Bring out the brackets.

What an afternoon. What a result. What a performance. A hat-trick for Ivan Toney. Individual strikes from Tarique Fosu, Josh Dasilva, Ethan Pinnock and Sergi Canos (the net is still bulging) all adding up to a magnificent 7(seven) for Brentford. Despite scoring twice to go in level at half time, Wycombe Wanderers had no answer to the second half explosion inspired by a resurgent Sergi, a rampant Tariqe, Josh oozing class and Ivan back to his goal scoring best. With Norwich City dropping points against Middlesbrough, Wednesday’s game against Bristol City has taken on an even greater dimension. That’s for then. For now, its all about the Bees earning a further GD swing of +5 and the unbeaten league run continuing ever onwards.

Indeed there were…..

Brentford were magnificent. A 2-2 half-time scoreline about as frustrating as they come. Sergi had conspired to head over with just a few minutes on the clock before Ethan Pinnock buried a corner from Matthias Jensen. 1-0. Open the floodgates. Or, rather, don’t. Instead, show uncharacteristic indecision and let your opponents back into it. The lead lasting barely five minutes before Uche Ikpeazu levelled it up with a wonderful strike following a spate of possession form the visitors that had all the hallmarks of the inevitable equaliser. 

No matter, Brentford pressed on again. The goal sat waiting to be filled. Saves made. Posts hit. Openings unconverted. Agony cranking up until Tarique Fosu was awarded the goal that made it 2-1. For me, Clive, it was Ivan Toney’s all day long. Fosu, who played an absolute blinder today, stabbing home when the ball was already well over the line. It will no doubt be given to Ivan eventually and we’re already calling it as such. 

@TariqeFosu I love you loads but bro it’s already over. @SkyBetChamp @SkySports pic.twitter.com/VhvZpcplBc

— Ivan Toney (@ivantoney24) January 30, 2021

Whomever was credited at the time, the only thing that mattered was it crossing the line. Having taken the lead, we wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Surely? Oh, we did. This time the lead lasting just two minutes before Admiral Muskwe restored parity just prior to half-time. Yet another demonstration of chances counting for naff all if you don’t bury them. Credit to Wycombe, they knew what to do when the moment came. Brentford had been profligate ; the visitors clinical.

Whatever Thomas Frank said at half-time , he needs to bottle. Talk about the mother of all pep talks. There was only one intent when the boys can back out – kill this one off and do it fast. Fosu was there first, then Ivan Toney with another of his ice cool penalties low to the right. A 4-2 lead with little more than ten minutes played and, this time, there was no choke. No invitation to our guest to get back into the game. Brentford strangled the life out of it before a blitzkrieg assault at the end saw the day end in 7th (seventh) heaven.

Sergi absolute leathered it home after fine work from Josh. A run and cool finish fro mIvan made it six and the hat-trick before man-of-the-match Dasilva completed the rout. The final three goals coming from 81 minutes onwards. Who knows just how crucial these may turn out to be come the end of the season? Only Swansea on 18 are even vaguely close to a GD that now reads +21.

We could have been down at half-time. We weren’t. The usual faces were laying into Sergi once more (well, I suppose with Charlie Goode and Emiliano missing they had to go for someone). Football is a game of 90 minutes and my word, didn’t we prove that ? This is the team that never gives up. That refuses to be beaten. That plays, and celebrates, together. You could see what this one meant. You could probably hear the screams from our house half way down to Lionel Road.

Brentford are now in third place. Two points off Swansea and six off Norwich with a game in hand on both. This season has plenty of twists left in it but you can’t ask for more than we got today. Sure, luck was ridden at times but the history books, and the table, don’t lie. And I know what both of those say.

We started the day saying this one had the potential to be Biblical. It was beyond that. It was immense. Finishing of the highest degree once we got our shooting boots properly laced up. I’d love to be there in person but its not too shabby following from home. Now bring on Bristol City…..  

ahem….. #BrentfordFC @ivantoney24 https://t.co/JzZ3PyOk7H

— Nick Bruzon (@NickBruzon) January 30, 2021

Nick Bruzon

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Selfie heaven ; football hell. Unbeaten April comes to an end

Hull City AFC 2 Brentford 0 . A hectic April finally saw the Bees losing a game and we approach month end sitting 10th in the Championship table. A possible 8th position still beckons although surely, now, focus will only be on a local derby win over Fulham at Griffin Park this Saturday. Which, of course, is definitely our final game of the month. Definitely. Hull being the penultimate (regardless of what you may have read earlier).

Certainly, the team line up suggested that we might have more than an eye on the West London derby with both Lasse Vibe and Scott Hogan rested whilst John Swift returned to a side that had gone on that wonderful run in his absence.

I wasn’t there. Neither were most of us. You know the drill about where to find match reports by now. Instead, it was Bees Player and the alternative BBC (Burridge, Brett, Chapman) for me.

