Brentford defender Jack O’Connell knows that a win in next Saturday’s season-closing fixture at Huddersfield is key to securing a place in the Championship top ten.

The Bees enjoyed a resounding 3-0 victory over local rivals Fulham on Saturday, but will battle it out next weekend with top-10 finish the prize for beating the Terriers.

O’Connell came on as 53rd minute substitute for 19-year-old debutant left-back Tom Field and forced a great save out of Marcus Bettinelli with a stinging drive from outside the box shortly after coming on.

Despite not being able to add to the scoreline, the 22-year-old former Rochdale man was happy to play a part in ending Brentford’s home campaign on a high.

He told GetWestLondon: “No, it definitely wasn’t a bad end to the last home game of the season. Plus there was a great performance to go with it, so we are very happy to get the three points.

“It’s going to be a great place to be next season, but for now our aim is to finish in the top ten – we know Preston won in the last minute today so we’ve still got a big game next week."

Video: See the Brentford fans enjoy their side's 3-0 win over Fulham

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O’Connell also praised the Brentford faithful after a vocal performance on another derby day to remember that saw almost 12,500 in attendance at Griffin Park.

He continued: “Today the fans showed how massively important they are for us, especially in the local derby, so hopefully we can do well for them next season.”

The left-sided defender has struggled to hold down a starting spot in west London since his move from Blackburn Rovers in early 2015, due to the form of Frenchman Yoann Barbet but knows what he has to do to stake a claim for a place in the Brentford back-four.

“I’ve know that I’ve got to keep working hard, have a good pre-season, stay injury-free and see where it goes from there - I still see myself here next season."