Brentford v Bournemouth: Championship play-off semi-final, second leg – live!

8.54am EDT 08:54

57 min “Begovic reading War and Peace?” says Chris Morrell. “I think he’s got to the fourth chapter of Proust’s A la Recherche de Temps Perdu.”

I think I saw a Wisden Almanack or two in his kit bag as well, and one of my long reads.

8.52am EDT 08:52

54 min: MORE UTTER CHAOS! Mbuemo robs the dithering Rico and bursts into the area. Carter-Vickers makes a vital tackle – there was still a big appeal for a penalty – and then Begovic dives desperately at the feet of Toney. The ball breaks back to Mbuemo, who sweeps it into the side netting. The last one wouldn’t have counted as the referee had blown for a foul on Rico by Forss.

Brentford’s Ivan Toney is thwarted by Bournemouth’s keeper Asmir Begovic. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Updated at 9.04am EDT

8.50am EDT 08:50

52 min Replays show that Lerma touched the ball a split second – if that – before Janelt. It was a slightly woolly challenge from Lerma, possibly because of the presence of Emiliano. Not that Brentford will care either way.

8.49am EDT 08:49

It was a strange goal from Vitaly Janelt. A right-wing cross from Jensen was cleared to the edge of the D, where Janelt charged onto the ball with a first-time shot in mind. At the same time, Emiliano ran towards it from the other direction and threatened to get in the way. He pulled away at the last minute, then Lerma tried to clear the ball at the same moment as Janelt struck it with his left foot. The ball took a really strange trajectory, looping over Begovic and into the far corner. It’s definitely Janelt’s goal.

Vitaly Janelt of Brentford shoots whilst under pressure from Bournemouth’s Jefferson Lerma. Photograph: Nigel Keene/ProSports/Shutterstock Then watches as the ball heads goalwards. Photograph: Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Updated at 9.03am EDT

8.46am EDT 08:46

49 min Solanke cuts inside sharply from the left and works Raya with a crisp low shot from 25 yards. It was a comfortable save for Raya, who pushed it round the post as he dived to his right, but it was a decent effort.

8.45am EDT 08:45

48 min Dalsgaard fouls Solanke near the touchline, which allows Begovic to waste another 35 seconds before taking the free-kick. Every little helps.

8.44am EDT 08:44

48 min “I’m sure this isn’t much fun for Brentford or Bournemouth fans but as a neutral, amateur hour defending, cheating, pretend fights and general sh1thousery is absolutely brilliant,” says Matt Emerson. “I’m hoping for seven goals plus a proper bench clearing brawl in the second half. Obviously no-one likes to see that sort of thing. Apart from all of us.”

8.43am EDT 08:43

47 min Bournemouth are playing a 4-4-1, with Danjuma up front at the moment and Solanke on the left wing.

8.42am EDT 08:42

47 min “I have a friend who is a keen Brentford supporter so I’d wished him well for this match and in any case I admire the way the Bees are run and the way they play football,” says Kevin Ryan. “However last night my so-called friend emailed me to say he’d watched the Big Lebowski on TV last night for the first time and switched off after half an hour as he thought it was ‘tedious’. He also asserted that the John Goodman character was ‘ridiculous’. This, coming from someone who is a big bloke with a loud voice, very right-wing views and who makes wild assertions that are almost always wrong. Sound familiar? Anyway, I still hope the Bees win and get to the final playoffs but I have to admit I’m saying it through gritted teeth.”

He’s not wrong, Kevin, he’s just an [that’ll enough – Movie Quotes Ed]

8.42am EDT 08:42

46 min Emiliano has an early shot blocked, and then Toney screws a follow-up volley out for a throw-in. Bournemouth take their time over it, and why not.

8.41am EDT 08:41

46 min Peep peep! Brentford begin the second half. In fact they have kept the same formation – Bryan Mbuemo has moved to right wing-back, with Forss replacing him up front.

8.40am EDT 08:40

Brentford are bringing on Marcus Forss for Mads Roerslev, which probably means a switch to a back four.

8.31am EDT 08:31

“Mind you,” says Adam Roberts (see 21 min), “our under-10s behaved better than most of the players out there today.”

It’s almost as if they’re auditioning to play in the Premier League.

8.29am EDT 08:29

Where to start with that first half? There were two goals, a red card, at least 48 penalty appeals, not to mention controversy, drama, desperation, petulance, cheating, needle and even a bit of football. It was largely unedifying yet hugely entertaining, not unlike those stand-offs outside JJs nightclub in the 1990s.

