With the 2022/23 season now behind us the time is nigh to look forward to the new season in August.

As a new season dawns the 92 teams in the league system gets shuffled around a bit. The most eye-catching of these shuffles being Luton Town being promoted to the Premier League.

Burnley’s Turf Moor (21,944) and Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane (32,050) will be joining the 10,358 capacity Kenilworth Road in replacing Southampton’s St. Marys’ (32,384), Leeds United’s Elland Road (37,890) and ex-champions Leicester City’s King Power Stadium (32,261) in the top division.

So whilst away fans in the top tiers find their allocations reduced at the new stadiums they will frequent next season, it’s good news for the fans of Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town and Plymouth Argyle. Not that they didn’t have enough to celebrate with their promotions to the Championship anyway.

Sunderland’s Stadium of Light (49,000) will be a far cry from their Home Park (17,900) for the Devonians, but at least Hillsborough (39,732) and Portman Road (29,673) will be familiar from their visits last season.

Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road (16,616), Reading’s Select Car Leasing Stadium (24,161) and Wigan’s DW (25,138) will not be on the Argyle fans travel list though as they dropped down into League one. Their grounds will instead play host to fans of Leyton Orient, Stevenage, Northampton Town and Carlisle United who have jumped up from the bottom tier of the 92.

As Brisbane Road (9,271), Broadhall Way (7,800), Sixfields (7,798) and Brunton Park (17,949) move up out of League 2, Wrexham’s incredible fans will be visiting Milton Keynes’ Stadium MK (30,500), Morecambe’s Mazuma Stadium (6,476), The Crown Stadium of Accrington Stanley (5,450) and Forest Green’s New Lawn (5,414) instead.

The fans of Notts County will be back in the 92 as well next season, following the oldest league club in the world from the 19,841 County Ground.

Fans of both the Magpies and the Red Dragons will doubtless enjoy themselves on their return to the 92, but for them to return others must of course drop out. The unfortunate ones looking enviously up at the 92 again next season will be Harrogate Town and Rochdale AFC, who return to non-league after 102 years away from those levels.

This is how the 92 shuffle has shaken out this summer and soon, but not soon enough the battle to avoid dropping down in the next 92 summer shuffle will commence once more.

Roll on the 2023/24 season

Just wanted to take a minute to congratulate Manchester City on their victory at Wembley over the weekend and their upcoming treble that they will rubber stamp with victory over Internationale Milano in Istanbul this coming Saturday evening. After all this is Man City and Inter finished a distant 3rd in Serie A this season, so there can only be one winner right?

Wrong, very wrong indeed.

When I hear other make the assumption I have stated above I am reminded of similar declarations I heard back in 2005 in the build up to another final in Istanbul.

On that occasion though it was the red side of Milan that was involved and back then the Italians were the ones destined to prevail over a plucky little team from the English North-West. We all know how that one turned out; it’s not called the Miracle of Istanbul for no reason.

When that happened, 18 years ago, the underdogs had beaten bitter domestic rivals in the semi-finals. This season that has happened again and with the final taking place at the Ataturk once again could we another miracle be in store??

Probably not, but in football as in life… it would be unwise to count the chickens before they hatch.

Sunday 28th May 2023, Premier League, Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford vs Manchester City

To know that my beloved Bees had nothing hanging on the final game of the season, for the second successive season, was a glorious feeling. This time round things could get even better for us though, as we still harboured an outside hope of securing European qualification. First miracle we needed to get there though was to complete the double of treble-chasing Manchester City, who were without Erling Haaland or Kevin DeBruyne today.

Even if that miracle was completed though we would still be relying on other results going our way. All Brentford’s players could focus on was doing their job here at home and see where the pieces fell once all the final whistles had blown.

To those of us who had the privilege of watching on in the baking sunshine, constantly checking the scores from Villa Park and Elland Road, it quickly became crystal clear that the favours we required would not be forthcoming.

