Frank wants more of the same after vital Bees win

But he insisted the Bees’ first win in seven must be followed by more strong performances if his young side are to turn the corner.

“One of the most difficult things in life is when you put a lot of work into things and don’t get the reward, but today the players, staff and fans believed, stuck together and worked hard and got what they deserved,” he said.

“We knew this was a final today because we could see there weren’t many points between us and the relegation area. No one said it but we knew and we stayed focused to get the win we deserved.”

Frank’s Brentford have now taken seven points from a possible 33 thanks to Neal Maupay’s winner, and he insists there is much more to come from his young squad.

He said: “It was a solid performance. We know we have more, but sometimes you need that win to push you on to get there.

“We showed today with people throwing themselves in the way, making blocks and Daniel Bentley punching clear at the end that the desire is there at the back to keep clean sheets, but I would like to see a little more from us offensively.”

He admitted it would have been a “horror story” if Bolton goalkeeper Ben Alnwick’s late header had levelled the scores

“The win will give us momentum and if we can take a good performance to Bristol City we will give ourselves a good chance of getting something,” said Frank.

“Seeing the players after the win reminds us why we love this game so much and why losing is so annoying. It’s a good habit we want to keep.”