In the end it was an own goal that ended Nottingham Forest’s 23 years of pain.
The Reds are back in the Premier League after nigh-on a quarter of a century out of it, struggling for long periods in that time to keep their heads above water.
And their reinstatement to the top flight is down to former Swansea City head coach Steve Cooper. The Welshman has constantly banged on about "the team" and the group effort at the City Ground since his arrival in the east Midlands. He did the same when he was in south Wales. But make no mistake; this promotion is down to him.
READ MORE: Steve Cooper mobbed live on air by players as ex-Swansea City boss says club has changed his life
“There’s such good will around the club. We’ve been desperate for something like this. I’ve felt it in the last eight or nine months,” said Cooper last night. “We’ve just tried to put a sense of belief in amongst the club which is connected with the supporters. There’s no doubt we deserve to be promoted, with the football we’ve played and the games we’ve won, and the attitude we’ve given - every time we’ve had an average performance or lost, we’ve recovered.
“There was only once we lost two games on the run, and ironically, that was against Huddersfield. But we bounced back. I’m just really proud of everybody connected with the football club, including the supporters. It’s a magical football club, and we’ve reminded the world of that.”
He added: "I love being at this football club. It isn't about me, but it has changed my life professionally anyway.
"My family are here and the players' families are here. The supporters are here and Stuart Pearce will tell you, this football club is about belonging of a city. It comes together on a matchday. We've brought Nottingham to Wembley, we've took over the place and here we are in the Premier League."
Swansea fans could be forgiven for having mixed feelings seeing Forest back in the big time. Cooper took Swansea into the play-offs in consecutive years, falling at the semi-final stages in his first campaign in SA1 before losing to the same opponents Brentford in the final last year.
It was a remarkable achievement - and he’s bettered it this year, taking Forest from the bottom of the table to the promised land in just eight short months. At this level, the former Liverpool coach knows how to get results. When he left SA1, his exit wasn’t exactly mourned by supporters, who had become nonplussed with the fare on show. It seems a bit rich to turn your nose up at two top-six finishes but that was the reality this time last year.
Amid links with Fulham and Crystal Palace, Cooper and Swansea parted ways and an alternative approach was sought, something more in line with their Swansea Way principles.
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They decided to go down a different albeit familiar path previously trodden by the likes of Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter who emphasised a free-flowing approach with front-foot football very much at the forefront of their thinking.
Russell Martin is of a similar ilk and brought with him the antithesis of what we saw under Cooper in Landore. Martinball gets fans on the edge of their seats - sometimes too close to the precipice, such is the braveness the new head coach wants them to play with. From the outset, Martin warned there would be scary moments and he has been true to his word on that front.
The journey under Martin is set to meander quite a bit should the campaign just gone be anything to go by. A season of transition saw Swansea finish 15th, 14 points off the play-offs and 19 behind Forest. Where does it leave things?
It once again comes down to what Swansea fans want from their club; do they want swashbuckling, attacking, possession-based football, or do they require a win-at-all-costs approach which could also been deemed pragmatic rather than proactive?
It’s a difficult one, with supporters probably keen on a hybrid model which incorporates both. Cooper seems to have been able to do that at Forest, something which he couldn't realise at Swansea, for one reason or another.
It is hard not to feel pleased for Cooper - and particularly his coach Alan Tate - for gaining promotion. The feelgood factor around the City Ground was clear for all to see this season.
Swansea, hindered by financial constraints, are plotting a different route to the Premier League and will hope their return to the top flight will not be anywhere near the wait Forest fans had to endure. Martin has pleaded for patience and he’s got that from supporters. His excitement is genuine and infectious and despite their lower mid-table finish, that optimism has transmitted to the fanbase.
Martin’s job next season is to turn that exuberance into a genuine promotion charge towards the play-offs. The bookies believe they can at least challenge for it.
If you were to canvas supporters right now over whether they are happier with the football under Martin then most would probably agree they are. Obviously, it comes down to individual preference and whether you value entertainment over end result.
In sport there is nothing like winning. But it is how you go about it that has always been important to Swansea fans - that debate has been brought firmly into focus by Cooper's success with Forest. Some will have strong feelings on this.
Martin will have a full summer to now work with his players, instill his methods yet further into the minds of his players and add strength to his squad where he sees fit. Roll on next season.
