Brentford 1-2 Fulham: Joe Bryan's extra-time brace sees Fulham win the Sky Bet Championship play-off final

Extra-time was required to separate the sides but a brace from Joe Bryan, an unlikely source, handed Scott Parker's side top-flight status once again.

Bryan's first was a moment of excellence as his free-kick from range deceived the Brentford back line before he finished off a quick counter-attacking move with the Bees looking for an equaliser.

Brentford did grab a very late consolation through Henrik Dalsgaard but they didn't have time to find the net again.

It means that Fulham's time back in the Championship was a short one, while Brentford's 73-year wait for top-flight football to return to their club goes on.

The positive for Fulham was that Aleksandar Mitrovic was fit enough to return to the bench. The Championship's top goalscorer had missed both legs of their success over Cardiff through injury. Denis Odoi starting at right-back suggested that they were particularly focused on keeping Said Benrahma quiet.

The shouts from both benches echoed around an empty Wembley; the 85,000 in attendance last season replaced by an official figure of 0 over 14 months later. It was almost the perfect start for Fulham when Josh Onomah drove through the opposition half but his fierce shot from distance was handled well by David Raya with less than five minutes played.

A set-piece gave Brentford their first real opportunity of the contest as Benrahma was hauled down outside the area. "Use your flag man" was the shout from Mitrovic to the linesman. He wasn't the only one unhappy with the decision as they believed there should have been a foul given moments before. Luckily for them, the best Bryan Mbeumo could do was hit his effort straight at the leaping wall.

Not long after, there was a moment of panic for a Brentford back line usually so composed in possession. Fulham's pressing forced Raya to pass the ball straight to Bobby Decordova-Reid inside the box. The forward did well to compose himself after losing balance but a strike on goal failed to materialise as they opted to try and find one pass too many.

Brentford went into the contest as favourites but it was Fulham who had settled the better of the two teams. Onomah, heavily involved from the start, saw his low strike from close range saved by the fingers of Raya's glove. The Bees would have been hoping for the drinks break to try and halt their opponent's momentum.

In typical fashion, that first-half pause came just as Brentford were starting to get back into the contest. It didn't disguise the fact that it had been a poor start to the contest from those wearing navy. Their front line's lack of possession was harming their chances of scoring while the pressing was proving ineffective; the Bees' BMW was running on empty early on.

The drinks break gave them chance to refuel though and the Bees felt that there should have been a red card shown to Harrison Reed as his challenge caught the bottom of Christian Norgaard's ankle following a loose pass in their own half. Referee Martin Atkinson opted to dish out a yellow but it could have so easily gone the other way.

The first-half saw both sides enjoying spells with possession but Fulham would have been the happier given their showing and the chances they were creating. The previous experience at the national stadium may have helped; Brentford weren't looking like a side who were in the automatic promotion race until the very end.

Minutes into the second-half, the Fulham bench were on their feet cheering, only to be denied by the side-netting as Neeskens Kebano's curling free-kick from the edge of the area went inches wide. That was a moment that emphasised the thousands of empty seats; the west-half of Wembley would have almost certainly celebrated thinking it is was in.

Little had changed as the game reached the hour mark but the contest still lacked that one clear chance to take the lead. Decordova-Reid sliced an effort wide that Pontus Jansson failed to clear but it was increasingly becoming a game that was calling out for Mitrovic's presence.

The game began turning in Brentford's favour and, like the first-half, they would have likely turned down the opportunity of a drinks break if they had the choice. They found their rhythm soon after though and Watkins saw a driven strike from the edge of the area pushed over by Marek Rodak with the game inside the final 20 minutes.

The problem for the Bees was that they were failing to create sustained periods of attack. The occasional effort towards goal wasn't proving enough and their efforts were disrupted by Fulham chances.

Parker patiently waited with Mitrovic, finding the best time to introduce the Championship's most prolific forward to the contest. As we entered added time, and with extra-time looking likely, Fulham's number nine made his way on.

Brentford's clearest chance of the contest came in the first minute of the extra 30. Emiliano Marcondes cross was swung in low to Watkins, who had lost his marker, but the forward could only direct his weak effort wide from close range.

The chances were starting to come in a game that desperately needed something to light it up. Aboubakar Kamara tried his luck from distance but, as was the theme of the evening, nothing that would have seriously troubled the goalkeeper who got down low to hold on.

And then, in first-half added time, a stroke of genius from Bryan gave Fulham their goal. Lining up a free-kick from 40 yards out, the full-back opted to go for goal instead of swing in a cross as everyone expected; that included Brentford's Raya. With the goalkeeper out of position, the ball flew into the net and sparked wild celebrations from those on the Fulham bench.

The game needed a spark and what happened was beyond that. Questions will be asked of Raya's positioning from the set-piece, but nothing should be taken away from Bryan. To see the opportunity, let alone go on and attempt to capitalise on it, was an incredible move.

A shell-shocked Wembley had to regather its thoughts and prepare for what would likely be a Brentford onslaught for the remaining 15 minutes. The Bees pushed, Fulham looked to hit them on the counter, just one moment is all that was needed to change the outcome of the game.

Benrahma had a free-kick strike the wall while Rodak claiming an effort minutes later led to celebrations as if they'd scored a second among the Fulham substitutes. Ethan Pinnock had a sliced shot saved. Brentford's time was running out.

A second goal came, but it went the way of Fulham and the flying full-back Bryan struck again. This time, sensing an opportunity to counter, he made a blistering run through the Brentford half and finished after neat link-up play with Mitrovic. Nerves turned to sheer delight; even after Brentford netted a very late consolation through Henrik Dalsgaard.

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