With Forshaw, Dean and Douglas missing thru injury I was excited to see how we would perform. Answer was ...... Brilliant !! Report from Mick C Keep the Faith - the opposing manager Mickey Adams always told us when in charge. Pre match the resolve was tested as the New Road bubbled with jitters, no Douglas, rightio, no Dean, ooh err, and no Forshaw, heavens to Betsy, the sky was falling in! January is a nervy month for terrace talk and Wigan and Rosler conspiracist theories drifted around Griffin Park like the phantom guffer! King Kev in for Harlee, Logan into right back and new boy Judge for Adam as Alan Mac covered for Dougie. We started off disjointedly, an under hit Craig back pass forced Button into the ejector seat early, as we inhaled. It was pass, pass, too quick, too fast. Judge gasped for air as he tried to get a foot in. it was frantic one touch stuff, one touch for us, one touch for them! Alan Mac snap crackled and popped a chase into a tackle, the Ealing Road roared its approval and New Road woke from its slumber. Vale were a good test, strong in the chase and keen to land a blow, Tomlin flicked wide from the left when clear on the left and a stray nod went close and wide but in Griffiths No.21 they had a midfielder who was playing a game but it wasn't football. He kicked Alan Mac into touch and Georgie Boy up in the air in the middle but Referee Gibbs said no more, time after time. Griffiths was a man slow to learn or hard of hearing. Judge tested keeper Neal with a short sharp rasper with his right, a parry away, then a hit with the left that was parried and thwarted Trotta with the rebound. Judge was busy and aptly holding court in the middle. Slick stuff from Shay and Mac and Clayton fed Trotta back to goal, Zorro like, in three quick movements, touch, turn and shot left footed like a flashing blade in the blink of an eye from outside the box, across and through the despairing Neal. Griffin Park shook as the roars exploded GOAL, a moment of magic from Marcello. 1 nil and the Breadman applauded from the side. Second half we pressed the accelerator, Bidwell marauded brilliantly, Jake in stunning form. Saunders and Judge like telepathic mini men. Their interchanging short passing was a joy for the red and white tinted eye. Sam won more tackles today than he had right to and broke with pace and menace. Saville as good as ever, his eye for a pass requires no needles or threads, with Alan Mac driving the huskies to new levels, these 4 as a unit gave the best 25 minute display seen for many a year. A Saunders cross was nodded in by Donaldson, ball in net, keeper on deck. Foul! Clayton shook his head and so did we. Weak decision and the keeper Neal stopped blushing. We worked hard and Trotta chased back 30 yards and dived into the tackle to win the ball and return it to Button, the New Road rose to him. Trotta is rewriting the Brentford storybook with his own new chapter. Next Trotta did a repeat of his first half strike and turned and twisted and blasted a humdinger into the right hand corner from 20 yards, Neal a super double handed push away. Stunning Stuff. Trotta is now a different player to the one we knew. Donaldson cut in and left footed from 20 yards forced Neal into the save of the afternoon, top corner, he stretched and palmed it on to the bar. Clayton unlucky. Reeves for a retiring Judge and Grigg for Sam for the last 20, but by now it was 5 a side passing, as we cut through at will, Saville and Alan Mac just thrashed through them from halfway. Last 5 shall we hang on? not on the Breadmans watch, Bidwell went down the left, cut in whilst being held back like a bulldog on the leash, Jake growled and got away, passed into Grigg, who beat his man to his left and left footed low and across and past the keepers right. 2 nil and Vale were in despair. Whistle blown and we three sides of the ground reminded the team We were top of the league. 8 wins on the bounce, 13 out of 14, To all of us, it's pinch yourself time, we've been waiting a long time for this, it's our moment and our time thanks to Benham, Warburton and the players. It's like all our birthdays have come at once. I tried to explain to a non Brentford mate tonight of what this season felt like, Its like being married to Cindy Crawford and Kelly Brook whispers she wants to be your mistress and Cameron Diaz texts asking what are you up to next week? Busy at Walsall will be the reply! Ridiculous? so what, it's football but not as we know it or are used to, these are record breaking and fantastic times to be a Bee. Saturdays are easily the best day of the week. This is not a promotion bandwagon we are on, this Brentford team is becoming a promotion seeking juggernaut