Brentford 2. Nottingham Forest 1. Steve Cooper hoisted by his own petard. Is there a finer feeling in football?

This, after Josh Dasilva’s winner came deep into 7 (seven) minutes of additional time awarded in lieu of the plethora of mysterious cramps, injuries and other stops instigated by the visitors in an attempt to kill the clock. Newcastle United levels of sh*thousery punished in that sweetest of styles.

The moment only bettered by the fact that Brentford’s ‘never say die’ attitude had got us this far and hauled the team back into a game that had, being honest, been largely forgettable up until the final quarter.

The first half, tedious. A very much League Two ‘end of season’ feel to a game played out in glorious sunshine with League Two officials running the show. Referee Peter Bankes prepared to overlook anything from Forest’s physical side. His assistant running the line on the North side was so far behind play that Brentford were still being pulled up for offside at Stamford Bridge.

Zanka, unsurprisingly, dropped to the bench despite his midweek heroics at Chelsea in order to facilitate a more attacking line up.

The trio of Schade, Toney and Mbeumo, joined by Mikkel Damsgaard through the middle, running at Forest but not really able to make headway. Ethan Pinnock’s shot through a crowded box the closest we came to scoring. For a brief moment it looked as though it was in but the effort was parried and then the aforementioned Dane’s follow up cleared.

Then, with half-time tea and a wee beckoning, the deadlock broken. At the wrong end. Danilo lashing one home after Morgan Gibbs-White saw a deflected effort fall way too sweetly to miss. Alas, David Raya left no chance and one of the most laborious halves of football we’ve had the misfortune to sit through in a while ended even more brutally than it had looked possible.

The ball returned to the meridian line for the briefest of restarts before the teams trooped off for their segments of orange. The visitors 1-0 up and their fans making a racket over in that far corner. Credit to both – they’d done what they needed to.

The second half continued much the same way as the first. A series of balls played across the face of goal, desperate for the merest of touches from a red and white clad boot, the closest we came to scoring. Thomas Frank making his typical changes as the starting XI transformed into the finishing XI at the appropriate times on the 60th and 70th minutes but not quite able to find that killer edge.

Then, who else but that man? Ivan Toney. A free-kick awarded in the heart of Saunders territory. The set up was Leeds United all over. This time though, instead of hitting it high he curled it hard, low and true. The wall parting just sufficiently to allow the ball to continue its journey unimpeded towards Navas in goal for Forest. The three times Champions League winner (for Real Madrid, not Steve Cooper) powerless to stop the net rippling. The lightest of touches he got only helping the ball on a journey it would have still made without his intervention. Ivan ecstatic. The crowd, likewise.

Suddenly, it was interesting. Ten minutes to go and game on. Forest collapsing like felled trees at the slightest excuse. Falling just this side of the line to cause a stoppage in play. More cramps than Lux Interior. Their approach, the somewhat unappealing love child of Steve Cooper and Brice Samba. We’d seen it all before in the Championship but it doesn’t get any better to watch. An ugly attempt to spoil the flow, stop the clock and nullify momentum.

Brentford pushed. Brentford built. Frank the Tank and Aaron Hickey coming close before the former fed Josh Dasilva. Wide out on the flank he cut in and waited, waited, waited before hitting a wonderful left footer into the bottom corner from distance. The precision to thread it through the entire box just exquisite. VAR then cutting the celebrations short as it looked for a possible offside against Wissa but, no, Justice eventually done. The goal stood. The crowd went nuts. Forest heartbroken. Boo Hoo. The most incredible of feelings deep, deep into Jota time. Don’t we love it?

All of which makes the next fixtures – running from Sunday through midweek – extremely interesting. The Bees five points clear of Fulham in the race to oust Chelsea as West London’s top team. Even more intriguingly, waking up after this one to see fifth placed Tottenham only five points ahead. The European dream still on, as it stands. Next weekend’s Coronation day trip to Liverpool even bigger than it was already looking. Please – everyone – prepare your royal puns and let’s hope we put on a performance fit for a king.

