Brentford boss Dean Smith has defended Neal Maupay following the forward’s glaring miss in the 2-0 defeat at Cardiff City.

The Frenchman had the goal at his mercy during the first half after rounding goalkeeper Neil Etheridge but somehow only managed to fire his effort wide of the post with just a defender on the line.

The Bees lost for the first time in ten league matches in South Wales but Smith defended summer signing Maupay and praised his performance.

“Neal’s had a chance that he’d score 999 times of out of 1,000, but he missed it,” Smith said.

“During the first five minutes of the second half we had four or five wonderful chances.

“I told Neal to go and play with his head up and he did that, but it just felt as though it was going to be one of those games for him.”

Goals from Joe Ralls and Danny Ward in the first half put the game beyond Brentford, who tested City keeper Etheridge in the second period but could not make the breakthrough.

Dean added: “I’m disappointed because our unbeaten run of nine games has ended.

“I don’t think it should have ended as we created more than enough chances to match them; we’ve had 25 attempts and 14 in their penalty area but it wasn’t our day.

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“It was always going to be a tough place to come to but our defending for their goals was disappointing - that’s what I go away with.”

Smith won’t have to wait long to see if his side can respond as they entertain Burton Albion on Tuesday and the Brentford boss insists the Bees will bounce back straight away.

He said: “We’ll dust ourselves down and go again for Burton. It’s a tough league and so it takes a lot to go nine games unbeaten as we have done.

“We have a great belief in ourselves - we have to go and start another run now.”