Brentford 3-1 Coventry City
City: Murphy, Christie, Willis, Clarke, Adams (Seaborne 58) Thomas, Fleck, Baker, Delfounseo (Akpom 58), Moussa (Marshall 58)Wilson. Subs:,Burge, Webster, McGeouch, Barton.
Brentford: Button, Craig, Dean, Douglas, Donaldson, McCormack, Saville (Yennaris 46), Judge (Dallas 71), Reeves (Forshaw 64), Bidwell, Trotta. Subs Lee,O'Connor, Grigg, Adams.
HT BFC 2-1 CCFC
FT BFC 3-1 CCFC
ATT 8572
Goals Callum Wilson 6, Clayton Donaldson 15, Marcel Trotta 19, Alan McCormack 48
Referee G.Ward. Booked Baker, Thomas, McCormack
-----------------------------------
Coventry City scored first but were beaten at Brentford and are now being sucked into a relegation battle.
Considering that not going to matches now seems to be de rigeur, to take 1307 City supporters for what the bookies were predicting was a severe beating, was excellent.
There were City supporters from as far away as Ethiopia, Denmark and Switzerland, who took over and in some cases had been chucked out of pubs for singing, in the away end at Griffin Park which comprises of terracing and seating, but is now sadly dated and one of the reasons why that a new ground at Lionel Road is in the offing.
Steven Pressley had Danny Seaborne available but chose not to tinker with his defence and kept it the same as for the Port Vale draw.
Just over five and a half minutes had gone when Carl Baker hit a shot which Button pushed out as far as Callum Wilson who scored his 20th goal of the season, beating Dion Dublin’s eighteen goal haul in 1997/98 and coming in with a goal of Ian Wallace’s 21 goals in 1977/78.
The City support went mental as one can do on a terrace and after three corners, there was more to celebrate, when Brentford were awarded a penalty, something which Steven Pressley had spoken about in the week and the amount of decisions they seem to get. From my vantage point, it looked the correct decision was made by referee Gavin Ward as Carl Baker certainly made contact. Anyhow, Alan Judge stepped up to take the kick following Baker's trip. Joe Murphy went to his right and made a brilliant 11th minute save.
Any joy the City support did have was soon wiped out as four minutes later, the City defence let Clayton Donaldson storm down the left and slip the ball past Murphy to level the scores.
Another four minutes passed and The Bees attacked and scored again. This time, Marcel Trotta got into space and beat Joe Murphy with a low shot on his left.
The City support continued to sing as a Bees shot hit the side netting and Trotta fired wide in the 25th minute.
Moussa went close with a neat run and shot, a great run from Christie won a corner and Delfounseo played in Wilson who fired wide but the Sky Blues were losing at the break.
City were straight out of the blocks for the second half with a corner and a cracking Fleck shot which was pushed over by David Button for a corner. A poor flag kick was easily cleared upfield and the ball fell to Alan McCormack who fired past Murphy for the Bees third goal.
The concern was now how many Brentford could score, so Steven Pressley went for broke with a triple substitution bringing on Akpom, Marshall and Seaborne in a decision which left many of the City support looking at each other in disbelief.
City won a corner and Murphy saved from Donaldson before the Bees, who had City’s midfield firmly under control, used all their substitutes.
Carl Baker, whom many in the terrace had wanted replaced, was booked for diving in after Conor Thomas, who did not impress many around me, lost possession.
Things were pretty grim, especially as scores elsewhere were not going our way and City were displaying a complete lack of ideas apart from lumping it forward in the hope that Wilson or Akpom would do something, so the City support launched into a massive chorus of “Twist And Shout”.
The noise lifted City who won a corner with ten minutes left and had a good shout for a penalty when a handball was not spotted by the referee who booked Thomas.
The choruses of Twist N Shout and plenty of other chants including calls for the owners to go continued but on the pitch, despite the efforts of the hard working Jordan’s - Messrs Clarke and Willis, John Fleck and Callum Wilson, a great City support were left with nothing from a trip from a trip to West London.