Football: Bees are ready to sting the Owls.

Byline: IAN COYNE

QUITE why Bet365 make Brentford 15-8 to reach the League One play-off final is anyone's guess, and the Bees have to be supported to overturn a 1-0 deficit in tonight's second-leg clash with Sheffield Wednesday at Griffin Park.

The Bees grew in confidence as a scrappy first-leg progressed, and they are certainly far from out of contention going into the return.

John-Paul McGovern's early goal separates the teams, and Wednesday coach Paul Sturrock has said their advantage means that his team can afford to defend deep and try to hit the Bees on the counter this evening.

But he could live to regret employing such negative tactics against pumped-up opponents.

Brentford coach Martin Allen, ferociously competitive in his playing days, has built a team with similarly indefatigable fighting spirit.

And he will certainly draw confidence from the number of goals that their opponents conceded towards the end of the season.

Wednesday kept only one clean sheet in nine outings in a series of matches that coin-cided with the absence due to a groin injury of accomplished defender Graeme Lee, who isn't expected to return tonight.

Right-back Lee Bullen, who will probably continue to deputise in the centre, can expect to come under some intense pressure.

Allen has hinted he will persist with the 4-5-1 formation that served him so well throughout the campaign, and central midfielders Eddie Hutchinson, Chris Hargreaves and Stuart Talbot ought to give his team the edge over Wednesday in the battle for possession.

If they can succeed in spreading the play out to influential wide man Jay Tabb down the right flank, the Bees should be able to get plenty of balls into the Owls box.

The much-travelled Deon Burton is the focal point of Brentford's attack, but the home side don't rely on the Jamaica international forward alone to score for them.

A remarkable 19 different men got on the scoresheet for the Bees in the regular season, while centre-back Sam Sodje weighed in with a creditable eight in all competitions to make him the club's third-top scorer.

The stopper has scored three in his last eight outings and looks big at 28-1 with Stan James to set them on their way this evening.

Recommendations Brentford to qualify 2pts 15-8 (Bet365) Sam Sodje to score first 0.5pt 28-1 (Stan James) Already advised Brentford to win League One play-offs 2pts 7-2 (Bet365, Blue Sq, Skybet, May 12)

CAPTION(S):

Sam Sodje Eight goals