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Burnley were promoted to the Premier League after a wonder-goal by Wade Elliott gave them a 1-0 Championship play-off final win over Sheffield United at Wembley.

Former non-league midfielder Elliott curled home a beautiful shot from outside the area to put the side that finished fifth in the second tier of English football in the top flight for the first time in 33 years.

While United came two places higher in the league than the Clarets, Owen Coyle's side have an excellent big-match pedigree, having knocked four Premier League clubs out of cup competitions this season, and had beaten Blades both home and away in the league this season.

It was a superb strike in an ordinary match that was over as a contest when, with 11 minutes remaining, substitute Jamie Ward was shown a red card for two bookings in five minutes.

A tense first half was low on quality as both sides struggled to string a succession of passes together with the ball in the air as often as the deck.

So the moment of brilliance that gave a 13th-minute lead to Coyle's over-achievers - who have the fourth-lowest budget in the Championship - was as anomalous as it was spectacular.

Elliott picked the ball up just inside his own half and, after deciding that a run would be better than a pass, skipped past Steven Quinn, surged towards goal and played the ball to Chris McCann on the edge of the box.

McCann was tackled by Matthew Kilgallon and the ball broke back to Elliott who simply passed it high and curling into the top-left corner with Paddy Kenny flying across in vain.

United laboured to get a leveller but rarely threatened in the first half, with Craig Beattie ploughing a lone furrow up front and rarely supported by the midfield or wide players Greg Halford and David Cotterill.

They did, however, have a good call for a penalty rejected when Brian Howard seemed to be tripped in the box by Graham Alexander.

Referee Mike Dean was a controversial appointment, criticised by Blades boss Kevin Blackwell for sending off Kilgallon in a league game earlier in the season, and he infuriated them once more by waving away appeals.

Dean also dismissed four more penalty claims by United, all in the second half, although unlike Howard's they were dubious at best.

Burnley, meanwhile, sat back and waited for the opportunity to get the ball up to strike duo Steven Thompson and Martin Paterson, both of whom went close with a header and curling shot respectively.

The second half was easier on the eye, with more chances and better football from both sides.

Michael Duff almost turned in a Thompson header after Robbie Blake's corner, while substitute Joey Gudjonsson could not believe his own eyes when Nick Montgomery cleared his close-range finish off the line after Thompson knocked the ball across goal.

Kyle Naughton, who was playing at left-back but appeared to be everywhere at times, saved United's bacon with a last-gasp challenge to deny Blake an easy finish after Burnley sprung the offside trap.

As the second half progressed, Blades were starting to look more threatening, with more possession and a sense of urgency, but Burnley keeper Brian Jensen only had to make one real save, at the feet of Ward when he raced clear down the left minutes after coming on.

But they were dealt a huge blow by the stupidity of Ward, who picked up two needless yellows in quick succession, both for deliberate handballs one 74 and 79 minutes.

United boss Kevin Blackwell threw on Arturo Lupoli as his side pumped the ball forward looking for an equaliser.

In doing so they left huge gaps at the back and Burnley should have got a second, first when Jay Rogriguez was put in on the right with his side three on who but he shot straight at Kenny with fellow sub Chris Eagles free in the middle, and then when Eagles himself worked a superb chance with a mazy dribble but opted to try and beat Chris Morgan when he should have either shot or played Paterson in.

Five minutes of injury time set Clarets' pulses racing but by this point United were a spent force and it is Burnley who - along with automatically-promoted sides Wolves and Birmingham - will be playing Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal next season.

Reda Maher / Eurosport