Sunderland U23s took another step towards promotion as they won their Premier League 2 play-off semi-final at Stoke City.
Second-half goals from Josh Hawkes and Ollie Younger earned a 2-0 win at the bet365 Stadium.
They will now face Crystal Palace in the final after the Eagles beat Wolves 3-2 at Selhurst Park in the other semi-final, with that tie decided in extra-time after the game ended 2-2 after 90 minutes.
The final will be played at Selhurst Park and is expected to take place at some stage over the next week, although the exact date has yet to be announced.
Sunderland drew 1-1 with Stoke at the Academy of Light last Monday, with that point enough to book their place in the play-offs.
And seven days later they went one better as they triumphed in the Potteries against the side who finished second in the second division of Premier League 2, nine points clear of third place and ten points clear of the Wearsiders who finished fifth.
Around 2,000 Stoke fans were allowed into the bet365 Stadium to watch the play-off game, and Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus was also there to see the Black Cats earn the chance to secure promotion back to division one after three seasons in the second tier.
Hawkes put Sunderland in front on 56 minutes after he had been set up on the edge of the box by Stephen Wearne.
And Hawkes turned provider nine minutes later, with his free-kick finding centre-back Younger who headed home from inside the area.
Sunderland included trialist Tyrese Dyce in their starting XI, with two more trialists - Tom Scott and Ethan Kachosa - on the bench.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for Sunderland, who last season were bottom of division two with just a single point from 18 games when the campaign was curtailed due to Covid.
STOKE CITY U23: Hemfrey, Coates (Sparrow 79), Jones, Forrester, Taylor (Goodwin 58), Macari, Malone, Adebambo (Porter 72), James-Taylor, Wright-Phillips, McClean. Subs not used: Simkin, Sy
SUNDERLAND U23: Patterson, K Richardson, Dyce (Dunne 90+6), Wilding, Younger, Almond, Wearne, Hackett, Harris, Neil, Hawkes (Scott 90+15). Subs not used: A Richardson, Kachosa, Wombwell
