NEIL Lennon sampled victory in his first home game in charge of Wanderers – and how sweet it must have tasted after a thrilling afternoon’s football at the Macron Stadium.

Neil Danns opened the scoring on the hour mark with a fine strike from distance and the lead was doubled with a sublime piece of skill from substitute Mark Davies16 minutes later.

But Brentford sub Jon Toral dragged his side back into the game soon after, setting up a thrilling finale settled only when Craig Davies took advantage of Bees’ keeper David Button coming up for a corner to roll home a third.

Lennon had been given a rapturous welcome on to the pitch prior to kick off and the buzz translated straight to the players, with Wanderers coming close to seizing the lead just 16 seconds after the start.

Jermaine Beckford cut in from the left channel to curl a shot at goal, palmed away by David Button into the path of Chung-Yong Lee but, with his back to goal, the Korean could not turn quickly enough to put the ball into the net.

Brentford gave their hosts a sobering sucker punch on their next attack.

Spanish winger Jota cut in from the left and drilled a low shot that was tipped just wide of the post by Andy Lonergan.

After that frantic start the game settled, but only a little. Darren Pratley lifted a shot over the bar for the Whites, who had set up with a 4-4-2 diamond formation, and both Jota and Alex Pritchard saw goal-bound shots blocked by Kevin McNaughton.

Pratley, again on the left side, nearly opened the scoring with an acrobatic volley after Joe Mason’s shot had looped up off Tony Craig but once again Brentford produced a riposte with Pritchard seizing on a loose ball to blast a shot straight at Lonergan from the edge of the box.

On 20 minutes McNaughton produced a peach of a cross from the right that looked to have fallen nicely for Beckford, only for the striker to fail to get a proper connection on his volley.

Wanderers were creating some half-decent opportunities – Danns twice going close from distance and Dorian Dervite also putting a shot on to the roof of the net after some excellent work from Chung-Yong.

Brentford were hanging on – and only an excellent challenge from Harlee Dean denied Chung-Yong a clear run on goal after running on to a fine pass from Spearing.

Once again, it was the lack of quality at the very end of a move that was costing Wanderers a lead.

The perfect example came a few minutes before the break when Chung-Yong did brilliantly to nick the ball from right-back Alan McCormack and pull a pass back for Beckford – but the Whites striker dallied over his shot and the danger was gone.

In stoppage time Lonergan bailed his side out with a good save from Judge’s bouncing shot – but Lennon won’t have been unhappy with what he got from his players of the course of the first 45 minutes.

Wanderers had to endure some pressure after the break as Matt Mills made a fine challenge on Andre Gray in front of his own goal before Brentford centre-back Harlee Dean had Lonergan back-pedalling to push a cross-shot on to the roof of the net.

But they got the home crowd behind them again after Joe Mason pinched the ball from Jake Bidwell, forcing a corner, which was eventually headed just wide by Mills.

Beckford then got in on the act, dispossessing Dean and crossing for Danns – whose shot was saved well by Button.

As the hour mark approached, Wanderers were pressing hard for the opening goal.

Pratley’s cross from the left forced Craig into a scrambled clearance in front of his own goal but just as the frustration started to build, a peach of an effort from Danns released all the pressure.

Picking up a pass from the back, the midfielder turned 20 yards out and smashed a left-footed effort that curled wide of David Button’s dive and into the bottom corner.

It should have been two moments later as Pratley played a clever ball through for Beckford but again the striker’s indecision cost him a shot at goal.

Brentford got a further blow when Alan McCormack had to be stretchered off after a challenge on half way with two Whites players.

The full-back’s injury delayed the game by several minutes but it was back to business for Wanderers as Jay Spearing latched on to a square pass from Beckford, got around a defender but put his shot into the side netting.

If Danns’ strike had been pleasing on the eye, it was nothing compared to the moment of magic served up by substitute Mark Davies in the 75th minute.

The midfielder had not been on the pitch a couple of minutes when he chested down Moses Odubajo’s high clearance on the edge of the box, beat a man with a drop of the shoulder and then passed the ball into the bottom corner, all done within a blink of the eye.

Brentford refused to be beaten. Lonergan had to think sharp and push a long range effort from Judge over his bar to keep his clean sheet.

But there was nothing the keeper could do when some slack defending from Spearing allowed Bidwell to cross from the left and sub Jon Toral – with his first touch – slide the ball home at the far post.

The visitors smelled a point. Lennon threw Craig Davies on for Mason to add some extra muscle up front and see the game out.

It was a time for calm heads but the defensive solidity the Whites had shown for much of the game was now deserting them.

Odubajo caused panic with one cross that nearly fell for Toumani Diagouraga and the fourth official announcing there would be seven minutes of added time didn’t help calm the nerves.

A fantastic block by McNaughton denied Diagouraga a free shot from close range in what proved a frantic finale.

When Bees keeper Button came up for a corner in the 96th minute the script seemed written for a sting in the tail.

Once Lonergan collected the ball, however, his quick throw to Craig Davies on the right allowed the striker to sprint away, keep his head, and roll the ball into an empty net for the third to kill the game.