By: Andrew Doherty
Date: 28/10/2025
THERE was some disappointment with our draw against today's Carabao Cup opponents Brentford. Apart from the fact that you get what you're given, I thought it was a good draw. It was the opportunity once more to pit our wits against a Premiership team and at Blundell Park too.
We tend to judge the status of teams by what they were like when we started watching. On this basis alone Brentford wouldn't be very high up the list in my case, having been in the 4th division when I first saw them in 1969. I was even there when we played them in front of 1,833 spectators at the end of that woeful season. Brentford are a long-standing community club from West London, whose glory years like ourselves, were in the late 1930s, finishing 5th in the first division the year after we did. That was then, this is now, and what we needed tonight was another adventurous, well-managed performance as we had against Manchester United if we were to have any chance against our higher-ranked opponents, who ominously have been in good form recently.
In his post-match appraisal of Saturday's loss at Crewe, Head Coach David Artell didn't try to hide the truth and blamed the players for not following instructions. This seems to happen too often, especially in the second half of games, so Mr Artell might and no doubt will want to look at the issue of game management. This evening provided a different test. There was no place for lapses of composure or concentration . Town's starting line-up with the job of containing and overcoming Brentford was: Pym - Rodgers, Lavelle, McJannet, Sweeney - McEachren - Burns, Green, Khouri, Vernam - Kabia. Compared to the side which started their weekend win over Liverpool, Brentford, in colours reminiscent of West Ham's 1970s away kit, made 9 changes this evening but still had a team with plenty of experience. 8,637 spectators were here at Blundell Park with 1,174 Brentford supporters among them.
Town, facing the Osmond end, kicked off and won an early throw in Brentford's half. Town started purposefully and certainly didn't look overawed. A miskick by Rodgers on 7 minutes almost let Nelson in but the situation was retrieved. A mistake by Onyeka on 11 minutes led to a Town corner but when the cross came in, Kabia was offside. Good work on the right led to a cross and a Vernam attempt but Vernam couldn't find the space. With 15 minutes gone Brentford hadn't really got going while Town were playing with confidence. A nice move involving Vernam, Green and then Burns who crossed the ball to Khouri's head led to an attempt on target. Brentford took possession on 22 minutes after Pym played a short pass to McJannet whose touch was poor, resulting in Brentford gaining possession outside Town's box. Lewis-Potter ran crossways and laid the ball off to Jensen who fired a sublime curler into the left corner. Town 0, Brentford 1. Brentford hadn't done anything to this point but this was a goal of quality. It was a gift from Town, which we didn't want to be conceding against any opposition, but especially a Premiership side. After a Town attack, with 26 minutes gone Brentford broke upfield in numbers. Onyeka ran forward and passed to Nelson who skilfully ghosted past Rodgers as if he wasn't there. Nelson crossed to the oncoming Lewis-Potter whose header was unstoppable. Town 0, Brentford 2. Lavelle then did well to cut out a cross from Henry as Brentford looked like scoring again. After a slow start to the game, Brentford were now playing like a well-oiled machine, passing quickly and accurately and displaying great movement - something we can learn from. Town had a good move on 34 minutes but Green's cross was poor after a nice pass by Vernam. After a decent start, Town were starting to look like a League 2 side with poor balls, but couldn't be faulted for effort. Burns wasted an opportunity with a poor through ball after doing well to pick the ball up in midfield. Brentford looked dangerous with every attack. On 43 minutes Fabio Carvalho stormed up the right, and crossed to Lewis-Potter whose header was laid the ball off to Nelson. The low and unstoppable finish again was superb. Pym had no chance with any of the goals. Town 0, Brentford 3. Brentford's technique, interplay and finishing were too sharp for Town, befitting their Premiership status.
The second half began with Brentford ominously moving the ball around. A mistake by Jensen allowed Khouri to win the ball in Brentford's half but it was temporary respite as with 53 minutes gone Brentford attacked again. After initial work by Jensen, a cross came in from Henry on the left. Lewis-Potter played a dummy, leading Khouri to run into Fabio-Carvalho - penalty. Fabio-Carvalho made no mistake. Town 0, Brentford 4. Town made substitutions on 56 minutes with Walker, Warren, Svanthorsson and Turi coming in for Green, Rodgers, Burns and McEachren. Turi started a nice move on 64 minutes and Warren did well to chase the Brentford defence down as Town attacked, eventually winning a corner. McJannet picked the ball up on the left and crossed to Kabia whose downwards header landed just wide. The game went flat as the result was inevitable but Brentford still looked dangerous. On 74 minutes Donovan raced forward and only Lavelle's determination held off Schade. From Jensen's corner Collins shook off Warren and fired a bullet header into the net. Town 0, Brentford 5. McJannet received a yellow card for a foul on Donovan. Town won a free kick deep in the Brentford half when Pinnock bowled Kabia over. Walker's shot was weak. With every attack Brentford looked like breaking open Town's defence. On 85 minutes Janelt fired over after Svanthorsson was dispossessed. It was a shock that a Brentford shot was off target. With 88 minutes gone Sweeney pushed over the slippery Donovan, earning Brentford a free kick. Jensen crossed. Brentford put the ball in the net but the referee saw an infringement and Town won a free kick. With 2 minutes added Fabio Carvalho had a shot but was shepherded wide. The game was over: Grimsby Town 0, Brentford 5.
For the second time this season we were on the receiving end of a pasting by the Bees. Brentford however are no Barnet and exhibited qualities which served to demonstrate the gulf in class, and the reason we are three divisions apart. It seems hard to believe that we beat Manchester United but we did, and we will all remember that. Town put in plenty of effort and started the game brightly but were ultimately undone by opponents who were superior in their movement and finishing. I don't read too much into this. Luckily we're not going to be playing this quality of opposition every week. Next Saturday we'll have a different test in the FA Cup at home to Ebbsfleet, and then it'll be back to the all-important league campaign. We were undone tonight but getting this far in this competition was a fine achievement.
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