Hull City are back in the Premier League after beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the Championship playoff final at Wembley.

Mohamed Diame was the Tigers hero, firing a superb finish past outstanding Wednesday goalkeeper Kieren Westwood from outside the area after the break.

After a nervy and tentative start from both sides, Hull began to get a grip on the game and almost took the lead after 29 minutes.

Abel Hernandez rose to meet a corner but saw his header cleared off the line by Kieran Lee, with Hull appeals for a handball from Michael Dawson’s follow-up effort being waved away by the referee.

The Tigers went even closer when Hernandez, clean through, fired an effort towards goal but Westwood made the first in what was to be a series of fine saves to deny him.

Diame hit the outside of the post after outwitting a trio of defenders, but Wednesday began the second half brightly and almost broke through when Fernando Forestieri was denied by a fine Curtis Davies challenge.

They were soon back under pressure, and were again grateful to Westwood when he blocked Dawson’s effort after the Owls had failed to defend a corner.

Shortly before the hour mark, Hull made and missed the best chance of the game when a low Moses Odubajo cross was fired wildly over the bar by the unmarked Andrew Robertson from well inside the area.

But after 72 minutes, the Tigers got the goal their pressure deserved when Diame took possession outside the area and finally defeated Westwood with an outstanding curling effort.

That meant a Wednesday side that had failed to create a clear-cut chance had less than 20 minutes in which to muster a response — but they could not even muster an attempt on target.