Spurs had taken 2 minutes to take the lead up in Leeds and within 10 minutes Villa were ahead as well. With the game at the Gtech still goalless and limping it’s way to remaining so at the break and Spurs (1-0) and Villa (2-1) both winning their respective matches it was clear that our slim chances of European qualification were now entirely done.

Our chances of beating this under-strength City team were increasing with every passing minute of the second half. The illustrious visitors were struggling to create decent openings without their dynamic duo and we are known for finishing strongly. So it would prove to be.

Ethan Pinnock swept the ball home from the outside of his left boot as the ball dropped to him off Mbuemo’s head to win the match in the 85th minute and the home stands exploded with unbridled joy.

With Villa securing their 2-1 win over Brighton this historic victory would not be enough to turn us into a European bus-stop, but nevertheless we were determined to enjoy doubling the champions over.

Even an equaliser from the Seagulls would not have saved our European bacon, as Leeds slumped out of the league with a 4-1 home humiliation at Spurs’ hands.

To be the only team all season to take 6 points off Guardiola’s juggernaut should have had me smiling from ear to ear, but to have come so close to Europe only to see my heroes miss out by 2 points on the final day meant I was left feeling empty as the final whistle blew.

Not as empty as Leeds United fans, who had watched their team succumb willingly to second season syndrome and relegation, nor of Leicester fans watching the team who won the league just 7 seasons ago slipping through the same trap door, despite a 2-1 win over West Ham United on this final day; but empty none-the-less.

Sure, if you’d offered me a 9th place finish for Brentford at the start of the season I’d have snapped your hand off for it. Having come so agonisingly close to going on a European tour, knowing all it would have taken to secure it was turning one of our 14 draws into a win, makes 9th fell like a disappointment.

I’m sure I’ll look back in a few weeks time with pride at the season I have witnessed from Brentford. Being the best team in west London is no small feat after all.

For right now though all I can think of is the 87th minute equaliser we conceded against Villa on April 22nd. So close to capping a sensational season with a spectacular 7th place finish, but yet so far.

Thank you for a brilliant season Brentford, Thank You for a glorious final result.
Thank you for everything Pontus Jansson, you will be sorely missed.

That is not a clickbait title Ladies and Gentlemen.

After beating Coventry City 6-5 on penalties at Wembley yesterday evening Luton Town will be playing Premier League football for the first time next season.

Little Kenilworth Road, with only a 10,356 capacity, missed out on being an inaugural Premier League stadium by a single season but now it’s back at the top table to welcome the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle United into it’s compact habitat.

How many ridiculous giant-killings will The Hatters be able to pull out of this diminutive fortress?

The higher that number is the better their chances of surviving the pull of the trapdoor that heralds an immediate return to the Championship.

However long their stay in the Premier League may prove to be I’ve no doubt their fans will enjoy themselves.

Having been a non-league club as recently as the 2013/14 season and only starting their meteoric rise up the pyramid with promotion out of League Two at the end of 2017/18.

A second successive promotion followed the next season and having now spent just 4 seasons in the Championship they are back at the top level.

With Manchester City having waltzed to yet another title and the spectre of the Super League still lingering on, it’s incredible to have the story of Luton Town here to remind fans all over the world about the magic of football.

A team rising from the ashes of a 30-point reduction pushing them into non-league to play at the top level once more. Days like these are why football fans follow their teams all over the country through the good times and the bad.

Welcome to The Premier League, LUTON TOWN!!!!!

Southampton have been down for a while, it just took till 13th May for it to be confirmed.

The other places in next season’s championship have yet to be filled, with Leeds United, Leicester City and Everton fighting to avoid taking those remaining two spots.

It is the Merseysiders who have their fate in their own hands here and finishing up in-front of their own fans should help their cause. The home support at Goodison Park is what got their survival bid over the line last season and the Toffees will need it in full voice again against Bournemouth.

Having the Cherries, who have lost their last 3 games on the trot, as final day opponents further helps the blue Scouser’s cause. Any dropped points would be disastrous for the Toffees though with Leeds and Leicester waiting to pounce on their last chance of survival.

