The day many had been dreading finally arrived on a warm spring day at Edgeley Park, where County were relegated to the basement division, for the first time in 14 years.
Marvin Robinson, signed on transfer deadline day from Walsall came into the side for his debut.
Damien Allen returned to the County midfield in the place of Ashley Williams who returned to his favoured position in the back four, alongside the impressive Michael Raynes. Frenchman Ludovic Dje, despite impressing against Bradford was relegated to the bench.
The game was scrappy from the outset, and the first fifteen minutes passed by with little to report. County, quite rightly were nervous, the players knew relegation was inevitable no matter what happened today and Brentford were desperate not to lose against the division's whippings boys.
The first real opening of the game however came from the home side, when Michael Raynes rose above a sea of bodies to launch a powerful header that was just poked over by the Brentford Keeper.
Brentford's first opportunity came from early substitute, Isaiah Rankin, who after good build up work from the away side found himself within sniffing distance of putting his side one nil up, but Ashley Williams was on hand to block his shot.
For the first half hour it looked like both sides were going to produce nothing more than a dour nil, nil draw. One of the brighter spots of the first half came when Kevan Hurst produced a counter attack with a brilliant run into the County area, his pass fed Adam Le Fondre, who did well to hold off the Brentford defence but his subsequent pass was wasted by Danny Jackman who shot just over.
With the game still poised at nil-nil, Brentford had the opportunity to take advantage of some poor County finishing, but Scott Fitzgerald, a recent signing from Watford was the next villain as his shot, which looked to have given the Bee's the lead went just inches wide.
Moments later, County again wasted an opportunity to take the game to Brentford, when the impressive Damian Allen's cross, fell to the head of Raynes who headed just over.
County were to come agonisingly close again just moments later, when Danny Jackman produced a great cross into the County area and the on-running Le Fondre missed from the far post.
The second half started like the first ended, scrappy and with very little in the way of creativity from both sides.
County had the best opportunity however when Zeke Tomlinson fed the ball into the box, the ball found debut boy, Robinson who was over generous and left the ball for Kevan Hurst to shoot, but the on-loan Blades player should have done better.
There were appeals for a penalty from the Away fans when Danny Jackman was adjudged to have handballed in the area, but all appeals were waved away by the Referee,
There was an appeal at the other end a few minutes later, when a Brentford defender was seen to be pushing Marvin Robinson, but all appeals fell on death ears.
The Bees were to go ahead on the 67th minute when poor defending from County allowed former Gunner Isaiah Rankin to beat the County Back four and his cross was poked in at the far post by former Watford man, Scott Fitzgerald.
This goal, ensuring County would be playing League Two football next season led to some protests from a section of the Cheadle End, who vented their frustration with current owner, Brian Kennedy.
This protest did not deter the County players and eventually they found a way through the Brentford defence, when the third penalty appeal of the game was awarded by the referee after Sam Sodje was seen pushing Le Fondre to the ground in the area.
With Harpal Singh injured and other regular penalty takers gone from the club, the unenviable task of taking the penalty was left to young, Adam LeFondre, who didn't disappoint as he coolly dispatched the spot kick past the Brentford Keeper.
Sodje was to turn from Villain to Hero in just six minutes when he coolly headed beyond Jamie Spencer following a scramble in the area to clear the ball.
As the final whilstle sounded around the ground, there were tears of deperation from Spencer, Raynes and Le Fondre. A sure sign that although there has been a lot of trauma at this great football club over the past nine months, our future is in great hands.
County: Spencer, Goodwin, Ashley Williams, Raynes, Horwood, Hurst, Tomlinson (Barlow 65), Allen, Jackman (Briggs 65), Robinson (Hardiker 81), Le Fondre.
Subs Not Used: Cutler, Dje.
Goals: Le Fondre 80 pen.
Brentford: Nelson, O'Connor, Sodje, Turner, Frampton, Pratley, Talbot, Dobson (Rankin 18), Tabb, Hunt (Peters 83), Scott P Fitzgerald (Myers 88).
Subs Not Used: Scott B Fitzgerald, Bankole.
Goals: Scott P Fitzgerald 57, Sodje 86.
Att: 4,408.
