In a frenetic first half Blackpool twice came from behind to defeat Cardiff 3-2 and reach the top flight for the first time in 40 years at a sun-soaked Wembley. Michael Chopra and Joe Ledley twice put Cardiff ahead with crisp strikes but a Charlie Adam free-kick and a close-range finish from Gary Taylor-Fletcher drew the Lancashire side level on each occasion - before Brett Ormerod struck the winner shortly before the interval with a low shot.

Tangerines boss Ian Holloway was left speechless at how his team, written off as relegation candidates at the beginning of the campaign, will now begin next season in the Premier League.

"Can't put it into words, I am bursting with pride," Holloway told Sky Sports.

"We spoke about all sorts of things and we knew the quality that Cardiff had, which they showed.

"My lads kept going and they kept doing the same thing. I'm so proud it's absolutely outstanding.

"Cardiff threw everything at us in the second half and we still showed signs of not keeping the ball but the first half, for me, is the future, you have to keep the ball.

"I'm gutted for the Cardiff lads but I've never worked with a group of people who deserve this more."

Holloway's greatest moment as a manager comes also as a remarkable turnaround for the club, who were in the bottom division nine years ago, but now the 47-year-old insisted that he was just delighted to do it for the area.

"It's absolutely magnificent, not just for my team but for the whole area that we're from," Holloway added.

"You don't understand what it means, they are all going to have so much money coming in now from the Premier League and I can't tell you how we feel to do that for them. It's outstanding."