Brentford FC Futsal ‘A’ team were knocked out in a dramatic quarter-final shoot-out to eventual winners Grimsby Town at The EFLT Futsal National Championship on Wednesday.
The Futsal Bees day started with a 6.45am departure and 120-mile trip to Birmingham Futsal Arena from Griffin Park.
15 other teams made up the competition, and the round robin group stage started off with an emphatic 4-1 against Peterborough United, who the Bees competed against in their regional league. The Posh finished their league campaign strongly recording an 8-1 win over Brentford.
However, Brentford started determinedly and were 1-0 up in the first minute via Harman Sandhu. Brad Scott doubled the lead after 9 minutes with a brilliant individual goal. 5 minutes into the second half Sandhu scored his second and the hattrick followed 3 minutes later to make it 4-0. A late consolation goal for Peterborough meant that the Bees were off and running with 3 points.
Game 2 against Crewe with their 85 goal scoring sensation, Nicky Marley meant that the Bees had a tough task ahead of them. Both teams started in positive mood, but it was Crewe who scored twice in the first half but the Bees had plenty of chances to level it up. A rash challenge on Louis Dailey in the penalty area with the resulting spot kick being converted by Harman Sandhu, changed the momentum of the game.
4 minutes later, a move that started with goalkeeper Saki Shire, saw the team play some sensational one touch Futsal. A precision pass into the feet of Harman Sandhu, 4 metres out from the goal ended with a clean finish to level the game up.
The game became really stretched as both teams went for the win. 90 seconds from the end, the Bees couldn’t clear the ball and Nick Marley got to a loose ball 6 metres out, and toe-poked it home. Brentford had one final chance to level but it just missed as Crewe took the points.
The final group games between Brentford and Huddersfield, Crewe and Peterborough kicked off at the same time with only Huddersfield eliminated. Crewe and the Posh were playing out a high scoring game on the adjacent court.
The Bees started badly conceding after 3 minutes. Skipper, Louis Dailey got Brentford back on level terms. Huddersfield then scored immediately from the kick off to restore the lead at 2-1. Mason Roseboom once again restored parity just after the interval. Finally, the TW8 scholars took the lead with 6 minutes to go via Harman Sandhu.
Once again, Town came back to make it 3-3, and Brentford’s qualification for the knock out stage was looking doubtful.
Harman Sandhu popped up in the 6 metre area with less than 2 minutes to clinch the winner for the Bees and secure a quarter-final place. Crewe defeated Peterborough to claim the other group qualifying spot.
With less than 15 minute’s rest prior to their quarter-final against the tournament favourites, Grimsby Town, who had won their regional league and The Kinder Challenge Futsal Cup earlier in the season, this was going to be a physical test for the Bees.
In the best game of the tournament, both Brentford and Grimsby played out a fantastic, high quality Futsal match.
Both teams were moving well around the court and causing each other lots of problems. It was Brentford who scored first after an impressive move which was finished off by Azhan Iqbal, who scored from 8 metres out from the left hand side of the court.
Brentford looked in control when a penalty was awarded to the Mariners after a shirt pull. The penalty was scored and then both teams stretched each other to the limit.
With the score ending at 1-1 after normal time, a 3 penalty shoot-out followed.
Despite Brentford keeper Saki Shire saving the first Grimsby penalty, it was ordered to be retaken for Shire moving too early. Despite this, Shire saved again. Brentford scored with their first.
Bees had their next penalty saved while Grimsby converted. Brentford also had their third penalty saved while the Mariners converted to go through.
Grimsby went on to win the tournament in the final against Norwich City, 3-0 to complete a treble.
Brentford FC Futsal Club Head Coach, Luis Melville: ‘Without a doubt that was an exceptionally high quality quarter-final with both teams putting on a great Futsal match. This shows that youth Futsal in England is in a good place. Each Brentford player can be proud of his performance in this game and over the whole season. I am confident that some of our players will go onto play in The FA Futsal National League in the future’.
Next week, Brentford FC Futsal Club ‘B’ team travel up to Birmingham to compete for the ‘B’ team National Finals.