Delighted Doncaster boss Brian Flynn said the resilience and experience of his side were key factors in winning npower League One by a point from Bournemouth in the most dramatic of circumstances.
Flynn said his heart was in his mouth when Brentford were awarded a penalty five minutes into stoppage time that would have denied Rovers a return to the Championship at the first attempt, but amid quite unbelievable scenes the hosts contrived to miss the spot-kick before the visitors raced up the other end to score on the break.
"We showed in 90-plus minutes exactly why we are worthy champions," said Flynn, who revealed he wants the job on a full-time basis following the expiry of his short-term contract on Sunday. "We soaked up everything Brentford had and then hit them on the break."
He added: "We stuck to the game plan and had a few decent chances in the first half, were very solid and strong and played with our heads as well as putting our bodies on the line. That's experience.
"When they got the penalty, and I wasn't sure what it was for, a lot goes through your mind but that is all history now. We've worked very hard for this and have stuck together and this is what you get if you keep doing what you are good as as we did."
Brentford boss Uwe Rosler insisted his side would bounce back after the heartbreak of being just one kick away from the Championship.
The Bees had their chance to seal promotion in the dying seconds when Clayton Donaldson was bundled over in the box, but on-loan Fulham striker Marcello Trotta wrestled the ball from first-choice taker Kevin O'Connor before blasting his kick against the bar.
Rovers broke straight away, the ball eventually finding its way to Billy Paynter who squared for James Coppinger to slide home at the far post with Brentford's strikers lying devastated in the Rovers box.
Rosler said the dressing room was "speechless" after Trotta's miss, and could not conceal his anger over the on-loan player's altercation with O'Connor prior to the kick.
"He was not my first-choice taker, but that is not something I want to go into now. We will deal with it internally and then go again," said Rosler. "The circumstances in which we lost promotion are very difficult to take but we will go away and have a few beers and then regroup to plan for Swindon (in the play-offs)."
Source: PA
