Honours even between Bees and Saints (From Wimbledon Guardian)

Honours even between Bees and Saints

9:15am Wednesday 27th January 2010

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Brentford 1 Southampton 1

Brentford came from behind to draw with Southampton in a richly entertaining League One encounter at Griffin Park on Tuesday night.

After falling behind early to a stunning strike from Lloyd James, the Bees overcame the disappointment Kevin O’Connor missing a penalty to finally draw level with only seven minutes remaining.

Bees boss Andy Scott felt it was the least his side deserved: “It was a disappointment to go a goal down so early but they responded very well and created a lot of chances.

"Sometimes you think it is not going to be your day but we thoroughly deserved to get a point out of that.”

Scott kept changes to the side that drew at Norwich on Saturday to a minimum, with the only change seeing Ben Strevens coming in for Toumani Diagouraga.

Southampton looked much the stronger side during the opening quarter of the match, and went ahead after only four minutes, when Rickie Lambert took the ball on the left touchline and played it square to James, who unleashed a shot from just inside the box that flew past Bees keeper Wojciech Szczesny.

The Saints contined to threaten and Michail Antonio’s snap shot sailed narrowly wide.

Adam Lallana was next to threaten, when his shot from 20 yards cannoned off the bar.

As half-time approached Brentford showed more attacking purpose and, after a Myles Weston cross to the back post was headed behind for a corner, Ryan Dickson’s stopping header from the outswinging corner was wide of the post.

After Saints’ defence failed to clear another corner, O’Connor’s dipping shot from the edge of the box was narrowly wide.

Brentford opened the second half very much on the front foot and, after Dickson’s low pass found Charlie MacDonald inside the box, the striker’s shot was palmed away by Southampton keeper Kelvin Davis.

Davis was called into action again almost immediately as first Weston then Marcus Bean unleashed shots on the Saints’ goal.

O’Connor’s penalty miss came after a Weston cross from the right hit the arm of Paul Wotton, but Davis pulled off a superb save by diving low to the right to deny the Bees skipper.

Brentford continued to press and eventually restored parity, when Southampton failed to clear after a goal-mouth scramble and a Dickson cross from the left was powered home by the head of Legge from close range.

Both sides continued to look for the winner but in the end were forced to settle for a share of the points.

Brentford: Szczesny; Foster, Smith, Legge, Dickson; Wood (sub Saunders 56), Bean, O’Connor, Weston; MacDonald, Strevens (sub Cort 56)

Subs (not used): Price, Osborne, Bennett, Hunt, Diagouraga

Attendance: 6,501

Goals: Legge 83

Man of the match: Leon Legge

Match rating: 4/6

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