Brentford 0 Swansea City 2

Maybe Leon Knight should have a spell as a Brentford player before he hangs up his boots, for the little Londoner just loves Griffin Park. Swansea City's two-goal hero when they booked a place in the League One play-off final on this ground back in May repeated the trick last night to hand Kenny Jackett's men their most significant result to date this season.Knight's contribution in the spring was more significant, of course, but this triumph signalled Swansea's intent to go one better than the play-offs this time round. Jackett's men put one of the division's form sides to the sword, battling as if more than three points were at stake and emerging victorious thanks to two very fine goals. The pain of the defeat by Barnsley which followed their last success in this corner of West London is still being felt at the start of this fresh campaign. But this win, coupled with the weekend triumph over Bradford City, suggests that Jackett's team may at last be ready to banish the memory of Millennium Stadium misery. And to think Knight, unable to regain his place after a red card at Leyton Orient, would not have been playing had Lee Trundle failed a fitness test on his knee. Having a replacement of such calibre tells everything about why big things are expected of Jackett's team this year. Expectations had been much lower at Brentford over the summer following the departure of inspirational manager Martin Allen and a host of key players. But former Merthyr Tydfil boss Leroy Rosenior has rebuilt the side with free-transfer signings - and last night for the first time on-loan Reading teenager Simon Cox - with remarkable success. Darren Pratley had swapped sides since the play-off games and was given a decent reception on the ground where he had two loan spells. But the friendliness was forgotten when Swansea's captain snapped into Paul Brooker in the opening exchanges. Celebrity referee Graham Poll, he of the three-card trick at the World Cup, this time dished out nothing more than a talking-to. Willy Gueret was soon giving a lecture of his own - to his central defenders. Dangerman Jo Kuffour danced his way beyond both Izzy Iriekpen and Dennis Lawrence before firing a fifth-minute shot which Gueret did well to gather. In a helter-skelter start, this was to be the first of many openings. Swansea were pressing next, Iriekpen shooting wide after Alan Tate's free-kick, then Knight shaving the post after meeting Kevin Austin's cross with a well-timed leap. Tate, continuing where he left in his man-of-the-match display at the weekend, made an even sweeter connection with Tom Butler's corner but saw his 12-yard volley parried by Stuart Nelson and then hacked clear. At the other end, with Swansea looking vulnerable at set-pieces yet again, Bees centre-back Adam Griffiths headed just wide of the target after rising unchallenged to meet Brooker's corner. But it was the visitors looking the more likely to open the scoring - and then wondering how they hadn't. First, on 29 minutes, Knight won a free-kick in a central position 25 yards from goal. With no Trundle and Andy Robinson, Leon Britton got a rare chance to show his prowess with the dead ball and duly curled a stunner onto Nelson's left upright. With the keeper stranded, Iriekpen hurriedly poked the rebound goalwards but Griffiths was on hand to clear off the line. Three minutes later, Swansea were denied by the goal-frame again. Pratley's fabulous run down the right ended with a measured cross which Bayo Akinfenwa nodded against the opposite post. By now clinging on, Rosenior's men were finally pierced eight minutes before the interval. Tate picked out Butler who in turned fed Knight just to left of the area. Clinically, the ex-Brighton man took a touch before curling a right-foot shot into the far corner. Swansea did not look the same side who had spluttered through the early weeks of 2006-7. They might have doubled their lead within three minutes when Tate's flick-on turned a defensive throw into a breakaway chance. Akinfenwa chipped the ball over his marker before galloping down the inside right channel and drilling a 20-yard cross-shot which skidded just the wrong side of the woodwork. Brooker lofted an effort past Gueret's goal before the turnaround, but an equaliser would have been totally unjust. Swansea were straight back on the front foot at the start of the second period, Knight meeting Amankwaah's right-wing cross with a firm header which flew straight into Nelson's arms. No matter, Jackett's side would soon come calling again. Their second goal was simple in the making but superb to behold. After gathering an aimless through ball, Gueret spotted Knight in space on halfway. The Frenchman produced a pinpoint throw and his centre-forward did the rest, scampering down the left flank before cutting inside home skipper Kevin O'Connor and smashing a 20-yarder into the top corner of Nelson's net. Around 700 travelling fans roared their approval, while the natives wondered what had happened to the previously unbeaten side. After a breathless hour, the contest finally lost some of its pace. But Swansea did not care. Knight's third and fourth goals of the year made it 13 points banked from the last 15 on offer. Things are looking up.

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