Should Goodison Park host a draw the West Yorkshire Whites would need to beat the visiting Spurs by 4 clear goals to survive on goal difference. However, even this incredible victory would not be enough if results go against them at the King Power Stadium.

The Foxes were Premier League champions just 6 seasons ago and now they find themselves staring into the abyss at the bottom, despite having scored more goals than any other bottom-half team. Their draw against Newcastle United on Monday will go down in history as the point that kept them up if they are able to defeat West Ham United, potentially distracted by their Europa Conference League final, at the Fortuna Arena, Prague in just 10 days time.

If they fail to win tomorrow or get the victory but fail to stay up, as they will if Everton win, then Monday will go down as the biggest missed opportunity in the club’s recent history.

For Everton their task is simple, beat Bournemouth and they are safe.

If Everton draw then any win will be enough for Leicester to survive on goal difference, but a draw for the foxes would still be fatal.

Leeds United just have to beat Spurs and hope that both Everton and Leicester drop points. A 3-0 win would be enough for Leeds to survive on goal difference if Everton lose 2-0 and Leicester fail to win.

Whatever happens tomorrow, every single one of the three are in the last chance saloon with their Premier League place hanging by a thread. Who will grasp it?

As the 2022/23 Premier League season draws to it’s close Man City are champions once more and their cross-city rivals returned to the top 4 after taking last season off. They have been joined at the European top table next season by Arsenal, who have been absent since 2016/17 under Arsene Wenger, and Newcastle United.

The Magpies have waited far longer than the rest though. A full twenty seasons have passed since they last enjoyed such a lofty honour. On their last got they fell at the second group stage, losing out to Barcelona and Internationale Milano. In the season to come I hope they to take revenge.

The Europa League places have been filled by Liverpool, such a fall from grace after last season’s quadruple chase, and the rather ridiculous Brighton and Hove Albion. Seagulls in Europe is something that no sane individual would have predicted last August, but that’s football for you. Even on their second manager of the season they have been stable enough to push through adversity and reach Europe.

Another team who are on their second boss this season are Aston Villa and with just the last game to navigate it is they who hold the fate of the final European place in their hands.

Beat Brighton in front of their own fans on Sunday and they join their visitors in Europe, it’s that simple, but in the unlikely event that the Villains drop points the door to the Europa Conference League Play-off place will be left ajar, with two teams in line to stroll through it.

At the front of that queue are Tottenham Hotspur but with their final day assignment being a trip to a Leeds United team for whom anything less than 3 points means relegation, I don’t fancy their chances of securing even the draw that would see them overhaul a losing Villa.

Firmly at the back of the queue of two for the final place in Europe are a bus-stop in Hounslow, who beat Spurs in their own turf last weekend. For the Bees to sneak into that final place they have to hope that both Villa and Spurs drop points and with miracle one done secure miracle two, doing the double over the new (and old) champions.

This double miracle is extremely unlikely to fall into place for Brentford, in only their 2nd ever EPL season, but it is nether-the-less possible and if it happens I will be there to see it.

Bring on the impossible on Sunday as Brentford go all in for the final place.

Wednesday 15th March 2023: Premier League: St. Mary’s: Southampton vs Brentford

As I returned to the city of my university days, for the first time in years I was expecting to see my beloved bees swagger to a simple victory, against a Saints team rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and seemingly destined for the drop.

The final scoreline, 2-0 to the Bees, will make it look like a simple victory in the record books, but if Saints has a striker capable of slotting simple chances home they could have won 6 or 7-0 with the chances they created.

Just 20 goals in the 27 games they had played before this match tells you everything you need to know.

Lacking A Striker

The hosts took a little while to get going, with Brentford actually managing a couple of early half chances. Though once they realised their visitors were struggling to string more than a couple of passes together in attack they seemed to grow in confidence and began to threaten on the break.

With these early exchanges out of the way and with both teams having felt out the flow of the game it was the hosts who solidified dominance of the ball.

