Brentford new boy David Hunt reckons his side must repeat the fighting spirit they showed against Notts County if they are to secure promotion.

The 26-year-old midfielder, who possesses a Rory Delap-style long throw, came close to bagging his first goal for the club in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with the Magpies, after coming on as a substitute for Marcus Bean.

Boss Andy Scott’s men battled back from a goal and one-man down - after Nathan Edler’s controversial 8th minute red card - to snatch what seemed an unlikely point at half time.

Hunt was a member of Northampton Town’s 2006 League Two promotion winning team before switching to Shrewsbury Town - from where he pitched-up at Griffin Park.

And he reckons points, not pretty performances, are the key if the Bees are to make good their ambition of following the Cobblers out of the Football League’s basement.

“Having made such a good start and got to Christmas in such a good position, it is not necessarily about performances in the second half of the season,” he said.

“It is about getting points on the board and that is exactly what was good about the weekend. That could be an important point come May.

“It is now a case of making sure - however they come - we get the points in the bag and keep the momentum going. That is what you have to do to get promotion.”

Hunt started his career at Crystal Palace as a trainee before moving to Leyton Orient - where he first came in to contact with his new boss.

From there he moved to Northampton and remained in the Midlands when switching to Shrewsbury Town at the start of last season.

Scott had tried to bag his man in the summer, and now Hunt - who has signed until the end of the campaign - is hoping to make up for lost time in re-launching his career closer to home.

But he admits he has his work cut out to displace current midfield pair Marcus Bean and Kevin O’Connor.

“I’d been looking to get back home for a while. Andy spoke to me in the summer, but for several reasons it didn’t work out,” he added.

“The fact I still had a year to run on my contract was one of them and I was gutted it didn’t happen.

“It didn’t work out at Shrewsbury, so thankfully the deal happened second time around and I jumped at the chance to come back.

“There is a great buzz about the place. It is nice to come in when the team is doing well. The lads have really helped me settle.

“I’m a London boy and I want to impress enough to hopefully get something sorted for next season.

“I’m under no illusion it is going to be hard because Marcus and Kevin have got the team this far.

“I’m here as part of the squad and by no means do I expect to start. If the gaffer wants me to play somewhere I’ll do it. It is all about the team.”