Mark Warburton has called on his Brentford side to enjoy the challenge of Friday night’s Play-Off match with Middlesbrough.

Despite both teams being just three matches from the Premier League the Brentford manager insists there isn’t pressure on his players to perform.

Middlesbrough won both the league encounters earlier in the season and Mark expects another tough test against The Tessiders.

However The Bees’ boss said that Brentford have shown over 46 games that they deserve to be in the Play-Offs and he wants his side relish the occasion at Griffin Park on Friday.

Speaking to Bees Player Mark said: “It will be a very good match-up and an interesting challenge.

“Pressure for me is fighting relegation and fighting for a contract.

“We have earned this opportunity so we must relish it and not look back and say if only I had done this.

“We want to go and enjoy the challenge and see how we fare.

“From our point of view we don’t care who we play.

“We are in the Play-Offs and we are looking forward to it.

“We are fit, ready for the challenge and hopefully we will deliver a good performance.

“They are a very talented team and defensively very well organised with the way that Grant Leadbitter and Adam Clayton sit in-front of the back four.

“We expect it to be Daniel Ayala and Ben Gibson with George Friend at left-back.

“They have talent up front with Jelle Vossen, Patrick Bamford, Kike and Albert Adomah.

“They have very talented players but then again so do we.

“We have used the away game at Middlesbrough to show what happens when standards slip.

“It was without doubt our worst half of football all season.

“In the home game I thought we dominated for large parts of the match and created good chances.

“It will be two tough games against a high-quality opponent who will be pushing very hard.

“We need to show our standards and our discipline and hopefully get the right result.”

After Friday’s first leg in West London the two sides will meet again a week later in the North East at The Riverside Stadium.

Mark has yet to experience a two-legged tie in his managerial career so far but he doesn’t think that should change the way his side look to play on Friday night.

“It is two legs and it is important to do what we do,” said Mark.

“There isn’t a rush and we need to be patient, take care of the football and hopefully the chances will come.

“We have to defend intelligently, give nothing away cheaply and hopefully things will go our way.

“Middlesbrough will be very conscious about going back to their stadium but at the same time our track record on the road has been very good this season.

“We have taken 36 points on the road and gone to some big stadiums and performed well.

“From our point of view we need to do what we do well: remain positive, look to penetrate and get on the ball.

“That has been our philosophy for the whole season so why change it now.”

Brentford qualified for the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs on a dramatic final day of the season.

A 3-0 Brentford win over Wigan Athletic coupled with defeats for Derby County and Ipswich Town saw The Bees leapfrog the pair into fifth place.

After a tricky opening 15 minutes against The Latics Brentford were never unduly threatened and won thanks to goals from Alex Pritchard, Jota and Andre Gray.

“I knew the boys would get the job done at Griffin Park and we could control that,” said Mark.

“It was a case of what happened to the results away from us and I am delighted they went our way.

“We spoke about keeping the twists and turns away from us.

“We had to win the game first and then win it in a positive fashion for goal difference and then hope other things went our way.

“It was our final game of the season and there was so much at stake but the key thing for us was to deliver that good performance and deliver the right result.

“It was a good controlled performance.

“They had nothing to lose so they could take risks and go three on three and we had to deal with them as a very dangerous opponent.

“We didn’t get to grips with it in the first 15 or 20 minutes but when we did we looked a good side.”

Mark Warburton is hoping to be boosted by the return from injury and illness of Everton loanee Chris Long.

The 20-year-old striker has scored four goals in ten games since joining in January but has not featured since early April.

Mark is hopeful that the Everton man will be back in contention for Friday’s match but said that The Bees will be able to deal with it if he doesn’t quite make it.

“Chris is getting there,” said Mark.

“We extended his loan with the hope of having three more games which is what we have to do.

“We will see how he shapes up this week and got from there.

“He was ill and then he got a couple of injuries.

“He went back to Everton and got a nasty gash that needed 10 stitches.

“That is life and we have to move on.

“We had to deal with it and we did well in his absence.”

Mark expects the rest of the squad to be fit and raring to go despite Friday’s match being their 50th of the season.

The Bees boss said his players have been well looked after this season in terms of their rest and recovery and that they are in good shape ahead of the match.

“People say the players must be tired after 46 games but they rest and recover well,” said Mark.

“Their hydration and nutrition is good and their data from the end of the season is just as good as it is from the start of the season.

“It is not a myth because it is a long-draining season mentally but physically everything is done right for them.

“They are in good shape and they are looking forward to it.

“The table doesn’t lie and they have worked hard for the duration of the season.

“They are fifth in the league and they deserve to be there.

“It is a boost and they are up for the challenge.”