They were unable to turn their possession into chances that troubled David Raya because no-one wanted to make the runs into the box that would see them get on the end of the crosses being fired in, or allow them to be first to any loose balls.

They even passed up a couple of simple tap-ins. First by not having a willing runner ready to meet a sumptuous deep cross from James Ward-Prowse. Then in the 20th minute Mohamed Elyounoussi failed to punish Raya for dithering on the ball in the box.

The Bees’ keeper was given until the rapture to clear his lines when all it would’ve taken was a tiny touch of pressure to dispossess him and secure the simplest finish imaginable from 3 yards out.

Elyounoussi came close to making up for his mistake within 60 seconds, but his shot from 6 yards out was cleared off the line by Ben Mee with Raya prone on the grass.

The Norwegian would let another chance slip through his fingers on the half-hour mark, having been picked out in space at the back post by a perfect slide-rule ball across the box by Kamaldeen Sulemana. Unable to get a telling touch on the ball this profligacy would soon be punished.

Before I talk about how Brentford punished their hosts though there is just time to mention the chances Saints created in the final 10 minutes of the first half.

Carlos Alcaraz fired narrowly over the bar as Saints poured forward to take advantage of a poor pass by Christian Norgaard and that’s it. The hosts had their visitors pinned back into their penalty area but were unable to turn possession and position into chances and goals.

Both teams had lacked a cutting edge in the final third during the first-half. For the Bees this was down to a lack of concerted periods of possession. For the Saints it was down to a lack of guile and being devoid of the confidence to try once the ball reached that area of the pitch.

Divine intervention would have been needed to see the Saints score. Brentford needed no such help though and despite being firmly on the back foot throughout most of the half, they were the team who ended it ahead on the scoresheet.

How It Should Be Done

The visitors took the lead into the break thanks to who else but Ivan Toney, ghosting in at the far post to toe-poke home a corner from mere inches out. That’s the predatory instinct that the hosts had been missing and Brentford would show it just one more time in the match.

Thankfully though this was all they needed as Saints threw themselves at us all half, without causing our defenders a sleepless second, let alone a sleepless night. The ball did find itself at the feet of one or other of the Saint’s strikers many a time throughout the half, but not once did it look likely that they would finish off a chance.

The second Bees’ goal and the final nail in Southampton’s coffin came via the boot of Yoane Wissa in the final of seven minutes of injury time. Gavin Bazuma’s goal-kick was headed back towards him from half-way, then helped further on by Toney.

Wissa took the ball in his stride 40 yards from goal and, with the saint’s defence scattered to the four corners of the city, he advanced to the edge of the box before slipping the ball under Bazuma’s body. Scoring with the last kick of the match

It was the ultimate sucker punch from the visitors having been spent most of the half defending for their lives, but that’s what happens when you refuse to take your chances. Your opponents will be clinical with theirs and leave your home with the full 3 points.

Sinking Feeling

In the months since this game Southampton’s relegation to the Championship has been confirmed and with a game of the season left they are confirmed to finish bottom of the table.

However, even as the final whistle blew on this match I had that sinking feeling when it came to their chances of avoiding the drop.

It was crystal clear that it would take divine intervention to stop the Saints sinking through the Premier League trapdoor.

Just 20 goals scored from 28 games is a pitiful return and with how few chances they had been able to fashion in this match, despite their dominance of possession, I failed to see how they would increase that number at all.

Going into the final day they have scored a league low of 32 goals from 37 games. This is the reason the Saints are going down.

Saturday 20th May 2023: Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium: Spurs vs Brentford

As the end of the season hooves into view Brentford are in the privileged position of having nothing to worry about.

Fears of succumbing to second season syndrome were banished months ago and our hopes of going on a European tour next season are out of our hands, with both Villa and Spurs to ahead of us in the race.

Today we went to the latter’s home to see if we could close the gap to them down to just a single point. Doing so without Ivan Toney looked difficult but as we had shown in defeating Europa Conference League finalists West Ham United without him last weekend; we are not a one man team.

