Lou promises Brentford a tough time

Matt Hughes13 April 2012
Huddersfield 0 Brentford 0

Brentford will have to raise their game considerably in Wednesday's Division Two play-off semi-final, second leg against Huddersfield at Griffin Park if they want to reach the final.

They were second best for long periods at the McAlpine Stadium yesterday. Huddersfield's Andy Booth twice had the ball in the net, only to be denied by flags for handball and offside, while the former Sheffield Wednesday striker also hit the crossbar.

Huddersfield manager Lou Macari said: "It was a war - and it'll be the same on Wednesday night. We've got to stand up and be counted."

Rarely can Brentford defender Darren Powell have been so dominated by an opposition forward, but this was not his team's only shortcoming. After an energetic opening, Paul Evans and Steven Sidwell were strangely subdued and allowed Kenny Irons to control the game in midfield.

Following their failure to secure automatic promotion by beating Reading in their last league game of the season, the nerves are beginning to fray at Brentford.

Manager Steve Coppell, a former Manchester United team-mate of Macari's, kept his own counsel after the match and threatened a club fine to players who spoke to the press.

Brentford will be favourites to prevail, as only Wigan have won in the League at Griffin Park this season and Huddersfield were beaten 3-0 there three weeks ago.

However, the last time these clubs met in the play-offs in 1995 Huddersfield sneaked through on penalties and a similar finale seems likely on Wednesday.

In the other semi-final, goals by Robert Earnshaw and Leo Fortune-West helped Cardiff to a 2-1 win at Stoke in a game that was marred by crowd trouble.

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