Huddersfield held their nerve in a gripping penalty shoot-out to climb back into the npower Championship for the first time since 2001 after a goalless 120 minutes at Wembley.
Sheffield United goalkeeper Steve Simonsen, who had kept his side in the game with three top-class saves in normal time and two more in the shoot-out, missed the decisive spotkick as Huddersfield clinched victory in the npower League One play-off final 8-7 on penalties.
Huddersfield's Tommy Miller, Blades midfielder Lee Williamson, Town's Damien Johnson and United defender Matt Lowton all failed with their penalties, while Blades substitute Andy Taylor hit the post.
It was cruel on Danny Wilson's Blades, who have now lost four play-off finals after defeats in the Championship in 1997, 2003 and 2009.
But if either side deserved to edge through after a stiflingly cagey 120 minutes it was Huddersfield, beaten by Peterborough in last year's final at Old Trafford and semi-final losers the previous season, after the West Yorkshire outfit created far more chances.
Town manager Simon Grayson has now won promotion from the third tier three times with different clubs - Blackpool and Leeds the others - while counterpart Wilson was left to reflect on a miserable end to the season after his side lost out on automatic promotion to city rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
