Fourth time lucky as Sunderland beat Wycombe Wanderers to seal Championship return

• Sunderland promoted to Championship after victory over Wycombe Wanderers

• Sunderland playing in the League One play-offs for the third time since relegation from the Championship in 2018

• Goals from Elliot Embleton and Ross Stewart give Sunderland victory

"Wise men say, only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you…. Sunderland, Sunderland.” Elvis Presley may have sung it better but Sunderland fans have always sung it louder and prouder.

They were singing it on the trains and coaches down to London. They were signing it on the tube to Wembley Park and they were singing it as they walked into the stadium.

But it was the rendition after the final whistle had blown that sent a tingle up the spine. A love song worth singing again at last.

Finally it is over. After four long years in League One, Sunderland have been promoted and the joy and noise, the power of the celebrations, will live with every single one of the 45,000 plus fans who made the trip to witness it.

Nobody is quite sure why Sunderland adopted Presley’s classic ballad “Can’t Help Falling in Love” but it has always felt apt.

Sunderland have not been in a rush to get out of the third tier, losing to Charlton in a play-off final in 2019 and a semi-final to Lincoln City last year. It has been the most embarrassing and deflating period in their history, full of new lows.

But it is over. That is largely down to manager Alex Neil. The team and the club were in a mess when he arrived, sliding down the table, out of touch with the automatic promotion places and out of the play-offs too.

Sunderland have lost one game since he arrived in February. They were the division’s form team heading into the play-offs and it showed against Wycombe.

“People love a fallen giant, they love to stick the boot in,” said Neil. “It was such a challenge coming here, it’s a club that has hoovered up managers, but I’ve always wanted to go to a big club to show what I could do. But I couldn’t have done any of it without the players and the backing of the fans… it’s great to make so many people happy. I was waiting for something that would really test me and this was the biggest of them all.”

Do not make the mistake of believing this was a formality though. Sunderland had lost every single play-off final they had played until this - another miserable run Neil has ended.

It has been hard to love Sunderland for too long so it was fitting that it was one of their own, Elliot Embleton, who scored the all important first goal. The 23-year-old from Durham has had time out on loan at Grimsby and Blackpool. He has not always been first choice in midfield this season either.

But what a moment this was. Picking the ball up inside his own half, Embleton was away, jinking his way past two Wycombe players on the halfway line, charging forward.

In the stands, the fans screamed for him to shoot and that is precisely what he did, hitting a swerving shot that seemed to be heading straight into the arms of goalkeeper David Stockdale.

The Wycombe goalkeeper, though, had completely misjudged the flight of the ball and could only wave an arm at it as it flew into the net.

Football needs stories like this, the fairy tales. Embleton had just scored the sort of goal he must have dreamed about as a boy.

Sunderland were by far the better side but could not get a second goal. It made the second half more nervous than it should have been and it was another local boy from the Academy, goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, who prevented Wycombe snatching an undeserved equaliser when he stopped Sam Vokes scoring from close range after Bailey Wright’s missed header.

Wycombe offered very little in the final third and eventually Neil’s side had their superiority confirmed when Ross Stewart scored a well taken second late on. It was his 26th goal of the season.

As for Wycombe, there were no complaints.. “We were beaten by the better team, there is no injustice,” said manager Gareth Ainsworth. “On the big occasion, we have to take this on the chin. We upset the odds a couple of years ago and we enjoy doing that, we will continue to do that. We will be back here, I’m very proud of the boys.”

Match details and marks

Sunderland (3-4-1-2)  Patterson 8; Wright 5, Batth 7, O’Neil 7; Gooch 7, Embleton 8 (Clarke 61), Evans 6, Cirkin 6; Pritchard 7 (Doyle 81); Roberts 6, Stewart 7 (Broadhead 88).
Substitutes  Neil, Matete, McGeady, Hoffman. Booked Cirkin, Pritchard.

Wycombe Wanderers (4-2-3-1)  Stockdale 5; McCarthy 5, Stewart 7, Tafazolli 7, Jacobson 6; Gape 5 (Akinfenwa 75), Scowen 6; McCleary 5, Horgan 5 (Wing 55), Obita 6 (Hanlan 55); Vokes 5.
Substitutes Grimmer, Wheeler, Dickinson, Forino.

