The Bees promotion wagon was dented by a smash and grab Cardiff win at Griffin Park, in what proved to be a frustrating afternoon at Griffin Park.
The match will be remembered for three goalkeeping blunders and two City red cards rather to than for many positive attributes… Ultimately it was contrasting game of two halves for the Bees against a very average opposition who should have been swept aside.
Brentford were the brighter side most of the afternoon and threatened throughout. But once again in front of goal we were lacking a real cutting edge… a factor that will ultimately decide how our season ends. If the play-offs are to become a reality this campaign, we undoubtedly need more bite in front of goal.
Simon Moore gifted us the lead on 28 minutes when he dropped a cross at the feet of Gray after colliding with Harlee Dean. But the home side could not build on the advantage, despite playing the superior football throughout.
And instead of adding a second to kill off the match, Warburton’s men somehow contrived to find themselves chasing the game in search of a single point due to a couple of costly errors by David Button. The first goal may have been unlucky after the stopper dropped the ball after colliding with Harlee Dean. But the winner came with Button caught in no man’s land after Tarkowski allowed Alex Revell, who admittedly wasn’t having the best of times since arriving at Cardiff in the January window, coming out of his goal towards a ball he could never reach in time.
Ravel produced a lovely finish to lob into the unguarded net.
A nasty lunge by Kadeem Harris on Alan Judge saw the visitors reduced to ten men, which became nine near the end when Macheda was dismissed for a second offence in the 89th minute. And despite an almighty onslaught on the Cardiff goal described by some as ‘The Alamo’, and six minutes of injury time in which the referee missed a stone wall handball in the area by sub Jenwyne Jones (save of the match in fact – it was an incredible stop), the match ended in defeat for the Bees.
The players have the ideal opportunity to put this reverse behind them in the week ahead, but we need to see a reaction to this display on Tuesday night at Blackburn, then a comprehensive win over Millwall next weekend, if we are to get back on track.
Dave Lane
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Moore showed no class with the time wasting and then looked hurt because at the end, he rightly got dogs abuse, as he thought we were all going to wish him well after his first return. Brentford made him and he showed no class at all.Take your 10 grand a week and fuck off back to wales. You will never be welcome at Brentford again.