Joe Taylor netted his first goal in a Town shirt in first-half injury-time to halve the advantage Brentford had gained with Ryan Trevitt's double strike.

Then Luke Freeman drew Town level within eight minutes of the restart, as he and captain Sonny Bradley gained much needed minutes on their return from injury.

U21 coach Adrian Forbes also called on goalkeeper Jack Walton, who pulled off some wonderful saves as the visitors threatened to run away with it in the first half, while Elliot Thorpe and Louie Watson joined Freeman - who lasted 74 minutes before being taken off - in the midfield.

Walton saved well from Iranian World Cup star Saman Ghoddos and Bees' captain Alex Gilbert in the opening stages before Trevitt struck twice in four minutes, either side of the half-hour mark.

The January signing from Barnsley then made a terrific double stop to deny Nathan Young-Coombes from putting the game out of the Hatters' reach in the 39th minute, before Taylor pulled Town back into it on the stroke of half-time.

Joe Johnson crossed from deep on the left and Oli Lynch somehow managed to nod the ball back from beyond the far post for Taylor to slam into the roof of the net from six yards out.

Buoyed by the goal, Town came out and took the game to Brentford, Freeman cutting back from the right byline onto his left foot to tuck his shot inside the far post to make it 2-2 on 53 minutes.

The Hatters were the better side by now, and created two good openings in as many minutes for the Town with around 20 minutes to go. First Thorpe sprinted through the middle only to be thwarted by keeper Matthew Cox after a heavy touch.

Then Taylor showed a clean pair of heels down the right and teed Lynch up for a shot that Cox saved well, with Taylor flagged offside as he looked to tap in from close range.

Thorpe then saw another effort saved well by Cox from the edge of the box as Town continued to probe for a winner, but 2-2 was a fair result after a sterling fight-back in the driving rain, with Bradley completing the full 90 minutes as the skipper prepares to be ready for when called upon in the Championship by manager Rob Edwards.

TOWN: Walton, Pinnington, Bateson, Bradley, Pettit, Johnson, Watson, Freeman (Luker 74'), Thorpe, Taylor, Lynch.

Subs: Horlick, Matthews-Lewis, Piesold, Odell-Bature, Heron, Trialist.

GOALS: Taylor 45+2', Freeman 53'

BEES: Cox, Roerslev (Adedokun 62'), Stevens, Baptiste, Oyegoke, Crama, Olakigbe, Trevitt, Young-Coombes, Gilbert, Ghoddos (Yogane 62').

Subs: Angelini, Dickov, Wilson, Beckham, Bennett, Syla.

GOALS: Trevitt 28, 32

Att: 237