Referee Simon Hooper (Swindon).  Attendance 72,232.

Sunderland promoted to the Championship: as it happened

04:10 PM

That's all from me

What a day for Sunderland. Commiserations to Wycombe.

Luke Edwards' report from Wembley is above.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, wherever it takes you.

04:03 PM

They are going up!

04:01 PM

Elliot Embleton speaks to Sky Sports

03:59 PM

Ross Stewart speaks to Sky Sports

03:54 PM

Full-time: SUN 2 WYC 0

Sunderland are going back to the Championship.

03:53 PM

90+4 mins: SUN 2 WYC 0

There is one minute remaining.

Surely Sunderland are heading back to the Championship?

03:51 PM

90+2 mins: SUN 2 WYC 0

Brilliant from Clarke who forces a one-on-one with Stockdale but the Wycombe 'keeper stands up impressively to block what would have been the winner.

Lovely skills from Stockdale follow, too, as he flies off his line, out of the box, to deal with a high long ball by doing a few keepy-uppys. Sadly, it ends in very little.

03:49 PM

90 mins: SUN 2 WYC 0

Akinfenwa gets a touch at the far post, and it is a chance, but there's no real power on it - it wasn't easy.

Five minutes of added time to be played.

03:47 PM

89 mins: SUN 2 WYC 0

McCleary eyes up a long-range effort but it's superbly blocked. McCarthy tries to loft a ball in but it slices behind for a goal-kick.

R Stewart departs after scoring what is looking like the decisive goal. On comes Broadhead for Sunderland.

03:45 PM

87 mins: SUN 2 WYC 0

Scowen has a long-range pop that looks vicious as it dips, so Evans gets his body in the way to deflect for a corner.

Jacobson whips the corner in but Patterson punches clear.

A Steward comes back for another go but Patterson smothers it.

Time running out for the Wanderers!

03:44 PM

R Stewart's goal

03:44 PM

85 mins: SUN 2 WYC 0

Gooch unleashes Roberts down the right and it's a fabulous chance.

He cuts inside, flashes a shot across Stockdale's goal and it misses the far post by a whisker.

Roberts had Clarke free but chose to go himself - he should have hit the target, really...

03:42 PM

83 mins: SUN 2 WYC 0

R Stewart has a sniff again but he drags it wide under pressure from Tafazolli.

Then Sunderland come snorting back, and A Stewart thwarts another chance for his namesake with a strong challenge.

The noise inside Wembley is monstrous!

03:38 PM

Goooooooaaaaaaaaaaaallll!

Is that it? Ross Stewart finishes from the edge of the box and Sunderland are two up!

He finds himself in a pocket of space, flings his right foot across it and finds the bottom-left corner of the net.

Stockdale remains motionless and surely that is game over?

03:38 PM

78 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Hanlan does well to win the ball back down the left for Wycombe and he does excellently to get in behind.

He has done all the hard work, but he attempts an audacious long-range effort from a tight angle that is never going to trouble Patterson.

03:35 PM

76 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

A booking for Pritchard after a cynical foul.

Akinfenwa has got the bit between his teeth here - and he has galvanised Wycombe's supporters.

Can he galvanise the team, too?

03:33 PM

74 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Akinfenwa is on! The 40-year-old's final appearance in professional football.

He couldn't, could he? Could he rescue Wycombe?

03:31 PM

Vokes' chance

03:29 PM

71 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Clarke is clear down the left. He travels to the byline, pulls a cross back in front of goal but Scowen gets back to clear for a corner. He read that well.

Still danger for Wycombe, though... although Sunderland waste their corner.

Just over 72,000 in Wembley, incidentally.

03:28 PM

69 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

A massive penalty shout for Sunderland! The ref points for a corner, but A Stewart does collide with Roberts but even Var waves it away. Big call.

Pritchard shoots the corner in but Batth's header is over the bar. Still, a bit of rare momentum (this half) for Sunderland.

