Hull City vs Sheffield Wednesday. Sky Bet Championship.
WembleyAttendance70,189.
Sunday 29 May 2016 07:26, UK
Hull City secured promotion back to the Premier League after beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final.
Mo Diame struck a sensational winning goal 18 minutes from time as Steve Bruce's men joined Burnley and Middlesbrough back in the big time after just one season away and banked an estimated £110m in the process.
It needed something special to beat Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, who was in inspired form in front of 40,000 raucous Owls fans.
Carlos Carvalhal's team, seeking to end a 16-year absence from the top flight, finished with four strikers on the pitch but failed to really test a well-drilled Hull defence, led impeccably by Michael Dawson and Curtis Davies.
Roared on by a vibrant sea of blue and white, Wednesday started brightly, using the big Wembley pitch to their advantage.
Dawson had to take one for his Hull team on 11 minutes when he scythed down Fernando Forestieri, who had raced away down down the right.
Although they enjoyed plenty of possession, only a Ross Wallace free-kick troubled Hull goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.
After soaking up the early pressure, Hull then took over.
Abel Hernandez had struggled to get into the game but had an effort cleared off the line by Kieran Lee after Wednesday had struggled to deal with a corner.
That was close, but he went even closer on 35 minutes. Diame threaded a wonderful ball through to the striker, who took the ball in his stride and was only denied by a fantastic save by Westwood.
The woodwork came to Wednesday's rescue moments later as Hull surged forward. Diame wriggled his way into the box and managed to fire an effort at goal from an impossible angle. It was a cracking hit but the goal frame blocked it away.
Westwood then had to be alert minutes later to deny Moses Odubajo, who had scampered in behind.
Wednesday might have had the advantage when it came to noise from the stands and their side were denied by a fantastic last-ditch tackle by Curtis Davies as Forestieri headed through on goal on 49 minutes.
Back came Hull, though, and Westwood stood strong again on 55 minutes to block a Dawson effort away at the back post.
Andrew Robertson then had a Wembley moment to forget as he spurned a fantastic chance. Odubajo led a quick Hull counter and he put the ball on a plate for the full-back 10 yards out but he skied his effort horribly wide.
His teammate Diame showed him how it should be done with 18 minutes remaining. Picking the ball up about 30 yards from goal he only had one thing on his mind. He got the ball out of his feet and struck a sensational effort into the top corner.
It was a Premier League-class goal and Wednesday had no response.
Hull City are back in the Premier League at the first time of asking and Bruce has made his own history, becoming the first manager to win four promotions to the top flight in the Premier League era.
