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Brentford face one of the sternest tests of their season so far when in-form Hull City come to town on Tuesday evening.

Steve Bruce’s side, relegated from the Premier League last season, start the match unbeaten in 10 Championship and Capital One Cup matches – the club’s longest such run for 10 years.

Last week’s penalty shoot-out win over Leicester in the League Cup means the Tigers have reached the quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s history.

Their reward for that result is a trip to Manchester City at the start of December.

In the league, Hull’s exploits have taken them up to second in the table – only two points behind early pace-setters Brighton.

It’s all a far cry from last season when a run of one point in their final four matches led to them losing their Premier League status by three points, having been four points clear of the drop zone with those four games remaining.

This is The Tigers’ 11th consecutive season in the top two divisions – with four of those years spent in the top flight.

By contrast, it’s not so long ago that they were in League Two – winning promotion in 2004 to end an eight-year spell in which they finished in the bottom four in two consecutive seasons.

Tonight’s match also sees the return of Moses Odubajo, who joined Hull at the start of this campaign after being a regular in our side last year.

Moses, who joined us from Leyton Orient last summer, hardly missed a game last season and moved to right-back from right midfield following the injury to Alan McCormack at the end of October.

WE’VE MET BEFORE

Matches between Brentford and Hull have not happened that often – especially in recent years.

We have not met in the League for 10 seasons and the last competitive fixture between the sides came in the second round of the Carling Cup in 2010.

The match saw the League One Bees cause an upset as, after Mark Cullen had given City the lead inside five minutes, Robbie Simpson equalised with a long-range free-kick in the 20th minute before Marcus Bean won it from Charlie MacDonald’s cross two minutes from time.

Brentford: Lee, O’Connor, Woodman, Osborne, Legge, Bean, Weston, Diagouraga, Simpson, MacDonald, Alexander. Unused subs: Moore, Balkestein, Spillane, Saunders, Hunt, Forster, Cort.

Hull City: Duke, McShane (Gardner 22), Cooper, Kilbane, Cairney, Devitt, Koren, Solano, Garcia, Cullen, Simpson (Barmby 70). Unused subs: Oxley, Dawson, Gardner, Bostock, Halmosi, Atkinson.

Our last league meetings came in the 2004/05 season in League One. Promoted Hull came to Griffin Park on the final day of the campaign and lost 2-1 to a much-changed Bees side, saving itself for the forthcoming play-offs.

Leon Cort gave Hull a first minute lead but youngster Jerome Sobers, in his only Brentford appearance, levelled in the 43rd minute with what proved to be his solitary Brentford goal.

Jay Tabb wrapped up the result, and the points, four minutes from time.

Brentford: Bankole, Osborne, Sobers, Scott B Fitzgerald, Myers, Lawrence, Hargreaves, Tabb (Ide 90), Charles, Harrold (Watts 78), Peters (Moleski 56).
Unused: Steele, Masters.

Hull: Myhill, Wiseman, Cort, Delaney, Dawson, Ellison (Burgess 72), Ashbee (Joseph 45), Fry (Lewis 32), Elliott, Barmby, Fagan. Unused subs: Duke, Edge.

Earlier in the season we lost 2-0 on our first visit to the KC Stadium.

Probably the most famous encounter between the two sides came in the FA Cup fifth round at Boothferry Park in January 1971.

Bobby Ross gave the Fourth Division Bees a first half lead but Hull equalised through Chris Chilton after the break before Ken Houghton hit a controversial winner.

The winning goal was analysed by Brian Moore on ITV’s The Big Match – although the Tigers fan who put this clip on YouTube was clearly not a fan of the famous commentator and presenter.

IN CHARGE

Steve Bruce is in his fourth season as Hull manager after joining the club in the summer of 2012.

The former Manchester United defender, who replaced Nick Barmby in the KC Stadium hotseat, led the side into the Premier League in his first season in charge and kept them up and guided them to the FA Cup final 12 months later.

Although they lost to Arsenal in the Wembley showpiece, reaching that stage qualified the club for their first European campaign in the Europa League.

Steve was unable to keep the club in the top flight for a third successive season – but signed an extension to his three-year contract, which was due to run out in the summer – in March.

He has previously managed Sheffield United, Huddersfield, Wigan (two spells), Crystal Palace, Birmingham, a side he twice took into the Premier League, and Sunderland.

In his playing days, he made more than 400 appearances for Manchester United – winning three Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a Cup Winners’ Cup among other trophies – while he also had long spells with Gillingham and Norwich and finished his career at Birmingham and Sheffield United.

OPPOSITION VIEW

Hull manager Steve Bruce told the Hull Daily Mail he is expecting a tough test at Griffin Park on Tuesday night.

“Whenever you go to Brentford it’s always difficult,” he said. “It’s going to be tight, they’ll be in your face and they’re another good side who got to the play-offs last year, so it’ll be a tough game.”