Flattering To Deceive

Throughout the first half here though it looked as though we may indeed have become a one man team who relied far too much on Ivan to score.

Creating chances wasn’t a problem throughout the half with particular joy coming on the left wing, where Rico Henry and Kevin Shade were able to breeze past their markers whenever the mood took them.

The only thing missing from the Bees first performance in the first half was a touch of quality in the final third.

It was a similar story for the hosts. Their speed on the break, through Heung-Min Son, Dejan Kulusevski and of-course Harry Kane caused the Bees’ defence all kinds of problems all half. This trio created an glut of chances for the hosts to put the game out of sight of their visitors, but thankfully for me they also lacked the guile in the final third to tuck anything away from open play.

Spurs did go down the tunnel at half-time with the lead though thanks to a pearler of a free-kick from just outside the box that sailed off the right boot of Kane that curled beautifully into the top corner of the net.

It was a true Worldie of a freekick that no keeper could ever hope to get near, David Raya threw himself towards the ball but still stood no chance. Kane’s spectacular free-kick aside the first half was devoid of the slightest drop of quality in either attacking third.

The Full Spursy

Spurs had shaded affairs in the first 45 but as anyone who goes up against the Lilywhites knows they’ve never got you beaten until the final whistle. With the deficit sitting at just a single goal and the full second half to work with I was confident Brentford could still get something out of this game.

All we had to do was get an equaliser, then sit back and watch as Spurs fell apart in front of our faces. So it proved to be.

Thomas Frank switching out Frank Onyeka for Mikkel Damsgaard during the break, in a reversion to the 11 that saw off the Hammers last weekend, may have helped what happened next but there is also another explanation.

In the Spur’s dressing room at half time they sat around wondering what was going on, were they really winning a match? ‘That’s not like us at all’ they thought so for the second half they all agreed to revert to type… ‘Full Spursy lads?’ ‘Yeah, The Full Spursy’.

Whether that conversation only occurred in my head or not the hosts certainly went full spursy in the second half, barely laying a glove on their opponents as they proceeded to fall apart and let a certain victory slip through their fingers.

New Bees

After struggling in the final third in the first half the visitors were a completely new team in the second. Having been in the ascendency since the restart and with the hosts wilting in the baking sunshine it took just 5 minutes for parity to be restored.

Bryan Mbuemo was the man who opened the Bees’ scoring account last weekend and he was leading the way here too. Damsgaard collected the ball in acres of room in the Spur’s half then fired forward a defence-splitting pass to Yoane Wissa. He flicked it right to Mbuemo who took it in stride, shifted it onto his left foot and let fly. The ball flew straight and true like an arrow shot from a longbow across the keeper and into the bottom-left corner.

Now we were back on terms everyone seemed to sense what was coming next and sure enough Brentford took the lead just after the hour mark.

Once more it was Mbuemo on hand to finish off a flowing team move. From back-four to back of the net took just 8 seconds. Worked down the right Hickey’s ball down the channel was met by Mbuemo as he steamed in on goal.

This time his first touch set the ball up perfectly for him to stroke home from an acute angle across Fraser Forster once more. As ways to clock up your first ever Premier League brace goes, Mbuemo could’ve done a lot worse.

Bee’s new main man had a golden opportunity to finish off a beautiful hat-trick in the 88th minute. Instead he chose to be incredibly un-selfish and slipped it off to Wissa, who had been granted the freedom of North London, to his right for him to stroke home with his final touch of the match.

Wissa was replaced whilst the away fans were still lost in pure ecstasy and it wasn’t till deep in the 9 added minutes that I realised he was gone, with Josh DaSilva on in his place.

By the time Wissa put the icing on the Brentford cake the home stands were half-empty. Apparently the home fans had no interest in sticking around for the post-match, end of season awards.

Final Day Permutations

Despite how disappointing both the season and today’s result has been for the home fans they are still just a point outside of the European qualification spots. The loss here has taken their fate out of their own hands. Although, given how bad they are at holding onto what they have perhaps their hopes are better resting in other’s hands.

