Sheffield Wednesday slipped to their first league defeat of the season at the hands of Brentford in front of the watching Sky cameras at Griffin Park.
Charlie MacDonald was the match-winner for the Bees, superbly controlling and firing home in the 41st minute to give the hosts their first league win of the season, and in doing so, lifting them off the foot of the table.
And had it not been for a world class one-handed save from Nicky Weaver late in the second period, the margin could have been greater, as Wednesday failed to carve out any clear cut chances all afternoon in West London.
The Owls reverted back to the starting line-up that defeated Hartlepool United 5-0 last weekend. Giles Coke, Tommy Spurr, Lewis Buxton and Neil Mellor all returned to the starting XI having missed out in the midweek Johnstone's Paint Trophy win over Notts County.
Wednesday were aiming to maintain their impeccable defensive record against a Brentford side who had failed to win in their last seven league games. Weaver, Darren Purse, Mark Beevers, Spurr and Buxton maintained their record of having started every league game of the new season; a mean rearguard that had conceded just one goal in the opening four league games of the season.
But that backline came under threat early on. Darren Potter had to be alert to clear Kevin O'Connor's header from underneath his own crossbar, following a Craig Woodman corner.
Myles Weston then whipped a superb crossfield ball from deep onto the head of Robbie Simpson, only for the Huddersfield loanee's effort to be plucked out of the air by Weaver.
In what was a pretty tedious opening 45, Wednesday's only attempt of note came from Gary Teale, who wriggled his way past two markers down the left, before cutting inside and bending an effort narrowly over Ben Hamer's crossbar.
But just before the break the hosts took the lead. Myles Weston's delivery continued to cause problems for the Owls defence, and his low fizzed cross from left found MacDonald in a pocket of space, who in one movement superbly brought the ball under his spell and fired low beyond Weaver's despairing dive.
It was a hammer blow for the Owls, but they started the second period brightly. Marcus Tudgay stung the palms of Hamer from the edge of the area, after clever work from Spurr down the left.
But it was Brentford who continued to look the more potent in the final third. Michael Spillane danced his way around a couple of Wednesday tackles, before reaching the byline and cutting back for MacDonald, who saw his point blank effort snuffed out by a barrage of last-gasp Wednesday tackles.
Mark Beevers was the hero just minutes later, hacking the ball off the goal line, following a neat passing move from the Bees that culminated in Weston's deflected effort.
That period of Brentford pressure seemed to spark the Owls into life. Potter and substitute O'Connor weaved pretty patterns in the middle of the park, but the Owls severely lacked any real cutting edge. Alan Irvine then introduced Clinton Morrison in a bid to bolster Wednesday's attacking options.
Some clever interplay down the right saw Tudgay tee-up Coke, but his placed left-foot effort was straight down the throat of Hamer.
With Wednesday committing men forward, they were always going to be vulnerable to the counter attack. Simpson, with his back to goal, saw an unbelievable effort cannon back off the crossbar, as Wednesday's hopes of salvaging a point began to evaporate.
Weaver maintained any slim hope with a top drawer save, flinging himself to his right to acrobatically keep out Nicky Adams' rasping volley.
Paul Heffernan was inches away from connecting with Potter's low cross from the left, but it just wouldn't go in, as Wednesday suffered their first defeat in the league this term.
Brentford: Hamer, O'Connor, Woodman, Balkestein, MacDonald (Adams 64), Weston (Wood 90), Spillane, Diagouraga, Osborne, Simpson, Alexander (Hunt 81)
Unused substitutes: Lee, Bean, Forster, Legge
Owls: Weaver, Buxton, Purse, Beevers, Spurr, Sedgwick (O'Connor 54), Potter, Coke, Teale (Heffernan 75), Mellor (Morrison 64), Tudgay
Unused substitutes: Jameson, Otsemobor, Jones, Miller
Attendance: 5,396 (1,187 away)
