Connect 4

Brentford FC 1 - 2 Rochdale AFC

Journey:

Today's league game will be the fourth in a fortnight, but next week will be all about the Johnstone's Paint Tin and the Football Association Challenge Trophy - so - as my tour of Britain doesn't include cup football - I will be on half term after today.

In the dark recesses of my memory I seem to recall that on the last day of term you were allowed to bring in a toy or game. In the world before portable video games this meant just one thing - Connect 4. Quite why everyone in my school brought Connect 4 is a bit of a mystery - but they all did. The sound of red or yellow counters clinking into place could at times be positively deafening.

As I would be driving today, Connect 4 would not be a credible option - but to keep in the spirit of things I decided to bring something noisy and vaguely entertaining along anyway.

09:00, Milnrow. Cue Mr. Turner.

After a brief interlude to consume the coffee and bacon muffins Mr. Turner produced from about his person (a welcome improvement on melted Twix's) we set out for the M62 over silver streets, under cyan skies.

Scarcely an hour into our journey our plans seemed in tatters.

Traffic? No.

Text's!

Text's from Mr. McCabe and The Playboy suggested that there would be a pitch inspection at Griffin Park at 11:00 owing to overnight frost. Disaster!

What to do? Turn back? Press on?

A phone call from Mr. Turner to Mrs. Eden-Maughan revealed the awful truth. Mr. McCabe and the Playboy had been engaged in an elaborate ruse - a jape - a wheeze, or if you will - a wind up. As you can imagine, Mr. Turner and I laughed all the rest of the way to London - as we planned a terrible, terrible revenge...

So, M62, M6, M42, M40, M25 and finally M4. The last mile or so of the journey afforded us an excellent preview of Griffin Park (it is afterall right next to the motorway) as we sat in almost stationary traffic. On the subject of brilliant jokes - the M4 bus lane - I laughed until I almost cried as not one bus went by in over twenty minutes.

After a slight false start at the Bricklayer's Arms (closed for rennovations) we trudged into the New Inn.

Weather:

As discussed, we had left Rochdale under clear skies and bright sunshine - a little parky - but seasonal. As we blasted southwards the clouds closed in and south of Birmingham it began to rain. By the time we arrived in London it was blowing a gale, bucketing down and cold - oh so very cold.

Food:

A new one on me - The Griffin Park meal deal. Cheeseburger, Coke and a giant Kit-Kat - £5.30. Regretably I had another ketchup/mustard incident - hopefully I can get my coat washed during half term - that or shove it behind the wardrobe and hope that Mrs. Eden-Maughan never finds it...

Ground:

Four modern, covered stands - seated sides, one end standing and the away end - which is a two tier affair with standing downstairs and seating upstairs. All in all pretty good.

The highlight though has to be the Brentford Urinal Museum. It is a working museum and is located at the back of the away end. Porcelain urinals, plastic urinals, stainless steel urinals - it genuinely has it all - and you get all this included in the ticket price. Amazing value.

Action:

It seems like ages ago since I was bemoaning missed chances. Three convincing wins and eleven goals can do that for you.

However, today would be a much sterner test. Chester and Notts County weren't great - Aldershot were somewhat better - but none of them were what you could honestly describe as title challengers - Brentford are just that. The Bee's had started the season well and had been in or around the promotion/play-off berths pretty much from the get-go.

It seemed unlikely - but could Dale add to their unbeaten run today? Could Dale Connect 4?

Early indications seemed to suggest - no. it quickly became clear why Brentford have been riding high. A nice passing game complemented by pace on the wings meant that the Bee's had the better of the opening exchanges and produced a handful of decent chances through Poole and MacDonald.

Troubling.

Dagnall did trouble Hamer in the Brentford goal with a close-ish range effort in the opening minutes but to no significant effect.

...and then the weather really set in. Both sides footballing aspirations were stiffled in the face of torrential rain and vicious north westerly wind. 0-0 it remained with no prospect of relief for either side.

Something radical was required.

On 30 minutes Dale won a corner. On 31 minutes they did something they hadn't done since Wembley - scored from a corner. A decent Kennedy delivery found McArdle lurking at the back post from where he delivered a powerful headed finish. 1-0 Dale.

Just nine minutes later the lead doubled when the Shaker Maker sliced his way into the box to deliver a typically outrageous angled finish - 2-0 Dale.

As the players charged for the warmth and dryness of the dressing rooms, Mr. Turner and I could reflect on an encouraging 45 minutes. Goals from corners, leading in the capital - crazy...

A text from Mr. Keane revealed that our other featured team of this season - Littleborough Yellows - had played out an eight goal thriller with local rivals Pennine Juniors which had finished 4-4. More news of the Mighty Yellows as I have it.

So to the second half. Recently Dale have a slight issue with conceding straight after the break. Thankfully that didn't happen today. A whole five minutes passed by. Then they conceded. A freekick on around 50 minutes which was not fully cleared gave Poole the opportunity to deliver a decent cross which Bowditch headed home - 2-1.

Credit is due to Brentford. They made changes straight after the break and with a more direct approach pushed Rochdale back to the edge of their area almost from the whistle. The freekick followed on from a sequence of three corners.

Having got the goal, Brentford continued to push Dale. However, the sapping effects of the conditions and some resolute defending from Wiseman, Stanton, McArdle and Kennedy ensured that Brentford would not get back into the game.

2-1 it remained.

Summary:

CONNECT 4! A great result - probably the best of the four wins because it was against a genuinely good side. Rochdale are now into the playoff zone - what a difference a fortnight makes.

Buckley sparkled, Jones and Toner once again delivered - but the stars of the show were the defense. In spite of an early slip-up in the second half they gathered themsleves and turned in an excellent performance.

I can't wait for Mac.

I'm not exactly certain what I am going to do at half term. I am told that a docu-drama has been made about some of Playboy Dan's recent escapades - I understand that they have got that nice Daniel Craig from Layer Cake to play him - I might go and watch it.

Turner Watch:

Bacon butties and coffee - I'm not sure I really need to add much more.

So I wont.

1/11/08