All that’s to come, of course. For now, that other reason for still being here. Our regular post-match look at the top five from this game as well as continuing our season long quest to declare Brentford’s overall top performer.

This one, a much tougher game to call. The Bees relatively consistent across the board on an afternoon where we really had to wort hard for all three points. Talking in the pub at full time, I’d whittled it down to five although ended that with the caveat: final order TBC. Having slept on it, I think we’re there. This is my opinion but that’s how we go.

Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 34 (vs Nottingham Forest)

1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Aaron Hickey
I thought he was magnificent all game. One of his best in a Brentford shirt and really got in to the spirit of pushing up the flanks so consistently demonstrated by Rico on the other side.

What was interesting was first half especially, seeing him switch sides with such fluidity. Move around to attack up whichever avenue suited. Had a couple of strikes at goal with, of course, that one in the second half coming agonisingly close to being the winner.

For me the icing on the cake was that beautiful moment when, with the lead finally attained and the game restarted, he immediately sat down with cramp. Touché. It was a scene that could only have been bettered had it taken place ten yards further forwards in front of the visitor’s bench. No matter, you didn’t need to be Albert Einstein to know what this meant. Well done, Aaron.

2nd (4 points) – Josh Dasilva
Games turn on moments. In a match this tight and this frustrating it was going to take something special.

To pick up the ball in that position, to work the space and hold it up until he could pick the moment was one thing. Yet to attempt a shot on target through that crowded a box something totally different. It really was Boy’s Own stuff.

Kudos to Josh for even having the wherewithal to try it from there, let alone the ability to pull it off so wonderfully. It would have been devastating had VAR got in the way yet, thankfully, justice was eventually done. A goal that was up there with his very best and, undoubtedly, the reason why one point became three. Bravo, Josh.

3rd (3 points) – Ivan Toney
Only 7 (seven) players have scored more than 20 goals in Europe’s top five divisions this season. Ivan Toney is one of those. Just spend a moment to take that in. Only Haaland and Kane have more than him in England What a star. Then again, what a goal.

When Brentford were on their knees and looking down the barrel of possible defeat, he was the one that hauled us out of it. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. We all know what he can do from the penalty spot and open play yet this season’s treatment of free-kicks has been a wonderful addition to his armory. It’s why he has now reached that 20 goal mark for the campaign and the strike against Forest was up there with his best.

4th (2 points) – Ben Mee
The Match Of The Day cameras picked up his bicycle kick late on. Had it found the back of the net it would have been the goal to end them all.

What they didn’t pick up was his mugging off of Andre Ayew all second half. Cooper’s previous favourite at Swansea now back alongside his former manager and up to the same old tricks. A yellow card earned within about three seconds and very close to another just after. Mee had him in his pocket all the time he was on the pitch and left him flat on his backside at one delicious moment just on the edge of the box.

Really, any goal threat should have come through Ayew. Ben stopped that dead in it’s tracks. Nice.

5th (1 point) – Ethan Pinnock
Like Ben, a great chance to give us a goal on an afternoon where these felt very much at a premium. Yet, like Ben it was his solidity at the back that meant, one unfortunate bounce aside, Forest didn’t get a look in all afternoon. Didn’t get anywhere near the goal they so desperately needed to try and keep their Premier League dreams alive. Ethan didn’t put a foot (or a head) wrong and we were all the better for that.

Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 34)

All of which means that with four games to play, our leader board remains as tight as ever. Ivan Toney edges a bit further ahead of our two centre backs who are now tied in second place once more. Will anybody make ground at Liverpool on Saturday? With two wins out of two, let’s hope there’s no variety to our performance.

1st – Ivan Toney (64 points)
T2nd – Ethan Pinnock, Ben Mee (57 points)
4th – Rico Henry (48 points)
T5th – David Raya, Mathias Jensen (44 points)

Follow Nick on Twitter @NickBruzon
2022-23 Brentford Player Ratings – Matchweek 34 vs Nick Bruzon