Sunderland have won promotion to the Championship after beating Wycombe Wanderers in the League One play-off final.
Elliot Embleton put the Black Cats in front inside the opening 15 minutes, hitting a shot from range which deceived Wycombe goalkeeper David Stockdale and flew into the back of the net. Their lead stayed at one as Wycombe attempted to get back into the game, bringing talismanic striker Adebayo Akinfenwa off the bench in pursuit of an equaliser, but Ross Stewart doubled Sunderland's lead inside the final 15 minutes.
It wasn't the first time in the third-tier play-off final for the former Premier League club. They were beaten in the final by Charlton Athletic in 2019, while last season they suffered a semi-final defeat to Lincoln City.
In 2020, it was Wycombe themselves who won promotion through the play-offs. with a victory over Oxford United. However, they were unable to stay in the Championship, finishing a point from safety before rebounding to launch a promotion push this time around.
Embleton had been an unused substitute in the second leg of the semi-final as Sunderland edged past Sheffield Wednesday through Patrick Roberts' late goal. However, after playing for Blackpool when they won promotion in the 2021 final, the 23-year-old was given the nod by manager Alex Neil.
The Durham-born youngster drove Sunderland into an early lead, which they held until half-time. Neil's side thought they might have had a penalty before the break, only for an offside flag to render their appeals moot after Roberts went down in the Wycombe box.
Sunderland had the best of the chances before the break, but only held a one-goal lead when the teams went in for half-time. Wycombe failed to register a single shot on target during the first period, but manager Gareth Ainsworth made changes after the interval in an effort to bring his team back into the game.
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The Chairboys started the second half strongly, and introduced Lewis Wing from the bench as they pushed for an equaliser. They almost got it, too, with Sam Vokes benefiting from a Bailey Wright misjudgement but failing to find a way past goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
At the other end, Ross Stewart had sent a header narrowly wide of the far post a few minutes before the Vokes chance as Sunderland aimed to double their lead. Neil looked to his own bench for the first time around the hour mark with Jack Clarke, who impressed in the semi-final but was left out from the start, coming on for goalscorer Embleton.
Sunderland also saw a penalty appeal waved away, with VAR finding nothing wrong with a Joe Jacobson challenge in the box, and the leaders continued to attack rather than sitting on their narrow advantage. Eventually, with 16 minutes left on the clock, Ainsworth turned to veteran Akinfenwa in his final appearance in professional football, but it was Neil's side who scored the crucial second goal of the game as Stewart collected an Alex Pritchard pass and beat Stockdale.
Wycombe didn't give up until the very last, continuing to create chances. However, after five added minutes, Sunderland's promotion was confirmed.
Sunderland were last in the Championship back in 2017-18, when they suffered a second relegation in as many years. Former Black Cats boss Chris Coleman has opened up on the pain of that season, which was documented in the TV show 'Sunderland 'Til I Die'.
"It wasn't my cup of tea, cameras in the dressing room and following you around," Coleman told the i. "But it was what it was, we had an obligation to play our part. I can't watch it, it's too painful for me."
Four years on from that relegation, Sunderland are finally back in the second tier. And they've done it the hard way.
