LONDON (AP):

DEAN WINDASS scored a spectacular volley to give Hull a 1-0 win over Bristol City in yesterday's League Championship play-off final, earning his hometown club a place in English soccer's top league for the first time in its 104-year history.

The burly veteran striker smashed the ball just inside the post from the edge of the area in the 38th minute to earn Hull, who are known as the largest English city never to have had their club in English soccer's top division, the final place in next season's Premier League.

"It's just surreal," Windass said. "To score the winning goal? I'm just lost for words."

The win at Wembley Stadium will also be worth as much as £60 million (US$119 million; €75.5 million) to the club in television money, sponsorship and other revenue.

city to return

City, meanwhile, will return to the League Championship for a second season, just a year after winning promotion to the second-tier competition.

"I feel for those lads over there," Hull manager Phil Brown said of the beaten players. "They gave it their best shot, but someone had to lose."

Hull, who just missed out on automatic promotion and finished a place above City in third, withstood early pressure and could have fallen behind, but Dele Adebola managed only a weak shot from close range with his less favoured right foot.

But the Tigers, with former Premier League players Nick Barmby and Windass in their starting lineup, began to put the City defence under pressure through the power and pace of their forwards.

Eventually, on-loan Manchester United striker Frazier Campbell feinted and twisted toward the touchline to the left of goal and chipped a pass back to Windass on the edge of the area.

The 39-year-old Windass, who played for Bradford and Middlesborough in the Premier League, shifted his weight on to his left foot and hit the ball fiercely with his right into the net.