Cracking goals from Peter Thorne - his 14th of the season - and Kyle Nix earned City a point in an entertaining affair at Brentford.

All four goals were packed into the first 26 minutes as both sides threw caution to the wind.

Brentford took only six minutes to grab the lead with a low drive from Glenn Poole.

But City were soon level with a cracker from Peter Thorne, whose half-volley on the turn crashed into the net from the edge of the box.

City then went in front after 19 minutes with another superb strike from Kyle Nix which flew into the top corner.

As Brentford rocked, Eddie Johnson had a great chance to make it 3-1 when he burst clear but shot straight at keeper Simon Brown.

The home side cashed in on their escape with a thunderbolt of their own to level it up. Centre half Alan Bennett seized on a half-cleared Brentford corner and crashed a ferocious shot home off the bar.

As the topsy-turvy action continued, Brentford were denied a third just before the break when left back Luke O'Brien, making his league debut for City, cleared Nathan Elder's header off the line.

O'Brien was one of four changes from the Barnet game. Omar Daley dropped down to the bench but he appeared midway through the second half alongside Craig Bentham, making his first City appearance since November after his loan at Farsley Celtic.

The second half saw no further goals although there were more chances at both ends. Scott Loach made a crucial save from Elder while David Wetherall felt he was denied a certain penalty after being wrestled to the ground by Matt Heywood.

CITY: Loach, Williams, Wetherall, Bower, O'Brien, Colbeck, Penford, Nix, Rhodes, Johnson, Thorne. Subs: Daley, Bentham, Medley, Starosta, Saynor.