To qualify for Europe next season Spurs must better Aston Villa’s fail to beat Brighton at home.

If both Spurs and Villa fail to win on the final day then today’s win keeps Brentford in with an outside chance of taking that final qualification spot. All they would have to do is beat Manchester City and their superior goal difference will take the bus stop in Hounslow on a European tour.

Unlikely I know, but Bee’s fans can dream. After their incredible comeback today and capping a comeback at the Etihad with a 98th minute winner in the last game before the World Cup, anything is possible….

Tonight Sheffield Wednesday booked their place in the League One playoff final at Wembley Stadium on Monday 29th May 2023.

If you had written a script for how they managed it and submitted it to a movie studio they would have thrown it out without a second though, cause ‘no-one would ever believe it’ but now it’s happened.

Six days ago the Owls lost 4-0 at Peterborough United’s Weston Homes Stadium and to any sane observer it looked like the Posh were now on a straightforward waltz to Wembley, but it appears no-one told the Yorkshireans.

Fired up by such a humiliating score last week the Owls were fired up for revenge and pulled one back from the penalty spot with just 9 minutes of the game gone. Their deficit on aggregate was halved with just 25 minutes gone and this was how it stood at half-time.

After the break the game looked to have settled down and then with 19 minutes of normal time left Wednesday narrowed the gap to just one goal. Wiping that final bit of the deficit out took the Steel City men until the 11th hour.

In the 8th minute of 6 minutes of injury time at the end of the 90 Liam Palmer poked the ball home from within a forest of legs to level the tie and send things into 30 minutes of extra-time.

Everything was going well for Wednesday in the most incredible comeback since Istanbul 2005 and then came the sucker punch, Peterborough scored.

Right on the stroke of half-time in extra time Peterborough went back ahead on aggregate and in the worst way possible for the hosts, an own goal. Lee Gregory was trying to head a Posh free-kick but instead can only nod into his own net.

Wednesday were not down for the count yet and with just 8 minutes of extra time left, punching on the rebound from a blocked shot to toe-poke home to send the most incredible night in South Yorkshire to the nail-biting lottery of a penalty shoot-out.

The decisive penalty was missed by Dan Butler for the visitors, the only miss of the whole shoot-out. So with the Owls final kick of the match it fell to Jack Hunt to write himself into Wednesday history with the winning penalty to cap the greatest comeback in domestic English football history.

From 4-0 down after the first leg, to 4-4 at the end of normal time at the end of the second leg, then to go behind to an own goal in extra time only to equalise again and win on penalties. The biggest deficit previously overturned in a playoff tie was a mere 2 goals, but tonight in the miracle of Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday blew four goal deficit out of the water.

You just couldn’t write it…

Tomorrow Sheffield Wednesday will find whether they will be facing Bolton Wanderers or Barnsley, 1-1 on aggregate after their first leg, at Wembley on the final May Bank Holiday of the year.

Come On The OWLS!!!!

Saturday 14th May 2023: Premier League: Gtech Community Stadium: Brentford vs West Ham United

Having beaten AZ Alkmaar 2-1 in the 1st leg of the Europa Conference semi-final less than 72 hours ago Hammer’s fans made the short trip to west London rivals Brentford in extremely high spirits.

They left with their spirits significantly lowered having seen their boys comprehensively beaten by a Brentford team responding in the greatest fashion imaginable to their 1-0 defeat at Anfield on Coronation Day.

As soon as Mathias Jensen started the afternoon’s proceedings it was clear that there was only one team winning today and it wasn’t the Irons. The Bees took just 48 seconds to create their first presentable chance of the afternoon’s torrent; Rico Henry releasing Kevin Shade down the left channel, but he overran the ball and it trickled into Lucasz Fabianski’s grateful grasp.

Brentford should have broken the deadlock twice more within the opening 10 minutes; with first Mikkel Damsgaard flicking a free header wide of the right stick from the centre of the 6 yard box and then Henry choosing to slide the ball laterally across to the penalty spot when he had Shade, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo all running clear in the area and screaming for a cross to be flashed across the face. If the cross had been forthcoming it would have provided a simple tap-in for whichever attacker made first contact.

