Fleetwood Town have secured promotion to English football's third tier for the first time with a 1-0 victory over Burton Albion in the League Two play-off final at Wembley.
With a population of just 27,000, Fleetwood is the smallest English town to have a Football League club, but the Lancashire team continue to defy the odds as they advance up the league pyramid at a startling pace.
Only nine years ago they were playing non-league football in the North West Counties Division One, yet their victory in the play-off final means they can look forward to facing the likes of Coventry, Sheffield United and Barnsley in League One next season.
Antoni Sarcevic was the match-winner for Graham Alexander's side, with his 75th minute free-kick settling a tense clash and clinching the club's sixth promotion in 10 seasons.
Following the play-off semi-final win over York, the former Manchester City midfielder declared he would single-handedly elevate the club, nicknamed the 'Cod Army' because of the town's fishing industry, into the third tier and, with 15 minutes to go on Monday, he proved true to his word.
Sarcevic's 30-yard free-kick was intended as a cross, but Burton goalkeeper Dean Lyness lost the flight of the ball and was powerless to prevent the ball arching over him.
Fleetwood's was a fitting 44th birthday present for chairman Andy Pilley, who has invested STG10 million ($A18 million) to transform the club from minnows into Football League big fish.
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