THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — Burnley returned to the top flight of English soccer Monday for the first time in 33 years with a 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the playoff final.
Midfielder Wade Elliott scored the crucial goal in the 13th minute at Wembley. He surged past two challenges before getting the ball back and curling it from the edge of the area into the top corner.
"That’s probably the best goal I’ll ever score," Elliott said. "My mum and dad were sat up in the opposite corner and I thought about running over, but it was too hot."
Burnley finished fifth in the League Championship, two places below its opponent, and had many chances to score. But the one goal was enough to join Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham in going up.
Sheffield United, which was demoted from the Premier League two years ago, created little but did have two reasonable appeals for penalties turned down by referee Mike Dean.
Dean then sent off Sheffield United midfielder Jamie Ward with 12 minutes left for a second yellow card for a deliberate hand ball.
The promotion is likely to be worth more than 40 million pounds (C$71.4 million) to the northwest England club — which will be the 43rd team to play in the Premier League.
"We had chances to put the game to bed," Burnley manager Owen Coyle said. "I felt we were worthy winners on the day and there’s a big adventure ahead."
Burnley was relegated from the top flight in 1976, 16 years before the Premier League started. And it appeared staying in the lower divisions even longer would be the norm when the Blades started.
Dean, who was criticized before the game by Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell for his performance in officiating his team earlier this season, soon turned down the first penalty appeal.
Burnley’s Graham Alexander, playing a club-record 61st game in one season, clipped Brian Howard’s heels in the area.
But Elliott scored at the other end and Burnley had two chances to go 2-0 ahead in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Defender Mike Duff first lunged at the ball but just failed to deflect Steven Thompson’s header from a corner, before substitute Joey Gudjonsson had a close-range shot blocked on the line by Tim Montgomery.
Kyle Walker then took out Robbie Blake with a sliding tackle in the area just as the Burnley striker was about to shoot with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Sheffield United looked to have an even stronger appeal for a penalty when Christian Kalvenes barged over Walker, but Dean again thought not.