Daryl Murphy scored twice and Paul Anderson once to give the Blues a 3-0 lead at Brentford at half-time. Murphy opened the scoring in the first minute, netted the second on 21, before Anderson added the third on 29
Town boss Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side with Jonny Parr keeping his place at left-back with Tyrone Mings not yet ready to return from the infected toe which saw him miss last week’s 2-0 home victory over Middlesbrough. Brentford also named an unchanged team.
The Blues went in front via the first attack of the game in the opening 20 seconds. After the home side had surrendered possession on halfway, Teddy Bishop headed the ball to Paul Anderson, who found Daryl Murphy on the left of the area and the striker hit a shot across Bees’ keeper David Button and into the net to claim his 15th goal of the season.
Town went close to a second in the eighth minute when Tommy Smith played a low ball across the box from the right following a corner. David McGoldrick dummied and former bee Jay Tabb, warmly applauded by his old fans before the game, shot over from 12 yard when he might well have netted his second goal in two games.
The Bees enjoyed the greater share of the ball as the game moved towards the 15-minute mark but without threatening Bartosz Bialkowski’s goal. The Blues, meanwhile, continued to look a threat on the break when the home side’s moves broke down.
On 16 Andre Gray headed a Jake Bidwell cross from the left wide, then two minutes later at the other end Murphy wasn’t too far from his second of the afternoon when Luke Chambers sent a throw-in in to his feet inside the box, the Irishman turning and hitting a low right-foot shot which Button saved down to his right.
Play immediately moved to the other end, Bialkowski uncharacteristically fumbling Jota’s edge of the area effort. Christophe Berra cleared the loose ball ahead of Gray.
The Blues increased their lead in the 21st minute. Jonny Parr cleared a Brentford attack and sent Murphy chasing the ball along with Bees’ centre-half Tony Craig. The Blues frontman out-muscled the defender, who stumbled, before taking the ball into the area, rounding Button and slipping home his 15th goal of his remarkable season.
Two minutes after the second goal Moses Odubajo was booked for preventing Town from taking a freekick. McGoldrick eventually slammed the set piece into the wall and Bishop volleyed the rebound well over the stand.
Having established their two-goal lead, Town were happy to sit back and allow Brentford to play most of the football and then break when the Bees lost possession.
And the Blues’ third goal in the 29th minute came from just such a counter-attack. Tabb broke down the left and crossed low to Murphy, who wafted a leg at it but Anderson behind him turned in his first goal of the campaign.
On 39 Bialkowski saved sharply from Gray’s close-range header from Alex Pritchard’s right-wing cross, Jonathan Douglas fouled Chambers as he looked to get on the loose ball.
Two minutes later, Gray teed-up Douglas on the edge of the box but a combination of Bishop and Smith prevented the former Leeds man from getting in a shot.
Shortly before the break, Chambers tried to play McGoldrick through on goal but the striker couldn’t reach it ahead of Button.
Referee Fred Graham blew his whistle to confirm a half-time scoreline beyond most Town supporters’ Christmas wishes.
Once they’d got the early goal the game was perfectly set for the Blues to sit back and let the Bees take the game to them then catch them on the break.
Brentford played some good football but to little effect with the Town defence once again resolute and when the Bees lost the ball the Blues exposed the frailties of a home backline which was out-muscled and caught playing too high a line.
More of the same in the second half, and Town will find themselves top of the Championship, albeit perhaps temporarily with leaders Bournemouth in action at home to Fulham later this afternoon.
Brentford: Button, Odubajo, Dean, Craig, Bidwell, Douglas, Toumani, Pritchard, Jota, Judge, Gray. Subs: Bonham, Saunders, Dallas, Tarkowski, Toral, Smith, Proschwitz.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Parr, Skuse. Tabb, Bishop, Anderson, Murphy, McGoldrick. Subs: Gerken, Clarke, S Hunt, N Hunt, Bru, Ambrose, Sammon. Referee: Fred Graham (Essex). Att: 12,165 (1,680).