Those buying a match programme on this evening of humiliation for Thomas Frank’s experimental team may have noticed, assuming they read it to the end, a prediction of the result from sportswriter Andrew Georgeson of the Cambridge News. ‘I don’t think I’ve seen Cambridge win a knockout cup game in the three years I’ve been covering them’ he wrote. ‘However, I’m going for a 1-1 draw, with Cambridge to win on penalties.’
Well, hats off to young Andrew’s perspicacity and to a mostly equally young team of Division Two players who arrived from the Fens with two 0-0 draws immediately behind them and not much expectations from the evening other than slogging all the way home again.
Head coach Frank had, as announced, fielded a side peppered with close-season signings, some as yet unrecognisable and a few with names difficult to pronounce – dynamite points on a Scrabble board if only they were allowed.With Henrik Dalsgaard skippering a side featuring the familiar Josh Clarke and a midfield including the equally so Emiliano Marcondes with, varyingly, Ecuadorian Joel Valencia, Dru Yearwood and Jan Zamburek – hotfoot from Southend and Prague respectively – this looked an enterprising United Nations outfit. Up front, Marcus Forss was accompanied by Frenchman Bryan Mbeumo – a tongue-twister of a striker whose name was still being rolled around the tongues of some of us when the defence suddenly reacted like a drove of startled hares to allow Andrew Dallas to feed the unmarked Marc Richards. A veteran striker of the old school, he fired home at the second attempt after Luke Daniels had parried his initial effort.
Three minutes on the clock and one down, Brentford responded by putting together some attractive play and dominating proceedings to the extent that their possession registered not much short of 80 per cent. Marcondes struck a free kick straight at keeper Callum Burton and Mbeumo failed to seize a golden chance after a move so sweet it’s a shame it couldn’t be saved for later and put in a gilt frame, yet the equaliser remained elusive.
There were plusses in Zamburek and Yearwood looking creative in attempting to prise open a disciplined Cambridge defence, but the jury was still out on a pair of strikers conspicuously failing to strike when, on the half-hour Josh Clarke twice fell without any provocation and limped away, to be replaced by Rico Henry.
Cambridge, even more resolute in the second half, began on occasion to test the home defence, so much so that Bees’ possession percentage fell to 72 per cent. And when Ollie Watkins was substituted for Zamburek around the sixty- third minute mark, it began to look as though a Brentford goal was inevitable. Ollie duly obliged by providing a penetrating pass for Forss, largely forgotten but not gone until then, to beat Burton from close in. But despite Watkins’ impressive presence and some fireworks from Henry, who twice went close, and a near-miss by Mbeumo when provided with what could only be described as a Maupay-moment opportunity, the visitors deservedly hung on to take the tie into a penalty shoot-out.
When Paul Lewis cancelled out Marcondes’ inadequate effort, any bookmaker would have still made Brentford favourites to win, but Luka Racic, so reliable until the moment, approached hesitantly and shot weakly for Burton to collect and then debutant Harvey Knibbs to propel Cambridge into the second round.
What’s your verdict? I asked my crestfallen regular companion. ‘I think we should sign Andrew Georgeson – he knows a thing or two,’ said Charlie.
Brentford: Daniels, Thompson, Yearwood (sub Jensen), Forss, Valencia, Marcondes, Mbeumo, Clarke (Henry, Dalsgaard, Zamburek (Watkins), Racic,
Cambridge United: Burton, Taft, Dallas Jones, Maris (Hannant), Dunk, John, Darling, Davies, Richards (Knibbs). Lambe, Lewis.