No matter though as Mbuemo would take it upon himself to unleash a right-footed rifle shot across the despairing dive of Fabianski to set the Bee’s on their way to a comfortable victory as the match clock struck 20.

Having taken the lead the Host’s settled in to weather the expected storm of the hammers, but it never came and the game ticked past the half hour mark with a 10 minute passage of play where neither team threatened to add to the scoreline. West Ham were looking especially toothless without their main marksman Michail Antonio, out with a calf issue picked up in the midweek win.

Anyone who took this cessation of hostilities as a sign that all the sting had gone out of the hosts without Ivan Toney in their matchday squad, were soon to be proven sadly and seriously mistaken.

Release The Swarm

I have been attending Brentford matches since the 2014-15 season and cannot recall a more ferocious show of attacking prowess from the Bees as was seen in the final 10 minutes of the first half today. How it yielded just the one paltry goal is anyone’s guess.

Wissa was the first to go agonisingly close to doubling the west Londoner’s lead as his powerful first time shot from the penalty spot in the 34th minute, having been teed up by Aaron Hickey, required Fabianski to spray himself low to get a strong right hand to the ball and pouch it to prevent a certain goal.

Shade was next to try his luck in the 37th minute as he spun on a dime to send the ball careening inches wide of the left post, having shimmied his way clear of his marker to create the yard of space for the shot. He tried to make up for this miss in the 4 minutes added on to the end of the half, but this time his crabbing technique was less successful and eventually he had to lay it off for Hickey to flash just past the right upright.

I have no idea who had any of the shots that went flying towards goal in the melee a long throw from Jensen caused in the 40th minute. The original header flicked towards the far corner of the net came was Shade’s but once Fabianski had blocked this down into the forest of legs chaos ensued. There were at least 3 shots fired in from point blank range but each was blocked on the line by the desperate defence.

After witnessing us fail to score then I started to become convinced that the Hammer’s had constructed a forcefield around their goal. If such a thing had existed, it lasted all of 2 minutes before another Jensen long throw evaporated it. When Ben Mee flicked the ball on at the near post Wissa was the only man alive to the danger in the 6 yard box and he poked it home to double the hosts lead. Cue bedlam in the home stands.

Profligacy Un-Punished

Brentford were extremely unlucky to have opened up just a 2-goal advantage over their visitors from the East of the city at half-time and the only worry I had at the break was whether the Hammers would re-group during the interval and punish their host’s profligacy with a hatful of second half goals. I needn’t have worried.

Even the introduction of Declan Rice and ex-bee Said Benrahma, to rapturous applause from all corners of the ground, on the hour mark did little to aid the visitor’s cause. Despite a mini revival over the next 5 minutes that save David Raya make his first save of the match, the visitors never truly looked likely to force their way back into the match.

The Hammer’s did have the ball in the net in the 67th minute only for a VAR check to rule it out for a handball by Divin Mubama, an 18 year-old striker introduced to the fray by Moyes alongside Rice and Benrahma.

The disallowed goal was the high point of a dismal afternoon for a Hammer’s team being brought crashing down to earth by their high flying neighbours.

Neighbours who failed to add to their goal tally despite a heaping helping of presentable chances falling their way throughout the second half. Mee and Mbuemo both missed the target with free headers from within the box.

Damsgaard and Frank Onyeka were amongst the slew of home players to fail to convert decent opportunites, with the former somehow contriving to hoof the ball over the bar from a couple of yards out just after the hour mark.

The Irons were unable to pounce on these missed chances to steal the point they needed from the match to mathematically secure their safety; whilst 3 points for the hosts ensures that they will finish the season in the top 10. Second season syndrome be damned.

In his post match interviews Brentford head coach Thomas Frank described the result as “The most convincing 2-0 win I have seen in a long, long time”. Having been in the stands today I can confirm he is right. It could easily have been 6 or 7-0.