Meanwhile, former Brentford defender Moses Odubajo, speaking in the same paper before the Tigers’ trip to MK Dons on Saturday, praised the positive in the Hull camp from their long unbeaten run.

“We’re taking the confidence from our previous games and it just goes to show what a couple of wins can do,” he said.

Odubajo has Ahmed Elmohamady playing in front of him on the right wing and he added: “Now we’ve got an understanding of what we need to do and it’s showing on the pitch.

“After a couple of assists he is more confident, I’m more confident giving him the ball and he’s more confident giving it back to me. Our partnership can only get stronger if we keep improving.

“I’ve been very satisfied with how I’ve been playing but I feel as though there’s still a lot more to come from me and the lads.”

SQUAD NEWS

Alex Bruce, son of manager Steve, faces a fitness test on a hamstring problem before the game but Sone Aluko, Robert Snodgrass and Adama Diomande are all sidelined by injury.

Steve Bruce is considering shuffling his pack and told Hull’s official website: “It’s been pretty trying over the last 10 days or so and now we have another game coming up on Tuesday night.

“Freshening it up may be in my mind with it being another trip away from home – but we’ve won three on the bounce in the league now so let’s hope that continues.”

Hull have two Championship ever-presents in the side in Scotland international goalkeeper Allan McGregor and former Tottenham centre-half Michael Dawson.

Former Brentford loan striker Chuba Akpom, who made four substitute appearances for us midway through the 2013/14 season, midfielder Sam Clucas, a summer signing from Chesterfield, and Egypt international midfielder Ahmed Elmohamady have each been involved in all 14 league games, while Moses Odubajo has only missed one and captain Curtis Davies, ex-West Brom, Aston Villa and Birmingham, and fellow defender Andrew Robertson have each been absent for two.

Record signing and Uruguay international striker Abel Hernandez is City’s leading scorer with seven goals from 11 full and one substitute Championship appearance.

IAN WESTBROOK

@ianwestbrook

Drinking in Brentford

For Hull fans coming along, you are probably aware there plenty of pub options pre-match and all are most welcoming. Colours are fine and there is no ‘bouncer culture’ on the doors of our boozers – not yet anyway. All fans are welcome and most fans usually cite Brentford as their favourite away-day which we’re quite proud of.

As is etched in common folklore , there were four pubs around the ground until a few weeks ago – unfortunately one closed down to leave only three now. The Griffin is closest to the away end (like 30 secs walk) and is very popular with away fans – but also very very busy. The New Inn is on the other side is also popular with away fans. The Princess Royal is the other option (The Royal Oak was the one that closed down).

Other pubs slightly further afield for the more creative amongst you include (and this is by no means a definitive list) the  … The Globe (Windmill Rd) is the Beesotted fanzine main pub – a very friendly pub indeed. The other boozer is The Lord Nelson (Enfield Rd)  – both incredibly friendly and cozy away-friendly pubs and 30 seconds walk from each other .. frequented by ‘away fans in the know’. Boro fans and Bees fans had one hell of a party before and after the match in both these boozers (despite us losing)- and The Plough (Northfields Ave – one minute walk from the tube) in Northfields is a decent stop-off if you are coming by tube to Northfields before making your way down to the ground (normally stopping off at The Globe and Lord Nelson en route on the Northfields pub crawl).

Easily the best way to Brentford is to get the Piccadilly line from King’s Cross to either Northfields or South Ealing (35 mins). Northfields is preferred by fans in the know as it has a decent pub crawl run on the way to the ground (Plough, Lord Nelson, Globe). South Ealing has one posh pub en route that doesn’t really like football fans so we won’t even give it a mention here. It’s 20 mins walk from either South Ealing OR Northfields to the ground or you can get the E2 bus from Northfields or 65 bus from South Ealing for the short 5 minute journey.

Some fans prefer to take the Victoria Line to Vauxhall then get the overground to Brentford mainline station. Depending on your connection time, this could be a slightly longer route as you could be waiting for up to 15 mins for a train and the train takes 26 mins to Brentford. Including your connection from King’s Cross this journey could take you the best part of an hour as opposed to under 40 minutes (plus the journey to the ground).

If you do take this route, there is also a pub right by Brentford station always referred to as … er …  the Pub by Brentford station.

For ale head to the Magpie and Crown pub on Brentford High Street. The Royal Horseguardsman can probably hold 15 of you at a push. The Brewery Tap is a cosy boozer by the river. And if you are super adventurous, get off at Kew Bridge and visit the brand new boozer One Over the Ait right on the river – beside the bridge. Great views over The Thames. It’s around 15 mins walk to the ground from here.

There are loads more too. A quick Google search and you’ll find them all. There are many many more too if you have a look around.

Parking is pretty easy away from the ground going up towards and over the A4 Great West Rd (ie. North) via Ealing Rd or Windmill Rd.