Witnessing A Miracle

It was Saturday 10th February 2024 and in Wolverhampton a miracle was occurring… for the first time in 11 months Brentford won a match outside London!!!!

Our victims back on 10th March 2023 were a Southampton team destined for relegation but this sunny afternoon we beat a comfortably mid-table team that had already beaten us twice this season.

Not only had they come to our patch and thrashed us 4-1 earlier in the season, they had also knocked us out of the FA Cup just 3 and a half weeks before this match.

It’s fair to say my hopes for a positive result were as low as the Dutch would be below sea-level without their delta-works.

Little did I realise I was in for the shock of my life as I witnessed a miracle from the god’s perspective. Yes, the seats really were that high up.

From minute one we were positive in taking the game to the hosts and our first big chance fell to Ivan Toney in the 10th minute as he got ahead of his marker from a corner to nod the ball towards the bottom corner. Unfortunately, Jose Sa was equal to it and sunk into the grass to ponce on the ball.

This positive start was not without it’s dicey moments though as Mark Flekken was called into emergency action just 4 minutes later. Previously this would have spelt disaster for the Bees as Flekken has struggled to fill the shoes of the departed David Raya this season, but I had been told that his performances had improved drastically in recent matches.

Here he proved that was more than just talk as he dove to his left to pull off a point blank save to ensure the hosts didn’t take a lead they didn’t deserve.

Soon afterwards Nathan Collins was in top form to clear up the mess when Christian Norgaard left a pass back way too short and the Wolves looked to pounce.

With Flekken and his defenders holding things steady at the back the rest of the team were free to push the Wolves back deep into their den and Sergio Reguilon was next to go close for the Bees, but once again Sa was equal to the effort.

It took 20 minutes for the hosts to put together a decent spell of possession, but when they finally got it they were able to make it last a full 10 minutes due to the lack of an out-ball for their visitors. Toney was too busy helping out at the back to fulfil his role of terrorising the opposition back line.

Neil Maupay broke this siege with a solo effort where he scythed through the opposition from halfway to find his way into an incredible position, only to dribble his shot towards goal for Sa to scoop up with ease.

This wasted effort was not to matter for long though as with just 10 minutes of the first half to go Brentford took the lead, Christian Norgaard sweeping the ball home from close range after Reguilon smashed the ball through the corridor of uncertainty after bursting down the left wing.

One last brilliant point blank reflex save from Flekken was all it took for Brentford to lead at the break once again in the Premier League this season.

Despite the joy of my team surging down the tunnel with a 1-0 lead in their pockets to show for the best team performance I had seen from the Bees all season there was still part of me that expected the worst.

I even had the script written ‘Brentford throw away yet another lead this season’, but this time there was a plot twist, we held onto the lead and not only that….. we increased it!!!

Wolves came out of the traps fast in the second half with the fresh legs of their half-time substitute Nathan Fraser, who replaced Toti, helping to force them forwards. They even had the ball in the back of the net within 5 minutes of the restart, but Craig Dawson’s finish was chalked out for offside after a torturously long VAR check.

This let off gave the visitors all the motivation they needed to get back on the front foot and with Toney finally released into his natural role, plus the fresh legs of Yehor Yarmoliuk to torment the host’s midfield we were all over the hosts.

When the second goal came it was through our messiah. Toney heading home from 6 yards having ghosted into space to be in the perfect place to provide the finish to Vitaly Janelt’s teasing cross from the right.

At this point I had gone from a doubter to a believer as the visitors swarmed all over their hosts. We were unlucky not to add a third goal in the 13 minutes that remained.

For the first time travelling with the Bees this season there was no point that I felt that familiar foreboding dread in the pit of my stomach that we were gonna throw it away again, we were back to our best.

As the final whistle blew to confirm our 2-0 victory I was shocked into silence as everyone around me drowned in ecstasy.

Having followed my beloved Brentford all over the country all year with not a single success to show for my loyalty it took the whole of the tram ride back to Birmingham New Street before I accepted that I wasn’t dreaming and had witnessed was real.

The miracle happened and now we could head to the Etihad next with hope of another.

This match is just an hour’s walk from my flat and as I walk there tonight I will hope for a second miracle in just 10 days.