Fulham back in Premier League after Bryan's extra-time playoff double

Soccer Football - Championship Play-Off Final - Brentford v Fulham - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 4, 2020 Fulham's Tom Cairney lifts the trophy as he celebrates promotion to the premier league with teammates after winning the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Fulham made an immediate return to the Premier League as two extra-time goals from full-back Joe Bryan gave them a 2-1 win over Brentford in the Championship playoff final at an empty Wembley Stadium on Tuesday.

Bryan opened the scoring near the end of the first period of extra time when he spotted Brentford goalkeeper David Raya out of position and anticipating a cross from his deep free-kick before cleverly driving the ball into the bottom corner.

The Spanish keeper was slow to react, once Bryan had opted to shoot, but the lead was a deserved one for Scott Parker's side, who had the better of what had been a cagey 90 minutes.

Soccer Football - Championship Play-Off Final - Brentford v Fulham - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 4, 2020 Fulham's Joe Bryan celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Bryan made sure of the victory with a second goal three minutes from the end of the second period of extra time, clipping home from close range after a burst forward down the left and quick exchange with substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Henrik Dalsgaard pulled a goal back for Brentford in the final seconds but there was no time for a recovery by the Bees, who were searching for a place in the top flight for the first time since 1947.

COVID-19 related restrictions meant no fans were at Wembley to witness Fulham's triumph but Bryan still had a night to remember.

Soccer Football - Championship Play-Off Final - Brentford v Fulham - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 4, 2020 Fulham manager Scott Parker, Joe Bryan and Bobby Reid pose for photos as they celebrate promotion to the premier league with the trophy after winning the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

"I'm not the hero," said the full back, as his team mates celebrated a return to the Premier League just a year after relegation -- an achievement worth around 135 million pounds ($176.34 million) over three years for the west London club.

"Every single one of them boys, players, staff, supporters, everything's been with us all season, it's been absolutely unbelievable," added Bryan.

"We've been written off, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten times. I think I even read somewhere that we were supposed to be scared of them, but we took it to them, we scored twice. They made it hard for us."

Soccer Football - Championship Play-Off Final - Brentford v Fulham - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 4, 2020 Fulham's Joe Bryan celebrates scoring their first goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

It was a bitterly disappointing end to the season for Brentford, the division's highest scorers with 80 goals in the regular season, who lost at home to lowly Barnsley on the final day of the campaign, when a win would have earned promotion.

Brentford's Danish manager Thomas Frank was disappointed but still able to put the season in some perspective.

"Of course it is tough when you lose a final like this in a tight game. But we have gone from a mid-table club to a team who, in the league table, was the third-best team," he said.

Soccer Football - Championship Play-Off Final - Brentford v Fulham - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 4, 2020 Brentford's Henrik Dalsgaard scores their first goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

"We are very fine margins away from the Premier League, which is an incredible achievement from us."

(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Ken Ferris)

Soccer Football - Championship Play-Off Final - Brentford v Fulham - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 4, 2020 Fulham's Joe Bryan scores their first goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Soccer Football - Championship Play-Off Final - Brentford v Fulham - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 4, 2020 Brentford's Halil Dervisoglu in action with Fulham's Tim Ream, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Soccer Football - Championship Play-Off Final - Brentford v Fulham - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 4, 2020 Fulham's Denis Odoi in action with Brentford's Mathias Jensen , as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

Soccer Football - Championship Play-Off Final - Brentford v Fulham - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 4, 2020 Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic is shown a yellow card by referee Martin Atkinson, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs