Kazenga LuaLua struck 19 minutes from time as Albion beat Brentford 1-0 to go three points clear in League One.

The on-loan Newcastle winger capped a strong finish from the Seagulls with a low shot from 20 yards to make it three wins in a row for Gus Poyet's men.

Poyet made three changes to the starting line-up from the team that beat Oldham on Saturday.

Fran Sandaza was handed his first start at the expense of Glenn Murray after scoring a late winner against the Latics while Radostin Kishishev and Matt Sparrow were also recalled.

Murray was on the bench but there was no Gordon Greer, whose wife finally gave birth to a little girl yesterday.

In a drab first half it took Albion 24 minutes to forge an opening, Inigo Calderon feeding Elliott Bennett whose half-volley was pushed away by visiting keeper Ben Hamer.

Former Albion striker Nicky Forster had a sight of goal on 34 minutes but headed wide from Myles Weston's cross.

Within a minute Ashley Barnes almost put Albion ahead with a terrific strike from 20 yards which was destined for the top corner until Hamer palmed it away for a corner.

There was scare for the home side within 50 seconds of the restart when a snapshot from Sam Wood rattled the crossbar.

Sandaza had a couple of half chances, including a header over the bar from Calderon's cross, but was replaced by Murray as Poyet used all three of his substitutes by the hour mark.

Almost immediately Albion created a chance with Barnes seeing his shot beaten away again by the impressive Hamer.

Albion certainly stepped up things in the second half and finally got their reward with 11 minutes remaining. Murray met a cross from LuaLua with a volley which was superbly saved by Hamer and Barnes' follow-up was deflected wide for a corner.

LuaLua received the ball 20 yards out from the corner and lashed a low shot into the bottom corner.

Albion: Ankergren; Calderon, Elphick, El-Abd, Painter; Sparrow (sub Dicker 55), Kishishev (sub Bridcutt 60), LuaLua; Bennett; Sandaza (sub Murray 60), Barnes. Subs not used: Battipiedi, Baz, Dunk, Brezovan.

Brentford: Hamer; Spillane, Balkestein (sub Legge 46), Osborne, Woodman; Wood (sub Adams 81), Bean, O'Connor, Weston, Weston; Alexander (sub Cort 79), Forster. Subs not used: McCracken, Saunders, Hudson, Lee.

Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey).

Attendance: 6,740.