Brentford opened their pre-season campaign with a home defeat against Championship outfit Ipswich Town at a sodden Griffin Park.

The League Two Bees held their own for much of the first half, in particular, but conceded early in the second half when the visitors caught them cold with a quickly worked corner.

And any suggestion Brentford could spring a pre-season upset were ended when Danny Haynes added a second, heading in after his penalty had been saved by Simon Brown.

Bees' boss Andy Scott used the match to blood a number of his new signings and the first to make an impression was Marvin Williams, who created an opening for Charlie MacDonald with an exciting run down the right - MacDonald managed to wriggle free but his effort was saved.

Williams was Brentford's main outlet, his pace a constant threat, but the visitors were having the better of the game.

Jon Walters headed wide, Tommy Miller had a shot deflected away and Owen Garvan shot over.

But Brentford almost took the lead when Nathan Elder leapt highest at a corner, only to steer his header over.

Ben Hamer saved well from Garvan and Walters and then produced a full length dive to turn a Miller free kick away as the game continued to entertain.

Brentford could have edged ahead just before the break when substitute Moses Ademola headed a near post Williams cross over the top while Walters fired wide at the other end.

Half time saw six Brentford substitutes and the new-look line-up struggled to cope with the visitors, who made just the one change at the break.

New goalkeeper Brown saved from Pablo Counago and then denied Haynes with two fine low stops but he could do nothing when Pim Balkestein rose to head home a Chris Casement cross when The Bees were caught out from a set piece just before the hour.

Young defender Frazer Franks deflected an effort against his own crossbar soon after but nothing could save Brentford when Haynes nodded home from the re-bound after winning a penalty when a run down the right was ended by a crude Brett Johnson challenge.

Brentford tried to find a way back, Ademola had a shot blocked and Glenn Poole had a volleyed effort saved but Ipswich remained in the ascendancy.

Brown saved well from Veliche Shumulikoski and then from Jordan Rhodes before Alan Lee headed over from close range.

The Bees' keeper had to be alert to keep the score down, saving well from Haynes and Rhodes, but could only watch as a curling Lee effort flew inches wide at the death.

The visitors had to settle for a 2-0 win at the final reckoning while Brentford could take heart from the promising starts of many of their attacking players.

Brentford: Hamer (sub Simon Brown h/t); Newton (sub Ruddick 63 mins), Mills (sub Franks h/t), Osborne, Johnson; Williams (sub O'Connor h/t), Smith (sub Connell h/t), Bean (sub Davis 63 mins), Wood (sub Poole h/t); Elder (sub Ibe h/t), MacDonald (sub Ademola 40 mins)

Ipswich Town: Supple; Casement (sub Peters 72 mins), Bruce (sub Robinson 80 mins), Balkestein (sub Smith 67 mins), Wright; Norris (sub Haynes h/t), Miller (sub Trotter 60 mins), Garvan (sub Shumulikoski 60 mins), Quinn (sub Roberts 60 mins); Counago (sub Rhodes 60 mins), Walters (sub Lee 60 mins)

Written by Chris Wickham