Terry Butcher admits that Brentford don't do tap-ins.
That particularly applies to midfielder Glenn Poole, whose dipping left-foot volley was the first of two thumping goals that flew past Donovan Ricketts.
But the quality of the Bees strikes cuts no ice when you're on the receiving end. For Stuart McCall and City, it was another afternoon of misery and frustration.
Julian Rhodes had written in the programme about his bitter disappointment at City's perilous league position and was desperate to reward the fans for their brilliant backing.
Instead, we got another episode of Groundhog Day - and once again fingers were being pointed at the failure to take the scoring chances that keep going begging.
Mark Bower may have ended the near-four game drought for a home goal with his late glancing header but that did not paper over the cracks of the obvious frailties whenever the opposition goal looms into view.
Barry Conlon has become the scapegoat for those shortcomings. The Irishman fluffed the best chance to beat Darlington a fortnight ago and got the bird from the travelling Quakers fans.
Now he will need broad shoulders to shake off the derision from the home support which followed his failure to take either of two gilt-edged chances.
The fact that centre half Bower is now the second top-scorer with three goals highlights City's problems. Peter Thorne will surely start against Chester on Tuesday - and City need him to start scoring pronto.
City may have had the lion's share of the play - and Brentford's first goal came completely out the blue - but visiting keeper Simon Brown was hardly over-exerted.
Having watched an Eddie Johnson effort cannon to safety off the unsuspecting David Wetherall, Brown was not called into action until half an hour had gone when he beat away a cross-shot from Omar Daley.
The first half was played in spits and spurts, with City only displaying the urgency they needed in occasional bursts. Kyle Nix, at least, showed the stomach for battle by overcoming a poor personal start to keep getting among Brentford's midfield diamond.
Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu caused the odd stir with his clever footwork and control but let himself down at times by not reacting quickly enough to flick-ons or clearances. He did, though, look the most likely source of an opening goal.
That is until Poole, who arrived at Brentford from Grays Athletic in the summer, decided otherwise at the other end.
Like Accrington's Roscoe D'Sane a few weeks back, here was a guy fresh out of non-league clearly relishing the chance to perform on the biggest stage of his career. The Valley Parade crowd factor was working again in reverse.
Having already gone close with an early curler, Poole showed perfect technique from 25 yards out to smash a dropping ball which looped in under the bar. Ricketts may have been slightly off his line but could not be held responsible for the strike which ruined his return from a month's exile.
Ironically, the injured Rhys Evans was looking on from the press box. He only had sympathy for the big Jamaican, who had no chance of preventing such a wonderful finish.
The atmosphere had been pretty flat anyway. Now there was a sense of urgency in the air. City needed a response and should have got it right on half-time. Cue Conlon's first miss.
Ndumbu-Nsungu set off on a wonderful weaving run which sliced through blue shirts on his way to the penalty area. The goal beckoned as he cut it back to Conlon but his strike partner snatched early and flicked the ball harmlessly past the near post.
An equaliser at that point and you would have fancied City to push on and win against a side with limited ambitions. Instead it proved to be a gloomy portent of things to come.
McCall geed up his troops at the break and there was an extra gear to the home play on the resumption.
Nix was perpetual motion and, having curled a free-kick wide, his tenacious approach conjured up a move that should have seen City level.
A great tackle on Ben Starosta in midfield was followed by a flighted cross which Ndumbu-Nsungu looped over Brown - and against the bar. The ball broke to Conlon on the corner of the six-yard box but he chose the wrong option by trying to square for a team-mate rather than having a go himself and the danger was averted.
Conlon's woes increased two minutes later with another bad miss. The pass from Ndumbu-Nsungu may have bobbled as he hit it but Conlon should still have found the target rather than slicing wide.
Like Emperor Nero turning his thumb down, the Kop behind the goal delivered their verdict as a chorus of derision cascaded down the stand.
The mood blackened further on the hour when Brentford produced only their second on-target effort of the match - and collected a second goal.
Ricketts and Paul Heckingbottom protested furiously that the ball had gone out of play when Sammy Moore flicked it back into the goalmouth but there was no disputing the decisiveness of Lee Thorpe's volley from 15 yards.
Worryingly, home heads dropped at that point as if the players had read the writing on the wall.
Heckingbottom had looked out-of-sorts all game. Now Bower got a bout of the shakes and almost gifted Ricky Shakes a third with a poor header straight into his path.
Cheers greeted the sight of Luke Medley removing his shirt to prepare for action; a noise matched when it was Conlon's number raised by the fourth official.
But Medley's arrival changed little. City, in their desperation, started to lump balls long and with Conlon gone there was no target man to aim at. By contrast, Brentford's confidence was surging - they even won their first corner after 73 minutes.
City pulled one back through Bower with two minutes to go but the first home goal since September 15 proved too little, too late.
Brentford had been pegged back by late equalisers on their two previous visits. City were given four added minutes to do it again but lightning was not going to strike a third time.
TELEGRAPH & ARGUS