Arnaut Danjuma scored his second goal of the tie, running the length of the field to punish Brentford for leaving nobody back at a corner. But a debatable handball against Lloyd Kelly allowed Ivan Toney to equalise with a nerveless penalty, and then Brentford alumnus Chris Mepham was sent off for a professional foul on Bryan Mbuemo.

After all that, Bournemouth are a goal up in the tie and Brentford are a man up on the day. But don’t rule out more red cards.

8.24am EDT 08:24

45+5 min Free-kick to Brentford 45 yards out on the right. Jensen’s delivery catches the wind and almost embarrasses Begovic, who scampers back to save. I think it was a mishit from Jensen, though it’s not beyond him.

8.23am EDT 08:23

45+5 min Now the two benches are having a full and frank exchange of views over something or other. All the petulance and stoppages suit Bournemouth more than Brentford at this stage.

8.21am EDT 08:21

45+2 min Dalsgaard shoots miles over the bar from 30 yards, which allows Asmir Begovic to read a few more pages of War and Peace before taking the goalkick. Begovic was booked earlier in the half, and has apparently concluded that the referee won’t have the bottle to send off a second Bournemouth player, the goalkeeper at that, for timewasting.

8.19am EDT 08:19

45 min There will be six minutes of added time. Roerslev’s deep, lofted cross is chested back to Begovic by the leaping Smith, who flattens Mbuemo in the process. Cue yet another penalty appeal, albeit it fairly muted by today’s standards.

8.17am EDT 08:17

44 min Bournemouth appeal for vociferously, and unsuccessfully, for a penalty when Billing’s header hits the hand of Pinnock. That wasn’t a penalty because, although Pinnock’s hand was in an unnatural position, the ball deflected off the top of his arm. I’ll be honest, though, I haven’t a clue any more.

8.15am EDT 08:15

42 min “At least we know now,” begins Sam Campbell, “that if Brentford go ahead in the tie they won’t partake in any time wasting.”

Nothing compares to football when it comes to the, erm, flexibility of the moral compass.

8.14am EDT 08:14

41 min Poor Chris Mepham; a moment like this needs the Curb Your Enthusiasm music.

Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

🟥 A horror moment for Mepham!

He brings down Mbeumo and sees red on his Brentford return. ‘Chris Mepham, he’s one of our own’ rings out as he leaves. 😬😬

📺 Watch on Sky Sports Football

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May 22, 2021

8.13am EDT 08:13

40 min It’s been so breathless that I didn’t have chance to say that Mathias Jensen (see 4 min) is still on the field.

8.12am EDT 08:12

38 min Another unsuccessful penalty appeal when Toney is blocked by Carter-Vickers. That was an easier decision for the referee as Toney ran into the back of the defender. But they are all trying it on today, which is both unsavoury and highly entertaining.

Updated at 8.12am EDT

8.10am EDT 08:10

36 min Begovic takes the opportunity to receive treatment and use up a bit more time. He also had the effrontery to appeal for a foul after bouncing off his own team-mate Kelly.

Updated at 8.11am EDT

8.09am EDT 08:09

35 min: What a clearance from Rico! Pinnock hurled in a long throw from the left towards the six-yard box. Begovic came for it, ran straight into the back of Kelly and fell over comically, as if he’d charged straight into a lamppost in a silent film. Dalsgaard guided a backheader towards the empty net, but Rico – facing his own goal – did brilliantly to boot it clear from under the crossbar.

Henrik Dalsgaard of Brentford attempts to head the ball as Asmir Begovic of Bournemouth falls to the ground after failing to clear. Photograph: Dave Shopland/BPI/Shutterstock Bournemouth’s Diego Rico clears acrobatically. Photograph: Nigel Keene/ProSports/Shutterstock

Updated at 9.15am EDT

8.06am EDT 08:06

33 min: Toney misses a great chance! Brentford should be level on aggregate. Dalsgaard sprayed a terrific pass to Canos, who cut inside and floated an angled beyond the far post. Toney, unmarked four yards out, headed wide.

Photograph: John Walton/PA Toney reacts after his miss. Photograph: Dave Shopland/BPI/Shutterstock

Updated at 9.10am EDT

8.04am EDT 08:04

30 min Bournemouth make a necessary substitution: Diego Rico comes on for David Brooks, which means Lloyd Kelly will move to centre-back.