Portsmouth 3 - 2 Rotherham
Portsmouth return to the top flight after an absence of 15 years as champions of the Football League thanks to last night's party here. After Leicester's draw with Norwich yesterday lunchtime, Pompey secured the win that earned them the trophy they probably deserved after leading the table for most of the season.
Their chairman Milan Mandaric fulfilled his promise to bring Premiership football to this part of the south coast, four years after his arrival, though what sort of experience lies in store for Pompey remains to be seen. Most of those who have transformed them from strugglers to victors, the likes of Paul Merson, Tim Sherwood, Steve Stone, Gianluca Festa and Shaka Hislop, may have Premiership experience but are also the wrong side of 30 and funds for young blood will doubtless be limited. But, as Mandaric said in his programme notes, talk of next season's ambitions is for the future.
Merson, the creative hub of the Pompey team, scored his 12th of the season after 11 minutes to settle any home nerves. Festa played the ball into Svetoslav Todorov, who needed little encouragement to fall in the area as Guy Branston went to challenge.
Merson dispatched the penalty, only for Branston to make amends with the equaliser five minutes later after a long throw from Shaun Barker. Todorov restored Portsmouth's advantage when Vincent Péricard got free on the right and crossed for the Bulgarian to lash the ball in at the near post.
Though the evening may have been one of celebration, Harry Redknapp will not have been happy with the generosity of Portsmouth's defending. Chris Swailes equalised with a fine header from a Nick Daws corner and Rotherham looked the more dangerous side.
But on the stroke of half-time Todorov got his second. Nigel Quashie crossed from the left and Péricard headed back across goal to leave Todorov with the simplest of tap-ins.
The fans' deafening celebrations made the second half little more than a sideshow. The substitute Ayegbeni Yakubu went closest, wasting the opportunity after Merson's determined run and cross.
Rotherham tried to make a game of it but lacked the guile. That the home players had to fight their way off the pitch at the final whistle suggests Portsmouth will have to tighten their security now that they are up with the big boys. But yesterday they had every right to celebrate.
Man of the match: Svetoslav Todorov (Portsmouth)