03:24 PM

65 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

More sustained pressure from Wycombe, as McCarthy throws in and A Stewart crosses into the box, only for Pritchard to desperately clear for Sunderland, who have 11 men behind the ball.

Gape plays a wayward pass behind McCarthy's run and Sunderland escape with a throw-in.

Halan comes on for Obita for the Wanderers, who look the hungrier of the two teams currently.

03:20 PM

That header from R Stewart

03:19 PM

59 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Superb keeping from Patterson!

The bouncing ball flies over the head of Wright, who misjudges it, and it falls at the feet of Vokes, one-on-one with the Sunderland 'keeper.

The ball never quite sits for the Wycombe striker and Patterson does well to close him down and win back possession.

Embleton, Sunderland's goalscorer, departs for Clarke.

03:16 PM

55 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Wing on for Horgan for Wycombe.

McCleary sends a cross towards Obita but there's too much on it.

A bit more accuracy required for the Wanderers - but there's no doubting the second-half intent.

03:11 PM

52 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Pritchard's cross is a peach!

He picks out R Stewart at the back post who heads back across goal... Stockdale is beaten but the ball trickles inches wide.

This has real 'next goal is the winner' vibes about it.

03:09 PM

50 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

McCarthy streaks down the right for Sunderland, he gets the cross in but Batth clears well.

Nonetheless, it's all Wycombe so far this half, and they continue to put the pressure on.

Vokes tries to slalom on his own on the edge of the box but the defence is stolid.

03:07 PM

48 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Another foul from Cirkin and the half isn't even two minutes old! He was booked for the first one, incidentally.

The Wycombe players plead for a second yellow but the referee waves them away.

Jacobson again, however, from a slightly better spot flings a cross into the box but Patterson gets off his line to punch well clear.

03:05 PM

Back under way at Wembley

No changes to either side.

A massive 45 minutes for both halves.

Cirkin gives away a cheap free-kick immediately after half-time and Jacobson blasts a left-footed delivery into the box which Sunderland head away.

03:01 PM

A reminder of Sunderland's goal

02:59 PM

Looking unlikely as it stands!

02:48 PM

Half-time: SUN 1 WYC 0

Via a moment of brilliance from Pritchard - a pass off the outside of the boot - it's the half.

It belongs to Sunderland but, with the way Wycombe have warmed up, one goal does not feel like enough.

02:47 PM

45 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Free-kick to Wycombe in a cross-able position on the left as the half draws to a close.

It's a great ball in and A Stewart gets a header to it, but he cannot direct it goalwards under immense pressure.

Still, positive signs for Wycombe with one minute of added time to come.

02:44 PM

42 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Sunderland make a real hash of it at the back!

The two centre-halves attack the same ball and get in each other's way, then Gooch attempts to head the ball back to the 'keeper but there's nowhere near enough on it and Vokes almost sneaks in!

02:42 PM

40 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Excellent defence down the left from Cirkin as he manages to thwart McCleary's attempted cross and win a goal-kick for Sunderland.

Sunderland have been the better side this half, no doubt, but they will not be comfortable with just the one-goal lead.

02:39 PM

37 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Penalty shout for Sunderland as Roberts is brought down in the box but R Stewart was offside earlier in the move.

Wycombe free-kick... and they motor down the right once again, Patterson dealing with a floated cross.

02:37 PM

34 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Sunderland win the corner on the right before a bit of 'how's your father?' in the penalty box.

The referee sorts it out, Pritchard scoops the ball into the box, it's kept alive at the far post by Batth but the follow-up header can't be kept down.

02:32 PM

29 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

R Steward with a long-range effort forces Stockdale into a diving save to his left.

Wycombe enjoy a steadier period of territory and possession.. and after admirable patience,  Vokes beats Gooch at the far post but his header is mis-timed and sails over the bar.

02:28 PM

26 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Obita gets the better of Gooch down the left for Wycombe but Evans steps in to help his team-mate.

Wycombe are more settled after a ragged opening but McCleary errs with his cross, blasting it out for a goal-kick.

