Newman, Paul Brooker and Stuart Nelson are out injured.
I took my place in the directors box, well it was a friendly and no-one said
that we could not, just behind chairman Eddie Rogers and Martin Allen's son,
George, who recommended Mesinho to Martin.
The Brentford team was: Bankole, Dobson, Frampton, Sodje, Turner, O'Connor,
Tabb, Hutchinson, Skulason, Owusu and Rankin.
The game started well with a bit of end to end football. Lloyd Blackman and
Steve Evans playing their former club. Also the manager Glenn Cockerill was a
Bees coach. In the Managers Notes his picture reminded me of Rod Stewart.
Unfortunately for Brentford Woking took the lead. Steve Ferguson was one on one
with Bankole and cool as you like put the ball in the corner of the goal.
It got even worse for Brentford as Sam Sodje limped off and was replaced by
Dudley 'DJ' Campbell. Brentford then reverted to Rankin on the right with
O'Connor moving back to right back and Dobson moved to Centre-Back.
Olafur Ingi-Skulason was then booked for a rash challenge on Evans. He was then
substituted at half time with Woking leading 1-0.
Brentford re-grouped and looked the stronger and were searching for the
equaliser. Campbell was put through but was harshly adjudged offside. His pace
was electric and looks really hungry. Martin was debating some of these
decisions.
Sam Tillen and Jay Tabb looked a great combination down the left and there were
chances created through them but the killer ball was not there.
On one occasion when a Woking player was not strong enough under pressure he
went down shouting ref and he gave the free-kick. There was not a happy manager
with that decision.
Martin Allen brought on Scott Fitzgerald on for Lloyd Owusu and he nearly proved
the difference with some good runs.
Brentford nearly got an equaliser but Shwan Jalal kept them at bay just.
Martin Allen then unleashed Mesinho. He has played at centre-back for Chicago
and was on holiday so was invited on trial at the club after impressing with the
youth set-up. Many thanks to George Allen for this information and a very
friendly person he was as well.
Woking held on for a 1-0 win but it's still only a friendly. Now for Hampton
then the real season starts against Scunthorpe on Saturday and Lloyd's League
Return.
Up The Bees
Many Thanks to Mr. Edmund Melmoth for helping me remember the players who were
involved in this and the Staines match.
Woking: Jalal, Jackson (Smith H/T), L. Cockerill, Evans (Selley H/T), Aggrey
(El-Salahi 73), Macdonald, Sharpling (S. Cockerill 87), Murray (Ruby 87),
Richards (Rawle H/T), Ferguson (McAllister H/T), Blackman.
Brentford: Bankole, Dobson, Frampton, Sodje (Campbell 31), Turner, O'Connor,
Tabb, Hutchinson (Mesinho), Skulason (Tillen H/T), Owusu (Fitzgerald 73) and
Rankin.