SOBS V BEES

The Lads went to Chiswick for the Red & White derby, and... well, just didn't. As with Sunday, we were second best in the first half and got on top after the break before making any changes. Unlike Sunday, we didn't continue our improved showing and gave impetus to the home side with an awful penalty. After that, we simply weren't in it and got what we deserved, which was 0-3.

According to the bus clock it was 08:52 on September 29th and 26 degrees C, which is always a good sign. Can't be doing with accurate bus clocks, even on a bright and sunny winter's morning, so it was an uneventful journey down, arriving around 5. Off to the Steam Packet (all in the same colours!) where I had a seat on Billy the Bee's table reserved - which was nice. Time to discuss the decent season our clubs are having and looking forward to them visiting Sunderland next time. Please let it be in the Prem.

Oh, and time to take part in Billy's matchday quiz, (I came 4th) and count the players returning from AFCON - all in one piece, so far, and it looks like we'll need them - as the team news arrived:

Roefs

Mukiele Ballard Alderete Hume

Xhaka (c) Geertruida

Le Fee Rigg Adingra

Brobbey

... and a bench of Patterson, Cirkin, Tuiterov, O'Nien, H. Jones, Mundle, Hjelde, Mayenda, and Neil.

A smart new ground which they've done well to shoehorn into the available space, and in which we lined up in blue and faced away to the right of the the travelling fans. After a minute's well- observed applause for those Bees lost in 2025, they kicked off. Following a couple of minutes of sizing each other up, we decided to pass it to them a couple of times - look, Alderete scares me, so let's just say he took a good ten minutes to get his eye in (and it didn't stay in for long). During that time we defended a very early Bees corner from our left after Roefs had tipped over a lob from the other side and, with Rigg on the right, won a free. From 25 yards Xhaka hit it through the wall and along the turf for a comfy save.

I wouldn't say that a home goal looked inevitable, but it looked likely despite some good defending. Unfortunately some less than good defending occurred on the half hour and Thiago galloped down the inside left channel, wide of Roefs, and clipped it in from a very narrow angle.

Right, Lads, get yersels perked up and into them. Brobbey, as usual getting the better of his marker, won a corner on 36 when his shot was deflected wide, but we couldn't force it in, with Brentford getting it off the line then blocking shots when it came back in.

A single added minute was announced as a Brentford free skimmed the bar and we went in a goal down. A situation which we couldn't really argue about.

No changes for the second half, but we looked a different side and were straight on the offensive. Rigg got it out to the right, it came all the way to the left and Adingra's layoff was placed a foot too high by Enzo. Much better stuff, but it didn't keep Adingra on the field, as he and Rigg were replaced by Mundle and Mayenda barely five minutes in. Roared on in the usual racous fashion by the travellers, we pushed forward and won a free when Mundle was held - I don't think I've ever seen a team concede so many free kicks for pulls, pushes, and holding - but Enzo's free was glanced over the bar by Alderete's head.

Our little Frenchman got a poke in the eye as our next attack was cleared, with the ref invoking the fury of the home fans by halting play as they approached our box.

The next bit of pulling proved crucial - for all the wrong reasons, when it should have been the right ones. Brobbey was pulled over as he bulldozed forwards and the penalty was obvious. Enzo placed the ball on the spot and, after forgetting to kiss it, did a Jeff Whitley (ask yer dad) and timidly dinked it into the hands of the stationary keeper. Oh dear.

Had that levelled things, I honestly think we'd have got something out of the game, but it enthused the home side no end, and they knocked it about accurately and got Thiago into things at every opportunity. We helped them with another loose pass in our own half that allowed an attack which we looked to have survived when they made a complete mess of things, but we allowed Schade to head it back in to the unmarked Thiago, and he just nutted it past Roefs for 2-0.

We made some half-decent attempts to build down the flanks but couldn't tee up Brobbey, and with about 15 to go we couldn't clear a corner and the ball dropped to Yarmoliuk who simply pinged it in from a few yards.

Game over, so on came Hendo for them. We countered that by replacing Geertruida and Ballard with Neil and Cirkin for the final ten. A few of our heads were unsurprisingly dropping, so on came O'Nien for Alderete to liven things up a bit. When we won a throw up in the right, Mukiele didn't look at all like he fancied trudging across to take it, but Luke got him over - so he took it short, by way of protest. However, it nearly bore fruit when Cirkin got it to Mundle and he danced inside to work space for a shot which cannoned off the keeper's chest.

Six extra minutes were announced, Brentford fired narrowly wide, and then the ref put us out of our misery.

Well beaten, with the recent flurry of games looking to have affected our output - mind, Brentford have played just as many at equally daft times of day. Look back, learn, and move on. Oh, and don't fanny about with penalties, eh?

Man of the Match? Can't really give it to a defender or midfielder, as just about all of them were guilty of loose passes (perhaps not Trai) or being caught in possession, at some stage.

Simply for being Brobbey, he gets my vote.