Sunderland promoted win after dramatic Wembley win

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Sheffield United 1 - 2 Sunderland 

Tom Watson struck in the 95th minute to seal promotion for Sunderland and break Sheffield United hearts in a dramatic Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Author | Lewis Whalley

Stadium | Wembley Stadium

English football ~ 24/25 run in - Championship play off final | Sheffield United v Sunderland

The 19-year-old, who is set to join Brighton and Hove Albion next season, curled a composed low finish beyond Michael Cooper to secure Sunderland’s return to the Premier League after an eight-year absence.

It was a stunning conclusion to a contest in which Sunderland had been second best for long spells, outplayed for large parts by a determined United side.

Tyrese Campbell had put the Blades ahead with a well-taken first-half goal, and Harrison Burrows thought he had doubled the lead before a VAR check ruled it out for offside.

READ MORE | EFL play-offs: 24/25

Despite the pressure, Sunderland stayed in the game and levelled on 76 minutes through a superb strike from Eliezer Mayenda.

Then, with United temporarily down to ten men having used all five substitutes before defender Anel Ahmedhodzic was forced off with a head injury, Watson exploited the space to dramatic effect, sending the Wearside club back to the top flight in unforgettable fashion.

A gloriously unexpected rise

From a 16th-place finish to the surprise appointment of little-known French coach Régis Le Bris, talk of promotion to the Premier League would have seemed far-fetched just a year ago.

But after winning all four of their league matches in August, they set the tone for the season and never dropped below fourth in the table.

Their hopes of automatic promotion faded in the spring as results faltered, but a play-off spot was all but secured. They regained momentum just in time, edging past Coventry City in the semi-finals thanks to a dramatic extra-time goal from Dan Ballard.

Remarkably, they have achieved all this with a young and relatively inexperienced squad. At Wembley, captain Luke O'Nien was the only member of the starting eleven over the age of 25, while Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg are still in their teens.

None of the players had featured in the Premier League before. In contrast, Sheffield United's team had a combined total of 294 top-flight appearances.

Yet Le Bris and his players have cast aside those disparities to return the Wearside club to the top flight of English football.

Location: Wembley HA9 0WS, UK

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