Rob Hulse maintained his prolific goalscoring form with two goals to give Crewe a 2-1 victory over a Brentford side reduced to nine men.

Hulse scored either side of Ibrahim Sonko's fifth of the campaign for Brentford to take his tally to 17 goals for the season.

The visitors had Scott Marshall and Jamie Fullarton dismissed and it eventually proved costly.

The 23-year-old Hulse rifled home a low right-foot shot past Paul Smith into the bottom corner of the net to open the scoring.

Hulse almost added another from a left-foot shot following Rodney Jack's cross, but it was deflected behind for a corner by Marshall.

Crewe, who had lost their last two league games without scoring, went close when Ben Rix's ambitious shot was saved by Smith.

However, Brentford equalised through Senegal defender Sonko, who headed the ball into the roof of the net following Stephen Hunt's outswinging corner.

Wally Downes made three substitutions shortly before Marshall was dismissed for his second yellow card after another foul on Hulse.

Fullarton followed him for an early bath after a nasty foul on Tierney and from the resulting free-kick Hulse headed home the winner.

Crewe: Ince, Wright, Walton, Foster, Tierney, Lunt, Brammer, Sorvel, Rix, Hulse, Jack. Subs: Bankole, Walker, Ashton, Jones, White.

Brentford: Paul Smith, Dobson, Marshall, Sonko, Somner, O'Connor, Fullarton, Evans, Hunt, McCammon, Williams. Subs: Constantine, Julian, Frampton, Rowlands, Jay Smith.

Referee: A Penn (W Midlands)