Neal Maupay’s 31st minute goal has given Brentford a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues at Portman Road.
Town boss Paul Hurst made five changes to the team which lost 2-0 at Hull on Saturday with Janoi Donacien, Trevoh Chalobah, Kayden Jackson, Ellis Harrison and Grant Ward returning to the side, while Jon Walters, as expected the mystery pre-match doubt, missed out. Gwion Edwards, Jon Nolan, Jordan Graham and Flynn Downes all dropped to the bench.
The Blues lined up in a 3-5-2 system for the first time under Hurst with Donacien at left-back, Jonas Knudsen on the left of the back three and Grant Ward, Cole Skuse and Chalobah in midfield. Harrison and Jackson were up front.
Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for Blues legend Kevin Beattie with former team-mates Allan Hunter, Terry Butcher, George Burley, Clive Woods, John Wark, Roger Osborne, Brian Talbot, Steve McCall and Bryan Hamilton among those paying tribute to the player widely viewed as the club’s greatest ever from the touchline.
In the third minute, Said Benrahma cut in from the left and hit a shot which Dean Gerken claimed down to his left.
A minute later, the Blues’ keeper’s heart may have been in his mouth after Maupay took the ball past him when through inside the area and went to ground. However, referee Darren Bond felt the striker had dived and correctly showed him a yellow card.
Almost immediately, there was a similar incident at the other end with Harrison felled trying to go round Bees keeper Daniel Bentley but the former Southend man had got a touch on the ball and Town were given a corner.
As the clock ticked past the six-minute mark the Portman Road faithful again showed their appreciation to Beattie, six having been his usual shirt during his heyday.
Early Blues attacks were a rarity with the visitors enjoying the lion’s share of the ball and putting Town under pressure. On 10 a low Romaine Sawyers flew across the Blues’ six-yard box and was almost inadvertently turned in to his own net by skipper Luke Chambers, the ball narrowly squirming past the far post.
The Bees continued to threaten on a regular basis, Matthew Pennington clearing Maupay's header from a Henrik Dalsgaard cross, then Sawyers shot over.
Town created their first opportunity in the 17th minute. Knudsen’s shot was deflected behind and from Ward’s corner Pennington’s header appeared not to be held first time by Bentley but Chambers was unable to get to the loose ball before the keeper pounced upon it.
But Brentford continued to look dangerous with Town giving the ball away in their own half on a number of occasions, much to the crowd’s frustration, and in the 31st minute the West Londoners went ahead.
The ball was cut back from the right by Sawyers beyond Ollie Watkins but Maupay behind him arced a header into the top corner.
The Bees had thoroughly deserved the goal on the balance of the game and forced Gerken into another save soon afterwards, Sawyers hitting a low shot which the keeper stopped to his left.
Brentford, every bit as slick as their league position suggests, continued to dominate with Town pegged back on their own half for long spells and losing possession almost as soon as they regained it. On 44 Gerken saved from Benrahma from distance.
Just before half-time Pennington made a strong run out of defence and looked to thread in Jackson, who ended up on the turf as Bees skipper Chris Mepham challenged. Referee Bond, after some deliberation and a look to his linesman, gave a corner.
There were a few muted boos at the whistle after a half in which the Blues had been thoroughly out-classed. Town had struggled to get any foothold in the game, having looked uncomfortable with the new system and lacking in confidence, and might have found themselves going in more than the single goal down.
The Blues will have to step their performance up significantly in the second half if they’re to get anything out of the game.
Town: Gerken, Spence, Pennington, Chambers (c), Knudsen, Donacien, Chalobah, Skuse, Ward, Harrison, Jackson. Subs: Bialkowski, Edwards, Nolan, Graham, Downes, Edun, Kenlock.
Brentford: Bentley, Mepham, Maupay, McEachran, Watkins, Mokotjo, Sawyers, Benrahma, Dalsgaard, Konsa, Barbet. Subs: Daniels, Macleod, Canos, Yennaris, Judge, Clarke, Jeanvier. Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire).