Pools battled to a well-earned point at Griffin Park this afternoon to earn the point needed to secure League One survival this season.

It was goal difference in the end that separated Pools and relegated Gillingham but it was enough for Pools who will play in League One again next term.

In what was an extremely tense afternoon here at Griffin Park, the travelling army of Pools fans did their best to lift the players - offering encouragement throughout the game.

There was a nice moment ahead of kick off when the fans spent several minutes chanting the name of Gary Liddle, showing their support after what has been a big week for the defender.

Once the action was underway, Pools set about the big task in hand and there were some chances in this first half to grab a much-needed opener.

A Ritchie Humphreys' freekick from the left - a result of a harsh challenge on Neil Austin - found Sam Collins rising highest in the box but the big defender saw his header go just wide of target.

Adam Boyd enjoyed some space in and around the box early on, turning well on the edge of the area to fire in on goal but Wojciech Szczesny held the effort.

A deep cross from Leon McSweeney on the right was cleared only as far as Peter Hartley who sent it straight back into the box - this time a similar move from Boyd pulled a good finger-tip save from the Brentford stopper and Pools won the corner.

Boyd was then on hand to battle for the corner but his poke from the near post went just over the bar.

Brentford were by no means making things easy for Pools and looked a team out to spoil the party; Ben Strevens sent a flicked header at goal from a freekick which was collected calmly by Flinders.

And when David Hunt sent a low freekick into the box from a central position, Flinders again did well - first to parry the effort as it came through the wall and then to collect the loose ball bravely at the feet of the in-rushing striker.

Pools continued to work hard looking for a route through a solid Brentford back line - McSweeney looking capable of carving out an opening down the right for the busy pairing of Boyd and O'Donovan.

And Turner's men needed to work an opening on the ground as the back two of Karleigh Osbourne and Leon Legge for the hosts were dominant in the air.

The tension on the field as Pools pushed on for a goal was matched by the nerves off it as scores from the other games at the bottom of League One filtered through.

The teams went in all square at half time, a breakthrough not arriving in the first forty-five minutes and Pools still had work to do in the second half.

There was an incident just after the re-start as Neil Austin and Leon Legge clashed heads in a thundering aerial challenge - both players suffered nasty head wounds. Legge was substituted immediately while Pools played on for several minutes with ten men as Austin underwent treatment in the dressing room before returning to the game with a well-bandaged head.

The hosts went close to grabbing a goal just after the clash when Sam Wood cut in from the left wing to send a stringing effort goalwards - fortunately the ball landed on the roof of the net as Pools escaped.

With the hosts upping their pressure, Myles Weston let loose with a great strike from some distance but Flinders matched the quality of the strike with a top save that sent the ball wide of target.

Pools settled things down after a good spell for the hosts but struggled to find a real route through to goal - Brentford were strong at the back and determined up front.

Sub Mark Phillips met a left-wing corner to head at goal but Flinders was able to hold it, while Pools' sub Ritchie Jones went desperately close to grabbing a goal at the other end.

Good work between O'Donovan and Boyd set the ball down the right for Jones - he pushed on into the box to thump a ball at goal, which was well blocked by Szczesny who then held the rebound shot from Jones.

As Pools continued to plug away, a good one-two down the left between Hartley and Humphreys saw the latter send a searching ball into the box but when it found Monkhouse, his ball was pressured wide.

There was an unnecessary stoppage to add to the nerves as two Brentford fans were allowed to run around the pitch unchallenged for a period of time - leading to an additional five minutes being added on at the end of the game.

Pools held on for the point, every player battling to the end for the draw to secure survival in League One.

Att: 6, 893 (478 Pools)

Booked: Roy O'Donovan, Leon McSweeney, Andy Monkhouse, Denis Behan

Pools: Flinders, Austin, Collins, Liddle, Hartley, McSweeney (Jones 69), Gamble (Sweeney 90), Humphreys, Monkhouse, Boyd (Behan), O'Donovan
Subs: Cook, Clark, Haslam, Bjornsson, Jones, Behan

Brentford: Szczesny (Moore 90), O'Connor, MacDonald, Weston, Hunt (Dickson), Foster, Wood, Strevens, Diagouraga, Osbourne, Legge (Phillips 51)
Subs: Moore, Dickson, Bean, Ferrell, Franks, Blake