Fulham 1-4 Brentford

Brentford were promoted from League One last season

Brentford strengthened their promotion chances as two Stuart Dallas goals and late efforts from Alan Judge and Jota sealed a win at Fulham.

Dallas opened the scoring with a fine low shot from 20 yards and his second was a 25-yard strike into the top corner past Marcus Bettinelli.

Fulham pulled a goal back through Ross McCormack's 67th-minute penalty.

But Brentford confirmed victory with Judge's curling free-kick, before Jota fired home a half-volley.

Fulham are now seven points above the relegation zone with just one win from their past six games, while Brentford, who began the day in seventh, had moved up to fifth by full-time.

The home side had the game's first chance with Alex Kacaniklic twisting into space in the box and forcing a good save from Brentford keeper David Button at his near post.

But it was Brentford who took the lead with Dallas's 24th-minute shot beating Bettinelli.

Fulham went in search of an equaliser and Cauley Woodrow forced a save from Button with a low 25-yard strike, before Dallas doubled Brentford's lead after half-time with a stunning shot from 25 yards.

Brentford should have wrapped the game up shortly after the hour but Andre Gray fired over from close range with the goal gaping.

And Fulham put themselves back in contention when Toumani Diagouraga was adjudged to have tripped James Husband in the box and McCormack scored from the spot.

The Cottagers pressed for the equaliser and Kacaniklic's free-kick was off target, while late on Bettinelli superbly kept out Judge's volley.

But Judge soon found the net, with his set-piece from 20 yards curling into the top corner via the underside of the crossbar in the last minute.

Jota's goal sealed a comfortable win for Brentford at Fulham

And Brentford added to Fulham's misery in injury time, with Jota converting a pass across the box on the half-volley from 12 yards.

Brentford manager Mark Warburton:

"I'm really pleased. After that 15-minute spell I thought we were very good.

"It keeps us going. We are in contention, be that for top or the play-offs we are still in with a chance.

"We can't worry about what other teams do. I don't know how many points we will need.

"We can only worry about ourselves and make sure we do all the things we need to do."

Fulham manager Kit Symons:

"Ultimately people just look at the scoreline at the end of the game and 4-1 looks like a hammering.

"But the actual fact of the matter is that it wasn't.

"We were well in the game but obviously we didn't get anything out of it. We shot ourselves in the foot for the first two goals.

"We are not out of it (relegation trouble). We have work to do, especially with Millwall winning today."