Huddersfield Town 1 Brentford 5: Wagner's task is to fill up Town's tank

Town, beaten 4-0 at Bristol City the previous week, were again put to the sword but Wagner said: “No decisions will be made on the last two games. There will be some new signings and we will try to develop the interesting players we have.

“We just need small pieces to take steps forward.

“To be honest, we struggled from the first second and the goals we conceded were too easy.

“We tried to work but we were just too tired. The tank was empty. Brentford were much stronger than we were and this just shows how tough the Championship is and how much we have to do.

“To play the way we want to play we have to be fresh and we have to work on that in the summer.”

Town had hardly shaken off the pre-match carnival atmosphere after a lap of honour by 180 fans who had cycled 215 miles for charity when, with just 21 seconds gone, left-back Martin Cranie’s first touch let him down and Sergei Canos took the ball and raced forward before firing home under Jed Steer for a stunning opener.

Jamie Paterson equalised just after half-time but a brace from Scott Hogan and goals from substitutes Lasse Vibe and John Swift sent Town to a crushing defeat, having lost Steer in the 15th minute goalkeeper following two collisions. He was replaced by 22-year-old Lloyd Allinson, making his professional debut.

Huddersfield Town: Steer (Allinson 16), Smith, Hudson, Lynch, Cranie, Whitehead, Huws, Scannell (Lolley 46), van La Parra, Matmour, Paterson (Bunn 76). Unused substitutes: Davidson, Hogg, Dempsey, Billing.

Brentford: Button, Colin, Dean, Barbet, Bidwell, Woods, Yennaris, Canos (Clarke 69), Kerschbaumer (Swift 82), Saunders, Hogan (Vibe 64). Unused substitutes: Hofmann, Bonham, O’Connell, Gogia.

Referee: D Whitestone (Northamptonshire).

Man of the match: Scott Hogan.