Swindon 1-1 Brentford

Kevin O'Connor's injury-time penalty gave Brentford a vital draw against Swindon in the first leg of the League One play-off semi-final.

Massimo Luongo put the hosts in front with a curling effort.

And just when it seemed Swindon would take a one-goal advantage into the return tie, Luongo brought down Harry Forrester and O'Connor converted.

Swindon still could have won it but Andy Williams put his late effort over the bar.

Brentford's last-gasp penalty will have given Bees supporters flashbacks to the final day of the campaign, when Marcello Trotta missed a 90th-minute spot-kick that would have sent his side into the Championship, only for Doncaster to go straight up the other end and score a goal through James Coppinger that saw the South Yorkshire club go up instead of Uwe Rosler's men.

But Trotta, an unused substitute at the County Ground, watched from the bench as regular penalty taker O'Connor coolly converted to make for an intriguing second leg on Monday.

Swindon had come into the game after a run of just two wins in eight had left them in the final play-off berth, and Kevin MacDonald's side were on the back foot early on, with Adam Forshaw going close before Adam Rooney dragged wide at the other end.

MacDonald has been tasked with completing the job of achieving back-to-back promotions - a task started by Paolo Di Canio but handed over following the Italian's departure in February.

And Australian Luongo, on loan from Tottenham, had Town in front with a superbly controlled effort from the edge of the box.

Brentford applied late pressure but Swindon looked to have survived when Alan McCormack threw his body in the way of a rasping Farid El Alagui effort.

However, Luongo turned from hero to villain when he scythed down Forrester, allowing 31-year-old O'Connor, a Brentford stalwart of 14 years, to make it all square in his 486th game for the club.

VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Swindon Town manager Kevin MacDonald told BBC Wiltshire:

"We're disappointed but now makes it a one-off tie come Monday.

"We're very disappointed to concede a penalty so late on in the game when we felt we maybe had a couple of good shouts for a penalty at the other end.

"They (Brentford) will be delighted but we're still in the game and that's the most important thing.

"We've got to get ourselves re-set and come out fighting on Monday."

Brentford boss Uwe Rosler told BBC London 94.9:

"It was a difficult game, not much between the two sides but our back four did very well and it was a fair result overall.

"The handling and presence of Simon Moore for a young goalkeeper was exceptional.

"Kevin O Connor did a great job despite not playing many games and he used all his experience and skills to convert his penalty today."