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Goals in Brentford matches, especially away from home, are hard to come by at present and thoughts of seeing two, never mind three or even four, seem a million miles away – but what about going to a Bees away match and seeing ten goals! The date of September 3rd  is universally known as the day war broke out, but Saturday 3rd September 1977 goes down in West London as the day Brentford won 6-4 at Crewe and Middlesex won the Gillette Cup Final.

Crewe Alexandra 4, Brentford 6

The band of Bees supporters who travelled out of Euston on the 12:00pm service (arriving at Crewe at 14:07) for a fare of £4.00 would scarcely have expected to see the goal glut that was awaiting them on a sultry late summer afternoon. After all, the previous occasion that there had been a six goal tally to enjoy away from home had been 18 years earlier when ace marksman Jim Towers hit four goals in a 6-0 demolition of Southampton at The Dell in 1959.

What a shame that there were only 1,837 spectators at Gresty Road to watch the proceedings.

Ironically, the game was at its most entertaining during the opening 24 minutes when no goals were scored. After that, the quality of the football deteriorated but the goals poured in.

Brentford always looked the better team but a combination of defensive mistakes and the enthusiasm of the lively Crewe forwards kept the result in doubt until the final few minutes.

24 minutes – the first defensive howler saw Nigel Smith’s intended back-header drop invitingly for Purdie to shoot low into the corner of the net

28 minutes – Andy McCulloch received the ball and sent over a curling cross which defender Collier headed firmly into his own net

33 minutes – Steve Phillips drifted out wide on the left and put in a superb cross which was met by a combination of the face/head of the on-rushing Dave Carlton

34 minutes – straight from the kick-off Crewe’s Collier raced away down the right and hit a long looping centre which hit the far post and bounced into the net

39 minutes – Gordon Sweetzer got his head to a cross and the ball sailed over the keeper’s head and under the crossbar

44 minutes – from a corner, home striker Coyne headed firmly past Len Bond to make the half-time score 3-3

With an uncanny similarity to the first period, the second half remained scoreless for the opening 25 minutes before the floodgates opened again.

70 minutes – McGinley crossed the ball, the Brentford defence vanished and Coyne was left with time and space to shoot past Len Bond

71 minutes – from a Steve Phillips pass, Dave Carlton struck a magnificent shot for his second of the afternoon and the equaliser

75 minutes – provider Steve Phillips sent in another precise centre and Gordon Sweetzer’s glancing header secured the lead

The late drama intensified with a flurry of three bookings in three minutes – Barry Lloyd for Brentford and Coyne and Roberts for Crewe before a startling game was finally settled with just two minutes remaining

88 minutes – Andy McCulloch’s flicked header fell nicely for Gordon Sweetzer to slot the ball past the keeper

Final score: 6-4

Gordon Sweetzer’s hat-trick earned him and his colleagues a case of whiskey from Justerini and Brooks whilst manager Bill Dodgin’s wonderful post-match observation was almost as entertaining as the game itself,

…”It was like watching the Keystone Cops – I used to enjoy that as well!”