ROVERS’ hopes of staging a late top-six charge were dealt a severe blow last night when their three-match winning run in the Championship came to a frustrating end.

Recalled duo Rudy Gestede and Chris Taylor twice put Gary Bowyer’s injury-ravaged side in front in an enthralling first half.

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But desperately slack defending allowed Chris Long and then Jota to equalise.

Brentford’s late winner, scored by substitute Andre Gray, had more to do with fortune, though.

His 84th-minute strike ensured the Bees cemented sixth spot and means Rovers now find themselves 11 points behind the play-offs with eight games to play.

Rovers boss Bowyer said before the crunch clash that Gestede cut a frustrated figure after injures meant he had to remain on the bench for Saturday’s 3-1 success at Charlton Athletic.

But it took just five minutes for the towering targetman to take that frustration out in thrilling fashion.

A quickly taken free kick from Ben Marshall, from just inside the Rovers half and sent high over the Brentford backline, put Gestede clear.

And, with goalkeeper David Button hesitating, the striker stretched out his right foot and thrashed a stunning first-time shot into the top corner.

It was Gestede’s 16th goal of the season, moving him level with Rovers top-scorer Jordan Rhodes.

And one should have become two in the eighth minute when Marshall escaped down the left and pulled the ball back into the area.

But Taylor’s first touch let him down and he dragged his left-footed effort into the side-netting.

And it would have proved a costly miss had Jason Steele not pulled off a truly breathtaking save to keep out Harley Dean’s header from Jota’s outswinging corner.

Then it was Button’s turn to be called into action, smothering Taylor’s 18-yard drive at the second attempt, after neat build-up play between by Corry Evans and Gestede.

The Bees’ starting line-up contained two former Rovers midfielders, Alan Judge and Jonathan Douglas.

And Judge went desperately close to bringing his team level in the 32nd minute when he curled a sweetly struck 25-yard free kick on to the bar.

But, after Tom Cairney looped a header on to the roof of the net following a trademark Tommy Spurr long throw-in, Steele was beaten in the 44th minute.

Long, despite Spurr and Marshall being close by, was not pressed anywhere near quickly enough and his strike took a nick off fit-again stand-in skipper Matt Kilgallon and flew over Steele and into the net.

Parity, however, did not last long.

Evans played a brave one-two with Cairney before the ball broke to Rhodes, who played in Taylor to lift it over Button.

It was the FA Cup specialist’s fourth goal of the campaign but his first in the league for the club.

It also came against the run of play as Brentford had begun to take a grip on proceedings.

But they did not have to wait long to level for the second time.

The danger signs were there for Rovers when a poor pass from Spurr led to Pritchard releasing Stuart Dallas who would have squeezed the ball in at the near post had it not been for Steele’s sharp reflexes.

But there was to be no let-off in the 53rd minute after Marshall lost possession midway through the Brentford half.

Take nothing away from Jota and his storming run and finish, which he fired through Alex Baptiste’s legs and beyond Steele’s outstretched arm, but he should have been closed down or even taken out long before then.

Rhodes and Gestede then wasted chances to put Rovers back in front.

The former headed wide when he had time to bring a pass from sub Jay Spearing under his control and the latter side-footed over after Taylor had pulled the ball back across the box.

It was Gestede’s last act before he was replaced by fellow striker Chris Brown.

But it was a Brentford sub, Gray, who settled the contest six minutes from the end of normal time.

The ball was worked out wide to Jota and his deflected shot was saved by Steele.

But the ball bounced up into the path of Gray who had the simple task of turning it into the empty net.

Rovers pushed forward in search of a dramatic equaliser and Cairney went within a whisker of getting one when he blasted a half-volley inches wide.