That said, 214 hardy souls did make the journey with the majority of them looking out for Peter Gilham. Kitman Bob Oteng using his latest ‘BBGiveaway’ to put three pairs of player boots on offer for anybody getting a ‘selfie’ alongside our man ‘with the mic’.

Here’s hoping PG was given due notice of his impending popularity. Otherwise I can only imagine him left very much confused by an even more heightened level of terrace idolatry. If there’s any justice, Twitter user @Beesbanter is surely going to feature amongst the winners for sheer comedy value alone.

Surely this effort has to be worth a pair of boots, Bob ?

So what can we say about the game?

Harlee hit a screamer (sadly in the wrong end) and Mohamed Diame doubled the lead on half time. In between, David Button saved a penalty (an almost carbon copy of Scott Hogan’s recent effort against Bristol City) to give the Bees hope. Sadly it wasn’t to be.

The second half sounded what we’ll politely call ‘pedestrian’. Sky’s match report notes that it “took longer to get going than the first,” whilst their highlight’s package cuts straight to interviews with Steve Bruce after the first period.

Mark Burridge’s use of classic World Cup line, “For those of you just coming in from work” was probably the standout moment. Then again, I get excited by brackets. However,  despite our best efforts there was no chance of that famous Bob Booker inspired 7(seven) – 2 scoreline being repeated.

Indeed, the thoughts of the two observers whose opinions I value more than any others, BBC Billy Reeves and the aforementioned commentator par-excellence, say it all:

Instead, its all about Fulham now. Changes will, surely, come to the team with the likes of Lasse and maybe even Scott straight back into the starting XI? Will three starts in a week prove too much for the brilliant Sergi Canos whilst what about John Swift whom BBC Billy noted as “not having an impact”?

Jake Bidwell’s replacement during the second period does raise concerns. In a season dominated by Alan Judge and David Button,Captain Jake has very much been one of the unsung heroes in our team. Quietly going about his business and even weighing in with a few goals, here’s hoping all is good for Saturday.

Look. We lost. Well done Hull City. To be in 10th with just two games to go is, frankly, remarkable given the ups and downs we’ve seen this season. There have been some giddy highs and a lot of sickening lows.

No doubt we’ll get to those over the coming weeks and months. For now, though, there’s one more prize on offer.

Bragging rights over our West London rivals.

Fulham and QPR – we’re coming for you.

Nick Bruzon

Sub-standard journalism and a 125th anniversary puzzler for ‘MacBrentford’….

The exhilaration of Brentford moving closer to possible promotion on Tuesday was tempered by last night’s London Evening Standard and their general obliviousness to this fact, at the expense of Chelsea. True, the one time Champions of Europe deserved extensive coverage after their late win over PSG at Stamford Bridge but three full pages (with pictures on two more) whilst the Bees were given just two lines is hardly balanced coverage from a, supposed, London paper.

It’s an old gripe and I fully understand they are going to lead with the story of larger (general) interest. That said, Brentford are a London team too and, as our fans know, are going great guns. It’s just a shame that the rest of London isn’t being given the opportunity to share in these exciting times.

To read the rest of this article, season 2013/14 is now available to download onto Kindle, in full. Containing previously unseen content, you can do so here for less than the cost of one matchday programme.

 Thanks for reading over the course of the campaign. For now I need to make space on this page for any follow up.  The ‘close season’ / World Cup columns continue in full, further on in this site.

Brentford Bees 1 Hull Tigers 0. A result I never want to see.

““Hull City. My first Brentford game!! Thanks to Bob Booker for getting me hooked so young.”

Not my words but those of GPG user Robbee74, when I canvassed Brentford supporters for their memories of Bob back in 2010.

It may seem odd to start with another club ahead of Brentford’s game against Oldham Athletic but these are troubled times. For those unaware the owner of Hull City AFC, Doctor Assem Allam, is currently ploughinhg ahead with his decision to change the club name to Hull Tigers. Supporters are, unsurprisingly, up in arms over this and moreso given some of his inflammatory remarks about both them and the reason for his taking this course of action.

Dr. Allam has been quoted as telling The Independent that opponents to his scheme “Can die as soon as they want, as long as they leave the club for the majority who just want to watch good football.”

Charming. It’s up there with the moment that former Fulham chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed said, on deciding to erect a statue of Michael Jackson outside the club’s ground,  “If some stupid fans don’t understand and appreciate such a gift this guy gave to the world they can go to hell. I don’t want them to be fans.”

To read the rest of this article, season 2013/14 is now available to download onto Kindle, in full. Containing previously unseen content, you can do so here for less than the cost of one matchday programme.

 Thanks for reading over the course of the campaign. For now I need to make space on this page for any follow up.  The ‘close season’ / World Cup columns continue in full, further on in this site.