Brentford's travel sickness persisted on Wednesday night as the Bees were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United.
Thomas Frank's side bowed out at the quarter-final stage despite Yoane Wissa's late strike as the hosts enacted revenge for their 4-2 defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium 11 days prior.
Sandro Tonali put Newcastle in front with a sublime effort in the 9th-minute before doubling their lead just before half-time with a clever effort as he directed Anthony Gordon's free-kick into the back of the net.
Fabian Schar secured the Magpies' progression into a second cup semi-final in three years when Bruno Guimaraes reacted quickest to a save then pulling the ball back for an easy tap-in in the 69th-minute.
Wissa's finish in the 90th-minute proved a mere consolation as the west Londoners suffered back-to-back defeats on the road this week - making it a total of seven in all competitions this campaign.
Here are three things we learnt as Brentford failed to progress from the quarter-finals for the second time in three years.
Concluding an underwhelming campaign
Brentford's performance on Wednesday night epitomised a lacklustre Carabao Cup campaign.
The Bees' path to St. James' Park saw them overcome lower-league opposition in less than convincing fashion; though somewhat feasible given the opportunities Thomas Frank handed out to fringe and B team players.
It required an 86th-minute penalty save by Hakon Valdimarsson to spare their blushes away to League Two Colchester United, in a game which a 'controversial' Keane Lewis-Potter goal secured the club's sole away win of the season so far.
A 3-1 triumph at home to Leyton Orient was the most convincing, but it required them to overcome a one-goal deficit to secure the win after the League One side took a surprise lead in the 11th-minute.
The subsequent game against then Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday was eye-opening.
Brentford wasted numerous chances to kill the game off after Kevin Schade put them in front, and their profligacy was punished by a sublime Djeidi Gassama strike in the second half that sent the game to penalties.
A lack of quality was again the theme on Wednesday night. Newcastle dominated, were clinical, and the deficit could have been greater had Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes' strikes not hit the post.
The visitors, on the other hand, were timid and lacked creativity. While three clear-cut chances were produced, it was third time lucky for Wissa when he beat Martin Dubravka in the 90th-minute, but it proved to be too little, too late.
Injury woes exacerbated
Thomas Frank was unable to call upon captain Christian Norgaard and Igor Thiago for this fixture due to injury. By eight o'clock on Wednesday night, he was without further two members of his squad.
Sepp van den Berg was withdrawn from the line-up after sustaining a 'minor' groin injury in the warm-up while Ethan Pinnock was substituted within the opening 15 minutes after receiving treatment on his left hamstring.
This leaves the head coach bereft of options in what is already a problematic area for the Bees, who have conceded 30 goals this season - the fourth most in the Premier League behind Wolves, Southampton, and Leicester City.
It comes at a bad time for the club amid the busy festive period, with Frank already with an extended list of defensive injuries after having to contend without first choice full-backs Aaron Hickey (hamstring) and Rico Henry (knee) for the past 14 months.
Kristoffer Ajer stepped in amicably at the heart of a back three, having recently returned from a foot injury, and produced a standout last-ditch tackle to deny substitute William Osula in second-half stoppage time.
Frank is now left with a dilemma as the year comes to a close in terms of personnel.
Ajer has been a valuable and versatile player this season when fit, but his minutes will need to be carefully managed, especially during this period, as he will be relied upon at full-back and centre-back.
Ben Mee also stepped in but has been a bit-part player this season. He has fallen down the pecking order since breaking his ankle in February and whether he can replicate the form that saw him become indispensable remains to be seen.
19-year-old Kim Ji-soo is also an option but has largely been involved with the B team this season. While highly thought of, his performances have been of a standard that warrants Premier League football, which could make the jump to first-team football too big, too soon.
Damsgaard exhibits his class (again)
As the game drew to an unsatisfactory end for Brentford, Mikkel Damsgaard produced a moment for the travelling support to savour.
Intercepting Osula's pass in the middle, he evaded the forward's recovery then skipped effortlessly past Guimaraes, squeezing through the tiniest of gaps between their bodies to put Mbeumo into a position to assist Wissa.
It was a moment of quality from a player whose confidence has grown exponentially this season, with his three goals and five assists (all comps.) far exceeding his previous two campaigns in red and white.
The 24-year-old's introduction to the game as a 62nd-minute substitute gave the Bees a much-needed lift as he offered a constant outlet in the pockets and sought to the progress the ball quickly.
Damsgaard completed all 15 of his attempted passes, showcasing an invention and creativity Fabio Carvalho struggled to throughout the game, as well as his ever-improving defensive contribution.
Positives were hard to come by in what was a very underwhelming performance, particularly with a cup semi-final at stake, but to see Damsgaard continuing to take positive strides after a turbulent few years is great to see.
