‘Why are you wearing a lady’s coat?’
 |
| Welcome to .... |
Finally, a game in The Smoke, so we can have a lie in and a casual start. ‘cept we can’t, cos there’s some reason we have to be on a 10:52 from Waterloo so’s we can bag a table in the pub. No problem, apart from not getting home till late the nite before after far too many pints. Marius needs to feed his beer app (he’s up to about 864 individual beers apparently). Sarah has come too, and we meet the Captain and Reedy in the Beer House, Waterloo. Does what it says on the tin, so I have a latte. Feel like s***.
 |
| Head to the Griffin, the away pub of choice. |
I love Brentford. So when Marius wanted a recommendation for his Autumn visit from Norway, I suggested this one, especially since they've plans to build yet another soulless monstrosity. Small ground, completely enclosed (especially since the roof was built on the old away terrace), surrounded (literally) by pubs, easy to get to. All we need is a win – something we haven’t managed since god knows. We bump into Pompey in the back streets, having just parked up, and we’re one of the 1st in the pub (The Griffin?) The ploy to bag a table works; we have an entire corner. A couple of trains later and we’re joined by several more Londontykes. But why is Ben wearing a coat of colour and style only seen on folk of a female hue? Worse, him and his mum are wearing matching shoes. What is it with these Lockwoods? Soon the pub is full, mainly of Barnsley, shouting ‘Arr much?’ every time they buy a round. Welcome to my world.
 |
| I bet the new place doesn't look like this. |
I leave early for the ground, fancying a good perch for myself and the flag, if possible. All works well and we have a choice; stand at the back and watch the game behind some pillars, or stand right at the front, pitch level. A few of us opt for b) and while I enjoyed the novelty, I’ll problies not do that again for a while. You simply have no perspective on the other half of the field. Why’s he not having a shot? Problies cos he’s 40 yards out. Where’s that player just come from? Who’s that? So it is that the ball pings around their box and someone (we think it’s Armstrong) prods it home.
 |
| One view from behind the goal. |
Half time and I go and visit Sarah upstairs and discover a whole new world: a view. Sarah is right behind the goal, virtually on top of the net. Even better, there’s a spare chair behind her. I’m having some of this. So, despite really looking forward to being on a terrace, I end up in the seats. Salisbury moans cos it’s where he wanted to be before those pesky Londontyke kids all said they wanted to stand. In truth though, you’d have to be 4 foot tall to really enjoy it. The seats have zero space, and it was a good job we were on the end of a row to stretch the legs. Even better, we have Super Sammy Winnall.
 |
| ...and another |
 |
| The scoreboard |
Armstrong then wastes a 3 on 2 chance, going for goal when the pass was on before Davies is forced into making 2 one-on-one saves and tipping another shot over the bar. Hamill is even given a trot out and breaks forward a couple of times, a bit like Kent looking good when he came on t’other week. Everyone else looks happy to take what they’ve got as time runs out for Brentford. Finally, after a draw and 5 defeats comes the dawn of victory. Unlike the others, I’d hardly say we played well; it was a game littered with mistakes from both teams. So I could hardly believe the ‘It’s just like Brazil’ chants towards the end. Rarely did we put more than a few passes together. Still, mustn’t grumble.
 |
| On top of the net, second half. |
*** McDonald. Superb. Won everything, passed balls about and strode out of defence like Beckenbauer (or Jim McNulty). Always had the ball under control this week, while dealing with a very tricky (dirty) customer in Scott Hogan, a lower league Diego Costa if ever I saw one.
** Davies. Didn’t have an awful lot to do 1st half, but came into his own in the last 15. His catching was also first rate, though his kicking could still improve.
* Morsy. Put in some tackles, but also broke through the lines a couple of times with the ball.
Londontykes' MOTM:
***
**
*
 |
| Even Toby's been allowed out... |
I’ll start with Jackson, McDonald’s new partner in central defence. As well as having a good game, he was actually telling the rest of the defence what to do, where to stand, etc. Looks a sound acquisition. Mind, Bree and Yiadom didn’t convince at right and left back respectively. Hourihane was excellent in midfield, and unlucky not to make my top 3. Ditto Watkins. You know what you get with Watkins, and apparently it was his knockdown for the 1st goal. This puts him among the league leaders for setting up goals WITHOUT the aid of taking every free kick and corner. Kent flickered in and out. I’m still not convinced. He certainly can’t defend, as him and Bree were made to look clowns by one Brentford short corner routine in the 1st half. He also has a tendency to cut inside too often. Armstrong and Winnall? Well, one looked good on the ball and one ran around a lot, but, really, they don’t hold onto the ball well enough for me. God (Ryan Williams – everyone’s heard of him, but nobody’s seen him) even came on. Christ, was he s***? I don’t mind that he can’t get into the game cos he needs some minutes to get used to it, but the LEAST he can do is track back. Actually, no he can’t. Which is how they ended up clean through down their right. 2 or 3 times, Williams gambled on getting the ball on their goalside of their man, only for their man to turn and run away with the ball. He simply makes too many bad decisions when out of possession. I know, I know, harsh for a 10 minute runout (5 mins plus an unbelievable 6 mins of injury time). But I AM harsh.
 |
| The view from the upper tier |
Anyway, 2-0 win, job’s a good un. They hadn’t lost at home in 10 and were/are top half of the table. This win is not to be sniffed at, they’re a decent team. But we rode our luck and were probably deserved winners (just). And there was even Paul Heckingbottom (‘he’s one of our own’) to look forward to on the Channel 5 highlights later.
Now, please (please) let us beat that little tw*t next week. Without Hourihane and Scowen and who knows else.
Onwards and upwards!
 |
| YOU REDS! Full time at Griffin Park. |
Drink du jour: ‘Craft lager’ in the Griffin. Why does it taste like any old cooking lager? Then several Weihenstephaner in the Waterloo Tap before Reedy took most of us to some back street pub wot does Thai. A cracking find. Drank Blue Moon, but only cos my 1st 2 choices had ran out.
Away: 900 odd. A good atmosphere despite the lack of noise from the home fans. I thought terraces were meant to create some noise? Maybe getting beat by us does depress one slightly?
The Damage:
23 ent
5 prog (!) A 4000th Brentford league game special.
3.30 steak and kidney pukka pie. It was alright, but a bit soggy.
= 31.30
 |
| Downstairs panorama |
 |
| Upstairs panorama |
 |
| Celebrations at full time. |
No comments:
Post a Comment