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No doubt many of the off-field shenanigans on Saturday will centre around the touchline antics of current Gills boss Martin Allen but almost 30 years ago it was the Brentford team, and the defence in particular, who drummed up their own comedy routine during an FA Cup Third Round tie, memorable to Bees fans for all the wrong reasons. The Third Round had been reached after relatively uneventful victories against Dagenham (in a replay) and Wimbledon and the trip to Priestfield was an almost predictable, non-glamorous draw against a team sitting comfortably in mid-table in Division Three, whilst Brentford languished close to the bottom of the same league.

Although the Bees had instigated a mini-revival with a three-match unbeaten run going into the game to ease the growing pressure on manager Fred Callaghan, the warning signs were there to be noted as Gillingham had hit 11 goals in two of their three previous home games, with five and six goal tallies.

Initially, all seemed to go to plan however, and after Gary Roberts had driven in a loose ball in the 24th  minute after the home defence had failed to clear a long, lofted free-kick into their area, Brentford began to impress their travelling fans. The large contingent who had trooped to Kent from West London, many taking advantage of the £2.50 coach fare, were gathered behind the open-to-the-elements terrace behind the goal (some things obviously never change!) and they also saw at first-hand the equalising goal, four minutes after the break, with a spectacular overhead kick which beat Paddy Roche all-ends-up.

Even so, Tony Mahoney’s powerful header thumped against the crossbar in the 68th minute and Terry Hurlock smashed home the rebound and when Mahoney’s low cross was turned into an empty net by Keith Cassells six minutes later, Brentford supporters’ thoughts justifiably turned to potential fourth round opponents.

The Middlesex Chronicle’s match report headline of “Bees in Bad Cup Dream” was a perfect description of what happened in the remaining 15 minutes with the nightmare being condensed into a shattering 11 of those minutes.

In the 77th minute Russell Musker hit a 25-yard scorcher into the roof of Roche’s net. 3-2, but we all knew that Brentford would make hard work of it.

81 minutes – Gillingham’s centre-half Mark Weatherley set off on a run, and ran … and ran …and ran … until, almost completely without challenge, he slotted home the equaliser. 3-3. We’d have taken a draw before the game, but a bit of a sickner though after leading 3-1.

86 minutes – a Terry Cochrane corner had Bees fans peeping through hand-covered faces as the ball bobbled and bounced about in the area with defenders seemingly afraid to go near it, before John Leslie hooked the ball into an empty net. 3-4 and the nightmare had well and truly come home to roost. (well, not quite!)

89 minutes – Tony Cascarino received the ball outside the penalty box, brushed aside the weakest and most feeble of tackles from Ian Bolton and coolly lifted the ball over a stranded and bewildered Paddy Roche … 3-5!!

Whilst Gillingham had been driven on by their fiery and vociferous skipper Steve Bruce, Brentford had wilted. Not just crumbled but endured a total collapse as newly-signed Ian Bolton suffered his own personal nightmare.

The post-match comments (or lack of them!) told their own story. Manager Fred Callaghan refused to comment, perhaps realising that the end was nigh – he survived only two more games before losing his job.

Tony Mahoney spoke on behalf of the players and said “Everyone is just gutted. We are all so stunned. There were defensive errors where we did not clear the ball.” But he promised “We will be putting things right.”

In his newly-introduced weekly column for the Middlesex Chronicle, new captain Ian Bolton explained, “Last Saturday’s match at Gillingham highlighted the reason I was bought.”

Bees supporters didn’t have to wait too long to fully understand the meaning of his comment – he only last nine more game before he was unceremoniously shown the door!!

Oh, and to rub salt in the wounds, Gillingham were drawn away to Everton in round four!

Mark Croxford