Bees Run Aground on South Coast

Bournemouth 3 - Brentford 1

Brentford lost 3-1 on Bank Holiday Monday at Bournemouth in a game which came alight in the second hald

The Bees, who seemed off colour after their recent enforced break, started the game slowly and the hosts took the lead in the 11th minute when Liam Feeney headed home. Bournemouth had other chances too, Lee saving from Bradbury and Pugh.

After half an hour Myles Weston entered the fray, replacing Diagouraga, and Brentford seemed to find a slightly better rhythm and shape. Gary Alexander, who has been in good goalscoring form of late, missed a sitter before half time after good work from Forster.

After the break Charlie Macdonald started to cause numerous problems with keeper Jalal denying him with a fantastic save. Brenford then had a penalty appeal for handball denied before finally forcing an equaliser when Lee Bradbury made a hash of a Forster cross and put it into his own net with Weston lurking with intent.

Bournemouth hit back immediately, Bradbury hitting the bar before some sustained pressure saw Marvin Bartley put the hosts back into the lead from close-range. Minutes later Brentford had a chance to equalise from the penalty spot after a very peculiar hand-ball but Macdonald was again denied by Jalal (surely the time to take Mac off penalties now?)

Jalal then completed a hat-trick of excellent stops by keeping out a blistering Craig Woodman free kick. However as Brenford pressed for a share of the points substitute Spillane lost the ball in his own half and Feeney set up dreadful old carthorse Steve Fletcher to secure the points.

This was Brentford's first defeat since mid-November but, despite some decent chances, Bournemouth deserved the win. Where Brentford's control looked cumbersome at times, the home side moved the ball around freely and adeptly. We were closely marked (to the point of fouling) all over the pitch but a fairly lenient referee helped the tactic to work very effectively.

It wasn't an appalling performance but our 'hit and rush' style seems to rely on pinging the ball into the box and hoping for a mistake or penalty. If we are to be serious contenders for the play-offs then there are still some glaring shortcomings with this team, despite some fantastic recent results.

Scotty has suggested that he has a list of new players that he wants to bring in (Marc Laird of Millwall, a central midfielder, rumoured to be joining on loan), let's hope that they offer some variety rather than the like for like replacements that we currently have in the ranks.

Let's hope they also show the responsibility to want possession of the ball that was so sorely lacking today.

Bees - Lee, Wright, Legge, Osborne, Woodman, Bean (Spillane), Diagouraga (Weston), Kev, Forster (Simmo), Mac, Alexander

Unused Bees - Hamer, McCracken, Balkestein, Blake

With thanks to beesotted for their match report

January 4, 2011