Speaking before the game, boss Steve Coppell said "The question has been asked of me, 'What can I teach the players from my experience in derbies?' Well each derby is unique in its own way. Although it means an awful lot to so many people, the one thing we dont want is to make it personal. Its not about beating our local rivals, it's about getting three points. The fact that they are our local rivals is almost incidental."

Turning to the squad situation, he said: "Weve just extended Steven Sidwell's loan deal. We're coming in close to December and weve got seven games in that month. The stronger the squad, the better. It may well be in the next game that a couple of people aren't happy with not being selected, but that's a good position for me. I want as many good players as possible and I don't think Brentford could turn down an under-20 England player."