Sunderland are back in the Championship after conquering their play-off hoodoo and defeating Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley. Goals from Elliot Embleton and Ross Stewart saw the Black Cats ease past the Chairboys, ending their four-year stay in League One.
Alex Neil's team also called time on 35 years of play-off hurt, with Sunderland finally succeeding at the seventh attempt. The 46,500 Sunderland fans celebrated wildly at full-time, delivering full-throated renditions of 'Wise Men Say' and 'We're on our way' as Neil and his players lifted the trophy.
Sunderland deserved their win on the day, dominating the game and Wycombe's only real opportunities came from a couple of defensive mix-ups in the second half. And now Neil and his team can look forward to next season in the Championship.
LIVE BLOG: Sunderland vs Wycombe action & analysis from Wembley
Neil made one change to the side that played in the semi-final second leg against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, with Elliot Embleton coming into the starting XI in place of Jack Clarke.
Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth named an unchanged side, sticking with the same players who featured in their semi-final second leg at MK Dons.
Backed by a wall of noise created by the red and white army, Sunderland started like an express train and carved out two opportunities inside the opening five minutes.
Dennis Cirkin won a free-kick just outside the box when he cut inside from the left and was brought down by the combined efforts of three defenders, and Alex Pritchard curled his set-piece inches wide of the top left-hand corner and into the sidenetting.
A couple of minutes later, Pritchard's cross from the edge of the box eluded the Wycombe defence and Ross Stewart sliding in at the far post just could not make contact when any kind of touch would have ended up in the net.
But Sunderland made their early pressure count on 12 minutes, as a slick move brought the opening goal. Midway inside his own half, Cirkin played the ball to Luke O'Nien, his pass was destined for Pritchard on halfway but instead Embleton collected it and he drove through the centre before unleashing a shot from the edge of the area which swerved mid-flight, deceiving goalkeeper David Stockdale who could only get his arm to it as the ball went into the net right next to him.
Wycombe began to settle into the game a little, but Sunderland still looked a threat when they came forward. Stewart almost added a second goal just before the half-hour when he picked up the ball on the edge of the box and tried to bend a shot inside the right-hand post, but Stockdale dived full-length to push it away and when it came to Patrick Roberts he sent his attempted cross over the bar.
Wycombe failed to force Anthony Patterson into a save in the first half, with their only real chances seeing Sam Vokes head over the bar from a Daryl Horgan cross, and Anthony Stewart do the same from a free-kick.
Sunderland almost gave themselves a two-goal cushion in the early stages of the second period, as Pritchard's cross from the left was met by Stewart but he steered his header back across goal and inches wide of the far post.
The Black Cats had a let-off on the hour when Wright misread the bounce of the ball inside the penalty area and it went over him to Vokes, but Patterson was quickly off his line to save at the striker's feet.
Wycombe had another great chance on 78 minutes when a double-ricochet saw the ball come off Wright and then sub Brandon Hanlan which put the forward clean through, but he fired tamely straight at Patterson when he should have done much better.
And just a minute later, Sunderland made the game safe. Pritchard played the ball in to Stewart's feet on the edge of the box inside the D and he controlled before sending a low right-foot shot into the bottom left-hand corner, with the keeper rooted to the spot.
Sunderland could have added a third goal when Roberts sent a shot narrowly wide, and they had another chance in injury time when sub Clarke found himself inside the penalty area with only the keeper to beat, but Stockdale managed to make the block.
Minutes later, referee Simon Hooper blew for full-time and Sunderland's promotion party started.
How they lined up
Sunderland: Patterson, Gooch, Wright, Batth, Cirkin, Evans, O'Nien, Roberts, Pritchard (Doyle 80), Embleton (Clarke 61), Stewart (Broadhead 88). Subs not used: Hoffmann, Neil, Matete, McGeady
Booked: Cirkin, Pritchard
Wycombe: Stockdale, McCarthy, Stewart, Tafazolli, Jacobson, Gape (Akinfenwa 75), Scowen, McCleary, Horgan (Wing 56), Obita (Hanlan 65), Vokes. Subs not used: Dickinson, Grimmer, Wheeler, Forino
Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)
Attendance: 72,332
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