Brentford 2-2 Chelsea: Torres Saves FSWs Blushes
By Since66
January 28 2013
Sorry for the lack of preview yesterday, but it wasn’t our fault. We were already to go, but there were problems with the network and because of the lunchtime kick-off we were not going to hang around to see the network return. We have no idea what time that was and as you can see it is all better now.
So! What does a manager do when his team, FA Cup holders, Champions of Europe are struggling against a League One team who are full of energy, commitment, desire and leading 2-1 in a frenetic local derby FA Cup-tie with not many minutes to play?
Bring on someone who could change the game and bring a spark to a team who struggled to score one goal, let alone scoring two.
Correct!
Oh no!!
Not negative Rafa!!!
He decided to create a like for like substitution bringing on Azpilicueta for Ivanovic. Now that is a match winning changer!
The already fed-up Blues fans bemused and baffled by the decision started to sing ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ as Dave trudged onto the pitch.
The penny must have dropped inside the head of The Portly One as he then introduced Demba Ba and with almost his first touch of the ball he slid a gentle pass whilst on the ground to under-seige Torres, who delightfully swept the ball home from the edge of area to equalise with eight minutes to go.
For a Premiership team and Champions of Europe (a label now becoming a mill-stone round the clubs neck), Brentford ran Chelsea ragged and made the Blue millionaires look like right mugs.
The Bees deservedly took the lead when Turnbull could only parry a fierce Forrester drive straight into the path of Rodney Trotta who smashed the ball into the net, sending the home fans into delirium.
Chelsea came out better in the second-half and Oscar with a little bit of Brazilian magic shot home high into the net.
This should have been Chelsea’s chance to step up on their good fortune, but Brentford did not crash and burn, instead they took the lead again seventeen minutes from time when Forrester smashed home a penalty after Ramires had lost possession (not for the first time) and Turnbull sent The Bees Adeyemi flying inside the box.
There is no doubt Brentford deserved more than a draw and it would have been very harsh on the Bees had the ref pointed to spot deep into injury-time after the ball struck Dean’s arm in the penalty area from a Mata cross.
Instead, The Bees can look forward to a lucrative pay-day on Sunday 17th February when the replay is due to take place then the winners will travel to the Riverside to play Middlesbrough, in the 5th Round, probably on a cold, wet Wednesday night.
I wonder what negativity Rafa will dream up next as The Blues travel to take on Reading on Wednesday night, k.o. 8pm
Brentford: Moore, Hodson, Dean, Craig, Logan, Donaldson, Forshaw (Saunders 84), Diagouraga, Douglas (c), Forrester (Barron 79), Trotta (Adeyemi 70)
Goals: Trotta 42, Forrester 72 (pen)
Chelsea: Turnbull, Ivanovic (Azpilicueta 79), Cahill, Terry (c), Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Marin (Mata h/t), Oscar, Bertrand (Ba 81), Torres
Goals: Oscar 55, Torres 82
Booked: Cahill 44, Turnbull 71
COME ON CHELSEA
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