Brentford 3-0 Wigan Athletic

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JotaImage source, Empics
Image caption,

Jota's goal took Brentford above Ipswich Town into fifth place on goals scored

Brentford will face Middlesbrough in the Championship play-offs after they comfortably beat relegated Wigan.

The Bees were lifted into the final play-off spot on goal difference after Alex Pritchard's first-half free-kick.

Jota's goal took the hosts into fifth place, above Ipswich Town on goals scored, before Andre Gray made it 3-0.

Despite James Tarkowski's late missed penalty, Brentford - promoted from League One last team - sealed fifth as Ipswich lost 3-2 at Blackburn.

Elsewhere, Derby lost 3-0 to Reading while Wolves won 4-2 against already-relegated Millwall, meaning the Molineux side missed out on a play-off place on goal difference.

Wigan had the first chance of the game when Marc-Antoine Fortune powered down the left wing but David Button parried his shot away and also saved from Gaetan Bong.

Fortune had a goal disallowed before Pritchard put the hosts in front, the midfielder's long-range free-kick taking a deflection off the wall and beating Lee Nicholls.

Media caption,

Warburton on Brentford v Wigan

Buoyed by the opener, which took Brentford in the final play-off spot as it stood, the onrushing Alan Judge almost doubled their advantage.

Jota made it 2-0 immediately after the restart when he tapped home following Moses Odubajo's through ball, and Gray grabbed a third for Brentford 10 minutes from time with a close-range shot after Jota's pass.

There was late drama as Nicholls saved defender Tarkowski's late penalty for the hosts, after Judge was tripped up by Don Cowie in the area.

Brentford manager Mark Warburton: "I'm delighted for the players and supporters. We always said where can we be by 2 May, and here we are in fifth.

"We spoke to players on 25 June, the first day of pre-season training, and told them we had no doubt where we could go. And they've achieved it.

"It could have come down to one goal, there are so many late goals in this division. But once we knew Derby were 3-0 down we could enjoy the last couple of minutes."

Wigan manager Gary Caldwell: "It was frustrating, especially in the second half, we were not good enough in every department.

Media caption,

Caldwell on Brentford v Wigan

"We knew they would come at us and we didn't deal with it. I won't accept performances like that. We have a long summer ahead of us to do something about it.

"We need people to come to the club who want to be at the club, and who want success. We will work very hard to get the right characters in and rebuild."

Image source, Empics
Image caption,

Brentford's Alan Judge shoots as Wigan Athletic's Emmerson Boyce challenges

Image source, Empics
Image caption,

Brentford celebrate after Jota's goal put them into fifth place

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