The Bees started the game brightly and nearly took the lead after a corner, which was whipped in just, missed the flying red and white shirts. But then the quality of Stoke City started to show.
Filled with International stars – they have the best players on paper in this Division. Unfortunately I feel I should emphasise the word player rather than team. But however, the quality shone through.
They opened up the Bees defence time and time again in the first half an hour. A delightful through bull set up on loan Derby “star” Deon Burton.
The first chance came on 8 minutes after Tony Dinning thread the ball through to Burton. He just had Smith in goal to beat, but lobbed the ball wide of the target. It was a sitter – but not the first of many that he was to miss.
Burton was denied by a brave save by Smith after being clean through yet again and then Smith had to be alert to deal with James O’Connor after yet another Stoke player ran through the back of the defence.
Arnar Gunnlaugsson looked a class act with nice touches and skill, but his frustration at the early misses was to be seen in the 30th minute. He won possession off Michael Dobson and charged forward. Rowlands was close by, and did well to cut the player off and took the ball off him. Gunnlaugsson kicked out at Rowlands – a stupid thing to do when his side was clearly on top. Rowlands saw red, but unfortunately Paul Evans rugby tackled him to prevent Rowlands from hitting back. And it was Gunnlaugsson who actually saw red. I think the reaction of the crowd and Rowlands nearby contributed in the colour of the card, but it was a ludicrous thing to do.
This was a set back for the Stokies, but the Bees had a setback of their own earlier in the match after Kevin O’Connor replaced BBB who has a reported hamstring injury.
Despite being down to ten men, Stoke continued to have their chances. Wayne Thomas headed a Bjarni Gudjonsson corner across the face of goal, and then Burton was a culprit for missing yet another sitter after a decent cross into the box, but the Derby striker failed to tuck home as his shot went for a goal kick.
The second half and Brentford looked more potent going forward and started to create a few half decent chances of their own. The Brook Road found their voice after Steven Hunt drilled a dipping shot, which had to be palmed over the bar for a corner.
Kevin O’Connor who ran hard was unlucky after a deep cross was met by Hunt whose lobbed cross was met by O’Connor. Unfortunately the young strikers effort was blocked.
But the all important goal came after a defensive mistake by Neil Cutler. Cutler miskicked his clearence and it fell to the feet of the young onloan Arsenal player, Steven Sidwell. Sidwell calmly composed himself and lobbed the ball towards the empty net. It just seemed an eternity and at one point the pillor in front of me obscured my view but seconds later it was pure delight and relief!
I was quietly confident from then on – despite the Bees losing to 10 men against the other Staffordshire rivals, Port Vale and Northampton, I believed the Bees could have held on.
But maybe I was slightly too confident as Paul Smith had to be at his best. He snatched the ball out of the air from a Stoke free kick – something he has done on many occasions. And then deep in injury time City almost equalised.
Marc Goodfellow saw his strike in the box brilliantly turned aside by Smith. From the following corner a header by Stefan Thordarson was cleared off the line by Sidwell.
The full time whistle went and with news that Reading had only managed to draw means the Bees have this simple equation to deal with. 4wins = unlikely but well deserved promotion. Hopefully they wont get to confused – Up the Bees and sing loud and proud for just another 360 minutes!
Smith, Anderson, Dobson, Theobald, Evans, Ingimarsson, Rowlands (Hutchinson 90), Sidwell, Hunt (Boxall, 90), Burgess (O'Connor 17), Owusu.
Subs: Gottsklalksson, Williams.
Filled with International stars – they have the best players on paper in this Division. Unfortunately I feel I should emphasise the word player rather than team. But however, the quality shone through.
They opened up the Bees defence time and time again in the first half an hour. A delightful through bull set up on loan Derby “star” Deon Burton.
The first chance came on 8 minutes after Tony Dinning thread the ball through to Burton. He just had Smith in goal to beat, but lobbed the ball wide of the target. It was a sitter – but not the first of many that he was to miss.
Burton was denied by a brave save by Smith after being clean through yet again and then Smith had to be alert to deal with James O’Connor after yet another Stoke player ran through the back of the defence.
Arnar Gunnlaugsson looked a class act with nice touches and skill, but his frustration at the early misses was to be seen in the 30th minute. He won possession off Michael Dobson and charged forward. Rowlands was close by, and did well to cut the player off and took the ball off him. Gunnlaugsson kicked out at Rowlands – a stupid thing to do when his side was clearly on top. Rowlands saw red, but unfortunately Paul Evans rugby tackled him to prevent Rowlands from hitting back. And it was Gunnlaugsson who actually saw red. I think the reaction of the crowd and Rowlands nearby contributed in the colour of the card, but it was a ludicrous thing to do.
This was a set back for the Stokies, but the Bees had a setback of their own earlier in the match after Kevin O’Connor replaced BBB who has a reported hamstring injury.
Despite being down to ten men, Stoke continued to have their chances. Wayne Thomas headed a Bjarni Gudjonsson corner across the face of goal, and then Burton was a culprit for missing yet another sitter after a decent cross into the box, but the Derby striker failed to tuck home as his shot went for a goal kick.
The second half and Brentford looked more potent going forward and started to create a few half decent chances of their own. The Brook Road found their voice after Steven Hunt drilled a dipping shot, which had to be palmed over the bar for a corner.
Kevin O’Connor who ran hard was unlucky after a deep cross was met by Hunt whose lobbed cross was met by O’Connor. Unfortunately the young strikers effort was blocked.
But the all important goal came after a defensive mistake by Neil Cutler. Cutler miskicked his clearence and it fell to the feet of the young onloan Arsenal player, Steven Sidwell. Sidwell calmly composed himself and lobbed the ball towards the empty net. It just seemed an eternity and at one point the pillor in front of me obscured my view but seconds later it was pure delight and relief!
I was quietly confident from then on – despite the Bees losing to 10 men against the other Staffordshire rivals, Port Vale and Northampton, I believed the Bees could have held on.
But maybe I was slightly too confident as Paul Smith had to be at his best. He snatched the ball out of the air from a Stoke free kick – something he has done on many occasions. And then deep in injury time City almost equalised.
Marc Goodfellow saw his strike in the box brilliantly turned aside by Smith. From the following corner a header by Stefan Thordarson was cleared off the line by Sidwell.
The full time whistle went and with news that Reading had only managed to draw means the Bees have this simple equation to deal with. 4wins = unlikely but well deserved promotion. Hopefully they wont get to confused – Up the Bees and sing loud and proud for just another 360 minutes!
Smith, Anderson, Dobson, Theobald, Evans, Ingimarsson, Rowlands (Hutchinson 90), Sidwell, Hunt (Boxall, 90), Burgess (O'Connor 17), Owusu.
Subs: Gottsklalksson, Williams.