Brentford 2 - 3 Bristol City

The fifth and hopefully not the last match of the season at Griffin Park today saw the Bees take on Bristol City. Brentford were looking to get back their disappointing 3-2 defeat at Huddersfield.

The match had a cagey opening 10 minutes with neither team threatening the goal. However, Bristol City took the lead after 11 minutes. The cross made by Craig Woodman was headed back across by Guy Madjo and Marcus Stewart hit the header through Sam Sodje’s legs to give them the lead.

Brentford tried to get back into the game and won three corners in the space of two minutes but could not make them count and gain the equaliser.

The game then slowed down a lot with very little goal mouth action until the 39^th minute when Bristol City doubled their lead. Following a foul from Darren Pratley, who was booked for the challenge, Luke Wilkshire curled it into Stuart Nelson’s top right hand corner. This angered Stuart as he had been after a player to go on that exact same post and was kicking it to get them to listen to it and then the ball goes to where Nelson wanted the defender.

Brentford made two substitutions at half time bringing off Lloyd Owusu and Isaiah Rankin and unleashing into the fray Paul Brooker and DJ Campbell to try and get back the two goal deficit.

Marcus Stewart hit the ball well over the bar from 18 yards out just before Brentford pulled a goal back through Paul Brooker in the 65^th minute. Stuart Nelson played a long ball forward from his own half. Brooker latched onto it and powered the ball into the bottom left hand corner of Steve Phillips goal.

Brentford looked for the equaliser and Paul Brooker was callously scythed down by Craig Woodman when he was getting towards the penalty. It looked as if he was the last defender and was denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity but only a yellow card was given.

However, 7 minutes later, Bristol City restored their two goal advantage. Scott Brown put the ball into the 6 yard box and Steve Brooker headed the ball off the bar, onto the post and in to give the Bristol City fans something to cheer about.

It could have been 4-1 two minutes later when Bristol City were awarded a penalty following a foul from Stuart Nelson, who was booked for the challenge, but it looked as if he had got the ball. However Nelson produced a wonderful save to prevent Luke Wilkshire from scoring from the resultant spot kick much to the delight of the home crowd.

Brentford were boosted by Nelson’s touch of class and went off in search of getting back into the game. They were rewarded on 80 minutes with a Sam Sodje goal. Paul Brooker crossed the ball into the area and Sodje rose highest to head the ball into the corner.

Brentford replaced Darren Pratley with Alex ‘Livewire’ Rhodes into the game for his first game since the 3^rd of January where he was injured against Walsall. Ironically they are up next.

Luke Wilkshire was then booked for a foul on DJ Campbell as they looked to defend their one goal lead. Guy Madjo, who rejected Boca Juniors to play for Bristol City, was then taken off for Richard Keogh. David Cotterrill was replaced by Scott Murray after 92 minutes. As Cotterill took so long to go off the field he was booked.

Brentford were unable to get the equaliser which they were after so suffered their first defeat at Griffin Park this season.

Brentford
S Nelson, K Osborne, S Sodje, M Turner, S Tillen, I Rankin (45 D Campbell) , J Lewis, D Pratley (81 A Rhodes) , J Tabb, L Owusu (45 P Brooker) , M Gayle
Subs: P Brooker, S Fitzgerald, A Rhodes, D Campbell, A Bankole

Bristol City
S Phillips, B Orr, M Heywood, D Partridge, C Woodman, D Cotterill (90 S Murray) , L Wilkshire, C Skuse, S Brown, M Stewart (67 S Brooker) , G Madjo (86 R Keogh)
Subs: S Murray, M Bridges, S Brooker, R Burch, R Keogh

Ref: K Wright
Att: 6413

Possession:
Brentford 65%
Bristol City 35%

Shots:
Brentford 5
Bristol City 11

Corners:
Brentford 12
Bristol City 2

Fouls:
Brentford 10
Bristol City 17

Bookings:
Brentford 2
Bristol City 3

Penalties Turned Down

Brentford 2

Bristol City 0