Brentford clinched promotion and the League Two title in some style, notching up their 22nd league victory this season with a 3-1 win over Darlington on Saturday.

After the hosts’ Alan White was sent off in the opening in the opening minutes for a shocking challenge that left Damian Spencer with a fractured cheekbone, the Bees made the most of their man advantage as they eventually went in at half time with a two goal cushion.

Once news filtered through that Wycombe were losing at Port Vale, the massive travelling support began to believe this really would be their day and after the final whistle blew the party began in earnest.

Boss Andy Scott summed up the feelings of everyone: “I’m relieved to get over the line. We dominated the game and got a nice third goal that rounded it off.

“Then listening to the cheers from the fans. We didn’t know what was going on elsewhere but with Wycombe not winning means we’re champions and its great to be able to say that without going to the last day.”

Scott made two changes to the side that lost at Dagenham in midweek, with John Halls replacing Karleigh Osborne and Damian Spencer coming in for Sam Williams up front.

Unfortunately Spencer’s return lasted only two minutes before he was stretchered off. Brentford took some time to make the extra man count, but eventually the breakthrough came ten minutes before half time when skipper Alan Bennett’s shot from eight yards out found the back of the net after Darlington failed to clear a David Hunt corner.

The Bees effectively put the game beyond doubt two minutes before the break when Hunt’s free kick from the left was headed home by Billy Clarke.

Clarke – who had spent time on loan at Darlington earlier in the season – stretched the Bees lead nine minutes into the second half when he picked up a long ball and after skipping past a couple of defenders drilled a low left foot shot into the bottom right corner of the net.

Darlington pulled one back five minutes later when Pawel Abbot’s shot from the right hand side of the box slipped under Ben Hamer’s body, but the Bees never looked in danger of surrendering their lead.

When the final whistle sounded the players and management flocked to the away end to celebrate with the Bees fans.

Afterwards Scott revealed that the players’ reward for their success will be a trip abroad: “Then the lads are going away on holiday together. We’re going to Las Vegas. They deserve that. It has been a carrot for the last couple of weeks.”

But first there is some celebrating to be done closer to home, with next week’s fixture against Luton Town, after which the Bees will be presented with the League Two title and the party really will start.

“The next few days we’ll sit down and soak it up and really have a celebration next week at Griffin Park,” said Scott.

Brentford: Hamer; Halls, Phillips, Bennett, Dickson; Newton, Hunt, Bean, Wood; Clarke, Spencer (sub S Williams 4)