Wade Elliott uncorked the most expensive swig of vintage Claret in Burnley's proud history - and at £60million it was worth every drop.

As 36,000 day trippers from Turf Moor turned football's most famous promenade into Wembley Wade, promotion to the Premier League became a reality for the house of Elliott.

All over the pitch, there were Burnley heroes. Graham Alexander, 37, finally laid to rest six play-off defeats, while reformed boozer Clarke Carlisle didn't put a foot wrong. Then there was Elliott, who can dine out for life on his brilliant winner.

His club last dined at the top table back in the 1970s, when the team included Ralph Coates sporting a Bobby Charlton comb-over, Leighton James on the wing, Martin Dobson, Peter Noble and Brian Flynn.

But they are back thanks to Owen Coyle. The Clarets' messiah achieved the double promotion and deification the same 90 minutes.

Sheffield United we can deal with in short measure. They can add another play-off blowout to the long list of big occasions they have bottled.

Fa Cup semi-finals, play-off finals, win-or-bust Premier League fixtures on the last day of term - you name it, they've blown it.

Their game plan appeared to be based around multiple penalty appeals to referee Mike Dean.

Only once, when Christian Kalvenes cut up Kyle Walker like a bad driver on the M1 after 69 minutes, did they have a justifiable grievance.

Substitute Lee Hendrie, a distant rumour in an England shirt, took his complaints too far and was sent off after the final whistle for foul and abusive language.

As an attacking force the Blades were a blunt instrument. When they did finally work up a head of steam, substitute Jamie Ward managed to get himself sent off for two bookable counts of deliberate handball inside four minutes.

After missing out on the £60m Premier League jackpot, all that is left for the Blades is to count the millions they have won through the courts from the Tevez affair- and hope Barnsley don't relieve them of the spare change for skipper Chris Morgan's awful challenge on Iain Hume earlier this season.

Burnley deserve their place on the big stage after memorable Cup exploits, including a campaign to clean up London - with Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Fulham falling foul of the Turf Moor litter police. Only Manchester United have played more than the Clarets' 61 games this season, a breathless workload shared by only 23 players.

Even if this wasn't a Wembley classic, make no mistake: the better side won, and their celebrity fans will have a spring in their step today.

Weatherman John Kettley will forecast typhoons and floods with a twinkle in his eye, spin doctor Alastair Campbell can sex up the match programme to his heart's content and England bowler Jimmy Anderson will scatter West Indian poles all over Edgbaston.

The winning goal, after just 13 minutes, was Premier League class and came from the best player on the pitch.

Elliott's surging run appeared to have gone up a dead end, but when Matt Kilgallon's tackle came back to him 25 yards out, the former Bournemouth winger curled a sublime shot beyond Paddy Kenny.

In truth, Burnley would have turned a typically fraught, tense final into a procession had they converted their plentiful chances.

Martin Paterson curled tantalisingly wide from long range, United midfielder Nick Montgomery somehow smuggled substitute Joey Gudjonsson's effort off the line and Walker's last-ditch tackle denied Robbie Blake a far-post tap-in. But once Ward had suffered his double shortcircuit, Burnley were able to run down the clock towards mouth-watering dates with United, Liverpool and the Premier League hoi-polloi next season.

Make sure you sample the local cuisine, Fergie - Burnley's pies are the best in the country.

Burnley : Jensen 7, Alexander 6, Carlisle 8, Caldwell 7, Kalvenes 6, Duff 6, Elliott 9, McCann 6 (Gudjonsson 27, 7), Blake 7 (Eagles 69, 6), Thompson 6 (Rodriguez, 73, 6), Paterson 6.

Sheffield United : Kenny 6, Walker 7, Morgan 6, Kilgallon 6, Naughton 7, Cotterill 4 (Ward 59, 4), Montgomery 7, Howard 6 (Lupoli 82), Quinn 6 (Hendrie 85) Halford 5, Beattie 5.

Referee : Mike Dean
Attendance : 80,518

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