Boss Mark Warburton always believed Brentford could make the Championship play-offs - and that belief has not wavered since the first day of pre-season training last year.

Brentford booked themselves fifth spot in the table with a 3-0 win over relegated Wigan Athletic on a dramatic final day of the season.

Goals from Alex Pritchard, Jota and Andre Gray, plus defeats for Ipswich Town and Derby County, opened the door to play-off semi-final clash with Middlesbrough - the first leg of which is at Griffin Park on May 8.

“The whole club is geared up to how far we could get come May 2 and here we are fifth in the table,” he said.

“We came through a sticky patch. We’ve played some good games of late, but we didn’t get the points.

“To play like that and results go our way is really pleasing.

He added: “We spoke to the players on June 25 about the play-offs and said we had no doubt how far they could go.

“They have achieved it. The season is far from over and hopefully there are three massive games to go.”

The Bees had started the day outside the top six, but Pritchard’s 26th minute free-kick put them up to sixth with Derby trailing 1-0 at home to Reading.

By half time, Ipswich Town – who had taken the lead - were trailing 2-1 at Blackburn and when Jota fire Brentford’s second in the first minute of the second it put them up to fifth.

It became a certainty once Ipswich and Derby had conceded further goals and Andre Gray fired home his side’s third from Jota’s pass in the 80th minute.

The Tractor Boys eventually went on to lose 3-2 at Blackburn while Derby imploded 3-0 at home to Reading.

“Wigan were really dangerous opponents. They have got a talented squad of players trying to impress a new manager and they could take risks,” said Warburton.

“We had to be brave and once we pushed them high and got on the ball then we did very well.”

Brentford: Button; Bidwell, Dean, Tarkowski, Odubajo; Diagouraga(McCormack,83), Douglas, Judge; Pritchard (Dallas, 71) Gray (Smith, 83), Jota.

Subs (unused): Bonham, Craig , Toral, Udumaga.