Top 5 Championship Play-off Finals: Swansea joy and magic Mendonca

Bristol City 0-1 Hull City (2008)

After 104 years of existence, the Humberside club secured their first ever season of Premier League football in 2008. And for those of a black-and-amber persuasion, the circumstances could hardly have been sweeter.

Despite the Robins having much of the play and creating the bulk of the chances, they failed to do what Hull’s hometown hero Dean Windass did – score.

The veteran hitman fired home a thundering volley in the 38^th-minute, to give Hull the advantage. And despite a fair few scares, Phil Brown’s defence held firm to full-time.

Reading 2-4 Swansea City (2011)

A young Scott Sinclair wrote his name in the history books in a thrilling 2011 edition, bagging a hat-trick for the Swans – who secured top-flight football after a 28 year wait.

His first two came within the space of as many minutes midway through the first-half, before Scott Dobbie made it 3-0 shortly before the break.

But it wasn’t over. An unfortunate Joe Allen own-goal was followed by a bullet header from Reading’s Matt Mills before the hour.

Still, the Swans’ backline held firm before Sinclair sent them into dreamland with another well-taken spot-kick, to secure a 4-2 win.

Blackpool 1-2 West Ham United (2012)

Both of these sides were aiming to bounce back to the Premier League after relegation the previous season. And this was a terrific, hard fought contest which could have gone either way.

Carlton Cole’s neat touch and finish broke the deadlock on 35 minutes, silencing the Blackpool fans behind the goal. But they found their voice again three minutes after the break when Tom Ince finished smartly for the Tangerines.

That’s how it stayed until three minutes from time, when Ricardo Vaz Te pounced from close-range following a goalmouth scramble. That powered the Irons to the Prem, where they’ve stayed ever since.

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