Mark Warburton's first win in charge gives Brentford grounds for optimism "It gives the club a proper chance of performing at a higher level," said chief executive Mark Devlin, who has had an up-and-down time in the game himself, having survived a plane crash coming back from a game at Hartlepool when with Swindon, but not a cull in the eventful Gianni Paladini era when chief executive at Queens Park Rangers. "Brentford has bumbled around since the 1950s when last in the top division and only briefly flirted with the second tier of the English game," Devlin said. This allows us to attract more supporters and more corporate income. That decision having been made for them - giving a base to emerge from the giant shadows cast by QPR, Fulham and Chelsea five, six and seven miles away respectively - they then had to take one of their own on the new manager. They opted for continuity, with Warburton already inside the club as a well-respected sporting director, his background the finding and coaching of young players, which the Bees believe in so strongly that they recently invested £2 million in an indoor arena at Uxbridge High School. "I thought time had passed me by," said Warburton, 51, previously an academy coach at Watford. I'm sure my wife thinks there are men in white coats at the end of the driveway but you want to affect players. It's a unique opportunity with Uwe having done an outstanding job. If it's not broken, don't fix it. I will just make small tweaks, such as on set pieces, but there is no need to make wholesale changes. His initial tactics on Saturday were cautious, with one up front and Jonathan Douglas sitting in front of a back four to negate Oldham's leading scorer Danny Philliskirk. The visitors, indeed, on a run of nine unbeaten games, created the better chances. Only when Warburton sent on lively winger Sam Saunders and striker Marcello Trotta did Brentford impose themselves. Even so, the winning goal was harsh on Oldham. Douglas might have seen a red card for a foul on Philliskirk who was streaking through, but stayed on to grab the goal from Saunders's cross in added time, Latics manager Lee Johnson lamenting - with justification - Douglas clambering over defender Genseric Kusunga to head home. Now it falls to Johnson, the youngest manager in the Football League at 32, to lift his improving side for an FA Cup replay against Mansfield Town on Tuesday night, the winners to play Liverpool at Anfield in the third round. "It's so important for the club," Johnson said. It gives the lads a showcase, me the chance to pit my wits against one of the best managers in the world and the club a good opportunity financially. Brentford certainly have one. Poor relations in recent years, they could even in another few be the bee's knees. Brentford (4-1-4-1): Button; McCormack, Dean, Craig, Bidwell; Douglas; Donaldson, Forshaw, Saville (El Alagui, 80), Harris (Saunders, 60); Grigg (Trotta, 65). Subs: Lee, O'Connor, Logan, Reeves. Booked: Dean, McCormack, Douglas. Oldham Athletic (4-4-1-1): Oxley; Kusunga, Tarkowski, Grounds, Plummer; Petrasso, Smith, Wesolowski, Mellor (Winchester, 26; Schmelz, 88); Philliskirk; Clarke-Harris (Rooney, 70). Subs: Rachubka, Brown, Rodgers, Lanzoni. Booked: Plummer, Wesolowski. Referee: C Berry (Surrey).