Championship play-off final: Blackpool v Cardiff City

Wembley is bathed in glorious sunshine and Wembley Way is a mass of orange as the Blackpool fans make their way to the stadium
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

It's been a long journey down from Blackpool so these fans tuck into their tea and sarnies to replenish their energy supplies before kick-off ...
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

... but these supporters look like they'll be going hungry
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

Knotted handkerchiefs are hard to come by at Wembley so this Blackpool fan has to make do with a Sainsbury's carrier bag, well at least it's orange
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

Fireworks as the teams come out
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

Cardiff set their stall out early and just three minutes in Michael Chopra gets in front of Ian Evatt and hits the bar
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

Chopra goes one better six minutes later and fires Cardiff into the lead from the edge of the area. However, their lead lasts only four minutes, as Charlie Adam fires in a fabulous free-kick from 25 yards to make it 1-1
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

He's got every reason to be happy about that strike ...
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... as has Blackpool boss Ian Holloway
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Cardiff's Darcy Blake climbs above Gary Taylor-Fletcher
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

37 minutes in and Cardiff regain the lead. Joe Ledley lays the ball off to Peter Whittingham and then surges goalwards, Whittingham then plays him in down the left and the Cardiff midfielder slots the ball into the net
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

Again Cardiff's lead only lasts four minutes as Blackpool equalise for the second time, when Taylor-Fletcher stoops to put a powerful header into the net. 2-2, what a game!
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

Then just four minutes later with half-time approaching fast, Blackpool take the lead for the first time. DJ Campbell's jinky run takes him into the Cardiff area but his attempted shot bounces off a Cardiff defender and falls to Brett Ormerod who slams the ball low and hard into the net. Amazing!
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

Unbelievably the drama keeps on coming. In the second minute of injury time, Blake puts the ball into the net but it's rightfully ruled out for offside
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Stephen Crainey takes his eyes off the ball as he watches a flying Ledley
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

The relentness action continues in the second half and just before the hour mark Chopra finds himself in loads of space 20 yards out and lets fly but unbelievably he hits the bar for the second time, the Cardiff fans behind the goal can't believe it either
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

DJ Campbell is beaten to the ball by Anthony Gerrard
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As the final whistle draws ever closer, Cardiff are not having the rub of the green as they attempt to break down the Blackpool defence, so it's no surprise that manager Dave Jones starts to fear the worst ...
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.. .as does Cardiff keeper David Marshall
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Marshall saves at feet of Ben Burgess
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Then after an agonising five minutes of injury time, the final whistle goes and Blackpool are in the top flight for the first time in 39 years
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Holloway celebrates with sub Barry Bannan
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The champagne comes out ...
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... and Crainey finishes some of it off
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Keith Southern finds himself covered in ticker-tape
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Blackpool players celebrate
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Evatt still has the energy for a lap of honour, well maybe just a bit of a run about in front of the Blackpool fans
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer

Finally the celebrations end and the Blackpool fans head off, no doubt their heads full of thoughts about little Bloomfield Road playing host to the likes of Rooney and Drogba next season ...
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Observer