Swansea star Andre Ayew makes up for penalty miss with winner vs 10-man Brentford in Championship play-off semi-final first leg tie
Andre Ayew made up for his penalty miss by netting a late winner in Swansea’s 1-0 victory over Brentford in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final tie.
David Raya had thwarted the Ghana forward from the spot in the 64th minute after Liverpool loanee Rhian Brewster was fouled by Pontus Jansson.
However, the game turned on its head when Brentford left-back Rico Henry was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Connor Roberts just a minute after Raya’s heroics.
Swansea made use of their man advantage when Ayew smashed the ball into the top corner with nine minutes remaining.
Brentford had finished the Championship season three places and 11 points above Swansea, but the two teams came into the contest on the back of differing emotions.
Swansea secured the final play-off spot in unlikely fashion by winning 4-1 at Reading and profiting from a six-goal swing at the expense of Nottingham Forest, whom they finished level on points.
Brentford's shock home defeat to lowly Barnsley cost them automatic promotion and boss Thomas Frank said his squad had felt the pain of that setback.
But Brentford had beaten Swansea 6-1 on aggregate in their two league meetings, and Frank insisted that would count in the Bees' favour on a psychological level.
The visitors called the early tune with Said Benrahma heading wide and Ollie Watkins forcing a smart save from Erwin Mulder.
But Swansea slowly settled and Brewster, who has scored 10 goals since his January loan move from Liverpool, produced a stinging shot which Raya pushed away.
Watkins planted a header wide at the other end, but it was Swansea who finished the half on top and came closest to opening the scoring.
Ayew met a Gallagher corner with a header which cannoned off a post and Brewster almost bundled home the rebound as Raya grasped the ball on his line.
Brentford had the final word of an absorbing first period when Benrahma beat two defenders but sent his shot over Mulder's bar.
The game continued to fluctuate with Ayew meeting a Matt Grimes free-kick and forcing another Raya save and Brentford's Mathias Jensen driving wide after clever work from Watkins.
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The caution count was also rising - Swansea defenders Ben Cabango and Jake Bidwell and Brentford pair Jensen and Henrik Dalsgaard going into referee Keith Stroud's notebook - as the tension began to grow.
Fulton, making his 100th appearances for Swansea, fired straight at Raya before Ayew's quick feet opened up the goal for a shooting opportunity which he placed just wide.
Henry's red card tilted the tie Swansea's way and Ayew - after holding his head following his spot-kick miss - made sure the Welsh side took a narrow advantage to Griffin Park on Wednesday with a strike to remember.