubs should lower there ticket prices. We all know it!!!

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grumpyoldman added 21:02 - Aug 13 If our beloved manager knew what he is doing please can somebody explain what he was doing by bringing on Douglas who in all his town career has never changed a game for the better. To me it was a desperate move by a desperate manager. If we beat Norwich next week he will get himself a little more time but I don't expect it!
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adeblueboy added 21:07 - Aug 13 2-0 down and we bring on an 'attacking' midfielder in Douglas! Silly me, perhaps it was to stop us losing by more than two!
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Taricco_Fan added 21:14 - Aug 13 I'll stick by my pre-season opinion that we will struggle, although my 13th-18th prediction now seems a little ambitious. With each passing year the Championship is getting 'richer' so it's increasingly difficult to make an impact on a shoestring.
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Taricco_Fan added 21:17 - Aug 13 ...oh, and having a negative, tactically one-dimensional manager doesn't help!
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BrettenhamBlue added 22:04 - Aug 13 Outplayed pretty much from the start, a deserved win for Brentford
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bluefeast added 22:09 - Aug 13 In the past Berra Chambers Skuse Murphy have played well above their actual ability , those 4 players form last season ,this pre season and so far in the last 2 league games is actually exactly where it should be. These guys are division 1. So thats part of the problem ,the next one is we do not seem to have a plan ,or the players to execute the plan , sadly there are numerous reasons for this the main one being the inability of our manager to coach a squad to become a team of on the front foot players , MM said during the week you had to play really badly to get dropped ,well really badly those 4 are ,so drop them ,get some balance in the side and go for it. $ goals conceded so far are all soft goals ,which proves as a unit we do not work. I predicted 16th at the start of the season, it could be worse.Sadly.

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poldark added 22:25 - Aug 13 Anyone one seen essex57
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GiveusaWave added 22:49 - Aug 13 Another MOM performance by Bart who pulled off some unbelievable stops, particularly in the second half. Webster and Knudsen both had ok games but same old problem at the back with Chambers skinned far too easily and Berra a little off the pace. Crosses from our right side were prevalent and Brentford identified our main weakness at half time. Bru absent at times in the match. Murphy really not with it and not the best game for Sears. When Bru was brought off Douglas entered the fray, bizarre decision making on MM's part. Dozzell had the potential to come on and change the game. Douglas is no game changer. Honestly 2-0 is ok as this could have been worse. The first half I'd say they slightly shaded it but in the second half they pushed up a couple of gears and annihilated us. 3 or 4-0 would have been a more realistic reflection of the match. Most disappointing thing for me is we are back to route 1 football (hit and hope). We did play some OK football in preseason but results rule and MM must have realised we are not a passing, creative, flowing, crossing football team. Instead we get it to the back and hoof it forwards with some hope that it might reach Murphy. It didn't play to Sears' strengths and Murphy rarely managed to make anything of those balls. Plus it was REAL hoofball in its purest form (I.e ended up in the stands, with their keeper, in the corner flag etc). Gutted that we are resorting to playing that kind of anti-football. This is going to be a tough season ahead. I don't think we'll get anything at Wolves so we may well need the 3 points against Norwich.

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StochesStotasBlewe added 00:11 - Aug 14 We are an average championship team, we have a manager who,s philosophy is stuck in the 70,s, unfortunately, our once great revered club is now just going to be treading water in this division for some time to come. Unfortunately, too many supporters are more than happy to accept this, some of us can see that we are going absolutely fecking nowhere. God help us next Sunday.

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Ipswich58 added 00:12 - Aug 14 I cannot believe the utter tripe this manager comes out with. As others have stated it's all to do with playing players out of position. Sears, Chambers, Bishop etc. McCarthy treats fans like imbeciles. He insults our intelligence. He is patronising and so full of rubbish. His command of the English language is appalling and his inane statements are an insult to us all. He is older in his methods than that 400 year old Greenland shark they've just found. - See more at: http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/30032/mccarthy-birth-of-son-could-provid

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Ipswich58 added 00:13 - Aug 14 I wrot
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Ipswich58 added 00:13 - Aug 14 I wrote this this morning.... I cannot believe the utter tripe this manager comes out with. As others have stated it's all to do with playing players out of position. Sears, Chambers, Bishop etc. McCarthy treats fans like imbeciles. He insults our intelligence. He is patronising and so full of rubbish. His command of the English language is appalling and his inane statements are an insult to us all. He is older in his methods than that 400 year old Greenland shark they've just found. - See more at: http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/30032/mccarthy-birth-of-son-could-provid

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DirtyOldNodger added 00:14 - Aug 14 Token moan
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midastouch added 00:17 - Aug 14 You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Mick is a liability, just like half of the players in our team! Any positivity from the exciting 2nd half against Barnsley has been all but lost! On a slightly brighter note, Norwich didn't look like world beaters today but based on our last 2 games, it's going to be a very tall order! 11/1 on Stan James for Ipswich to go down this season, hate to say it but seems like fairly generous odds to me! Mick desperately needs to pull some rabbits out of the transfer hat next week as just don't see the likes of Luke Varney as having the necessary quality to dig us out of a hole!

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