LFL: BRENTFORD

This was a very good win, battling back from being a goal down near the end. I’d have been pretty happy with a draw but two wins in our first three matches is a great start.

BEFORE

I always want us to win of course and though I'm not too bothered about another early exit from a cup competition, they provide opportunities for new players to get game-time. I'm really looking forward to this afternoon's match and I think we can get something from it. Brentford finished in tenth spot last season and if we could manage to do the same, I'd be very pleased indeed. They had a rather torrid pre-season and, like us, they've won one and lost one so far. I'm wondering how Jordan Henderson will be greeted today and suspect he'll have a mixed reception. All in all, though, I'm glad we got Xhaka and not him. Losing Ballard was a big blow but I liked the look of Mukiele and Masuaku on Tuesday so I imagine one of them will be starting. I'm in London and am hoping to listen to the game but accessing games via safc.com hasn't proved easy for me so far. I'm trying not to expect too much from our early league matches and I think a draw wouldn't be a bad result. Match prediction 1-1.

When I got the team-news I saw that Mukiele was in for Ballard while Le Fee was replacing Adingra. As expected, Hendo was starting for them and when the teams came out to warm up, many fans applauded him and he reciprocated. One of their subs, Ethan Pinnock, is a cousin of Nyron Nosworthy. I managed to get the match online and things sounded lively as kick-off approached. Brentford had brought nearly two thousand fans.

THE GAME

In the opening five minutes the game ebbed and flowed without a serious effort on goal from either side. Referee Anthony Taylor had a word with Xhaka after awarding a free-kick in the seventh minute but the kick itself came to nothing. We won the first corner shortly afterwards following a long throw from Mukiele and there was a big shout for handball against Kayode but no penalty was given. We were doing most of the pressing and after Kelleher in goal spilled the ball in the fourteenth Le Fee couldn’t quite get to it in time to shoot home. We were battling for every ball and our fans were enjoying it. Brentford started to fight back but didn’t seriously threaten our goal till Ouattara broke away on a counter-attack and slipped the ball past Roefs into the net in the twenty-first. Commentators Benno and Barnesy thought it was a good goal but next thing our friend VAR ruled it out for offside. There was much cheering from our fans but it was a clear warning to us to tighten up the defending.

It remained goalless as we passed the thirty-minute mark but we hadn’t created any real chances since that disallowed goal. Talbi got a decent cross in and Reinildo headed it down but Henderson got there first to hook the ball to safety. We were starting to create more around their box but then Brentford won their first corner in the thirty-eighth. It resulted in a free-kick to us and Collins was most disgruntled as he ran back, mouthing off in the ref’s direction. We soon conceded another corner and Schade headed high over the bar. Alderete had a half-volley that was deflected into the hands of Kelleher. Two minutes of added-time were announced and it remained 0-0 as the half-time whistle went to much applause. It had been even enough overall and the match could clearly go either way.

Neither side had made any changes as we kicked off again. Hume had an early effort that was blocked and next thing at the other end Mukiele miskicked a clearance and it went for a throw-in to Brentford. In the fifty-second Talbi was attacking but ran the ball over the goal-line frustratingly. Our fans were still in good voice and everything was still to play for.

Brentford won their third corner in the fifty-sixth and it resulted in a penalty after a foul from Reinildo, who was also yellow-carded. There was very little noise coming from the fans as we waited for the kick to be taken so it was all a bit surreal but Diarra was also yellow-carded. Schade took the penalty and Roefs saved it to great joy all round. Mukiele had to receive some treatment so there was a pause for a few minutes and then he was able to continue. Adingra and Isidor came on for Talbi and Mayenda in the sixty-fifth and we promptly won our second corner. It was headed clear by van den Berg.

The subs had given us a boost and a miskicked effort from Isidor was hit wide by Diarra. At least we had the ball up their end. Brentford brought on Henry and Onyeka, a couple of defenders, for Lewis-Potter and Henderson with around twenty minutes left. Hendo got a great ovation as he went off the field. Isidor shot wide as we went for the winner. However, in the seventy-seventh it was Brentford who scored when Thiago headed home powerfully from seven yards out and the commentators weren’t impressed with our defenders. A low free-kick from Hume was turned out for a corner with ten minutes to go and it resulted in a penalty to us for a foul on Diarra. Henry was yellow-carded and then Le Fee sent Kelleher the wrong way and hit the ball into the net to put us level. Almost from the kick-off we conceded a corner but we cleared it.

There was bound to be a good deal of added-time so anything could happen. We were going for the winner again and there was a great atmosphere. Mukiele was down injured again and we made a further change, bringing on Guiu for Diarra with a few minutes on the clock. Mukiele recovered and re-entered the fray. Referee Taylor waved away another penalty shout after Hume went down in the box and then eight minutes of added-time were announced. In the ninety-sixth a great cross from Xhaka was headed in from close range by Isidor and Benno nearly went into orbit. There was a VAR check and when the goal was confirmed we all celebrated again. Our fans were in tremendous voice and nobody was leaving early. It ended 2-1.