BRENTFORD boss Martin Allen admitted that leading the club to a place in today's FA Cup quarter final draw was the proudest moment of his managerial career.

League One play off hopefuls Brentford will host Saints at Griffin Park in eight days' time following their St Mary's comeback.

And Allen admitted that he is still coming to terms with his first season in league management.

The 39-year-old said: "It's my best achievement, I have to pinch myself because just over a year ago I was with Barnet at Bracknell in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup.

"The pitch was roped off so to come here this afternoon and get a draw that puts us in the quarter final draw is excellent."

Allen's heroes were this morning due to fly to the north east for a league game at Hartlepool just three days after their day out at a Premiership stadium.

The Victoria Ground may not be as salubrious as St Mary's but Allen wants no let up ahead of next week's replay after Bournemouth took advantage of Brentford's cup interest to sneak into the play-off positions on Saturday.

He added: "Before the game we told the players not to go waving to their aunts and uncles when they scored, but to get back in position and be ready for the game to start, and equally we told them to keep calm if they conceded.

"That's what they did, even after the early goal. But now we must concentrate and focus on Tuesday night, we have to do the same again."

Allen insists his approach to management is as meticulous as it is zany so you can be sure he will have watched a video of Saturday's match several times before next week's replay.

But he did not need a video replay to realise the importance of Isaiah Rankin's goal to Brentford's comeback.

"Getting the goal before half-time was very very important. It made my job at half-time much easier.

"At half-time all I asked was for a few of the players to raise their game a little bit, to play with more confidence and self-belief, and they certainly did that.

"I wanted them to do so well, I was kicking and heading every ball - and our keeper was outstanding."

"He made a mistake for the second goal but what's important is that he took the next two crosses off the big chap's (Peter Crouch) head."

Keeper Stuart Nelson, like his manager, has had a meteoric rise in the last 12 months. This time last year he was playing for Hucknall Town in the Unibond League.