02:24 PM

23 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Pritchard with a shot from the edge of the box but it's straight at Stcokdale.

This time, the Wycombe 'keeper makes no mistake.

02:22 PM

21 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Roberts goes on a mazy run but his pass, intended for Pritchard, is a poor one and McCarthy intercepts.

Down the other end, McCleary dinks a ball towards the head of Vokes but the striker is offside.

02:20 PM

The opener

02:18 PM

17 mins: SUN 1 WYC 0

Wright with a fantastic tackle to thwart a Wycombe attack - and the counter is on!

Pritchard thrashes a cross into the box and A Stewart does excellently to clear under pressure.

It's all red and white, currently!

02:14 PM

Gooooooaaaaaaallllll!!!

Embleton gives Sunderland an early lead!

What a solo goal. Embleton picks up the ball inside his own half, drives towards Wycombe's area, and fires a bullet straight at Stockdale's goal. The Wycombe 'keeper gets nowhere near it, even though it was hit straight at him, and Sunderland have the lead.

It's a cracking strike but it's pretty sloppy goalkeeping.

02:13 PM

Pritchard's early chance

02:12 PM

11 mins: SUN 0 WYC 0

Pritchard again causing Wycombe problems.

He whips a ball in from the left but it wobbles and heads goalward. Stockdale is forced to deal with it and tip it away for a Sunderland corner.

02:10 PM

9 mins: SUN 0 WYC 0

Gooch puts far too much on a cross and Wycombe can regroup with a goal-kick.

Still, an exceptionally positive start from Sunderland.

02:09 PM

8 mins: SUN 0 WYC 0

Better from Wycombe.

Using the width excellently, switching the play well, and McCleary loops a ball into the box that Patterson has to come out and clear up.

02:08 PM

6 mins: SUN 0 WYC 0

More danger for Wycombe!

Good work down the right from Roberts and Gooch ends with a ball whipped into the Wanderers' box, and Tafazolli inexplicably tries to head the bouncing ball rather than clear with his boot, and R Stewart almost sneaks in at the far post.

02:06 PM

5 mins: SUN 0 WYC 0

Wow it's close from Pritchard - it even looked like it was in as it crashed into the side-netting.

Tremendous flight and dip from the free-kick and we were inches from an opener.

02:05 PM

4 mins: SUN 0 WYC 0

Punchy from Cirkin!

He comes off his left foot on the left touchline and marches towards the box, sending Wycombe back-pedalling.

The left-wing is shoved and Sunderland have a free-kick in a dangerous position.

02:03 PM

2 mins: SUN 0 WYC 0

A shaky start from Wycombe as the Wanderers dither from the kick-off, but Stockdale does enough to clear downfield.

Sunderland win the first free-kick of the match.

02:01 PM

Kick-off!

We are ready to go at Wembley.

Var is in operation, too, for the first time in a play-off final.

Wycombe will get us under way.

01:59 PM

A reminder of those teams

Sunderland (3-4-1-2): Patterson, Wright, Batth, O'Nien, Gooch, Embleton, Evans, Cirkin, Pritchard, Roberts, Stewart.
Subs: Doyle, Broadhead, Neil, Clarke, Matete, McGeady, Hoffmann.

Wycombe (4-2-3-1): Stockdale, McCarthy, Stewart, Tafazolli, Jacobson, Gape, Scowen, McCleary, Horgan, Obita, Vokes.
Subs: Grimmer, Wheeler, Wing, Hanlan, Akinfenwa, Dickinson, Joseph.

01:57 PM

God Save The Queen

The customary rendition, first of all.

01:54 PM

Here we go

The teams are on the way out.

Kick-off is next!

01:53 PM

Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth to Sky Sports

01:50 PM

Today's referee...

... is a Mr Simon Hooper.

Kick-off is in 10 minutes!

01:40 PM

46,000 Mackems in Wembley!

Some effort, that.

01:38 PM

Sunderland manager Alex Neil speaks to Sky Sports

01:21 PM

Live from Wembley

Sunderland fans seem to have taken over London!

01:14 PM

Pre-match facts

• Wycombe and Sunderland had never faced in a competitive match before the 2018-19 campaign, but will face off here for the seventh time. Each of the previous six meetings have come in League One, with Wycombe winning only once to date (D3 L2).

• This will be the sixth third tier Football League play-off final to be contested by the sides who finished fifth and sixth in the division that season, and the first since Bradford City (5th) vs Millwall (6th) in 2017, with Millwall being promoted. The team that finished in sixth have been promoted on three out of five such occasions coming into this match (Peterborough United in 1992, Scunthorpe United in 2009, Millwall in 2017).

• Sunderland have contested three Football League play-off finals to date and have never won, being eliminated by Swindon Town in 1990, and Charlton Athletic in both 1998 and 2019. Only Reading and Sheffield United (four each) have contested more play-off finals without winning. Nonetheless, Sunderland were ultimately promoted in 1990 in place of Swindon Town, who were charged by the FA.

• This is Wycombe’s fourth Football League play-off final, winning promotion in the fourth tier in 1993-94 (4-2 vs Preston) and third tier in 2019-20 (2-1 vs Oxford) but losing 6-7 on penalties in 2014-15 after a 1-1 draw with Southend in the fourth tier.

• Wycombe have conceded at least three goals in each of their last three matches against Sunderland, with a Sunderland player scoring a brace in each match (Chris Maguire, Ross Stewart, Ross Stewart). The Chairboys have never conceded three goals or more in four successive matches against a single opponent in all competitions.

01:01 PM

Team news!

Sunderland makes one change.

Midfielder Elliot Embleton came in for Tottenham loanee Jack Clarke in the only switch from the semi-final second leg at Sheffield Wednesday.

Sunderland: Patterson, Wright, Batth, O'Nien, Gooch, Embleton, Evans, Cirkin, Pritchard, Roberts, Stewart.
Subs: Doyle, Broadhead, Neil, Clarke, Matete, McGeady, Hoffmann.

Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, 40, is named on the bench in his final game before retirement.

Wycombe: Stockdale, McCarthy, Stewart, Tafazolli, Jacobson, Gape, Scowen, McCleary, Horgan, Obita, Vokes.
Subs: Grimmer, Wheeler, Wing, Hanlan, Akinfenwa, Dickinson, Joseph.

12:58 PM

Good afternoon!

Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport's live coverage of today's League One play-off final at Wembley, where Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers face off for a place in the Championship.

Sunderland manager Alex Neil insisted his side have treated the build-up to today's match as "a normal working week".

Neil revealed in his pre-match press conference that his "relaxed, focused and ready" team are preparing for the final much as they would for any other fixture.

He said: "We don't change our preparation for the game, it'll be a normal sort of working week in the terms we look at it.

"In terms of what's riding on the match, naturally there's a lot more at stake in terms of how we approach it, how we go about it, but the processes from Monday to the game day will be pretty much the same."

Sunderland are playing in the League One play-offs for the third time since being relegated from the Championship in 2018.

They have missed out on promotion on both previous occasions, losing the 2019 final 2-1 against Charlton and falling short with defeat to Lincoln in the semi-finals last year.

Sunderland picked up four points against Wycombe in League One this season under Neil's predecessor Lee Johnson, winning 3-1 in September and drawing 3-3 in January.

Meanwhile, former Wycombe midfielder Sam Saunders has hailed manager Gareth Ainsworth as "fantastic" as the club prepare to face Sunderland today.

Wycombe were relegated from the Championship last season but have a chance to bounce straight back up with a win today.

Saunders played under Ainsworth during two spells at the club - on loan in 2015 before joining permanently between 2017-2019 - and he praised the manager for the work done in nearly a decade in charge at Adams Park.

"Gaz (Ainsworth) every day was positive, good demands, wanted the best for his players, wanted the best for his team and, like I say, good guys and good people to work with.

"You'll run through a brick wall for Gaz, but you'll also run through a brick wall for your team-mate who's right of you and your team-mate who's left of you because there's such a tightknit squad, you just don't want to let anyone down.

"Yes, Gaz has been fantastic but Gaz alone will admit it's not just him, it's a whole collective."

PA