New signing Niall Towle was the man who blasted home the final spot kick to send the visiting Yellows into raptures as they saw their side lifted into a higher division for the first time in many years.

Unchanged from the semi-final the week before, Andy Ingle had set out to achieve promotion in just his first year in charge alongside former player Michael Banister and did so in the most tense and spectacular fashions a year on from Hucknall’s semi-final failure at Hinckley.

The game itself was one of opportunities few and far between. Both sides were looking to play direct and pick out players in the channels to no real avail, thanks to a superb shift on the Yellow side of proceedings from Sam Sims in midfield.

The first chance of note did not arrive until the stroke of half-time, as a long ball over the top from Kai Wilson caused chaos between the Birstall keeper and his defence and allowed Craig Westcarr to steal in and get a toe to the ball, but it rolled agonisingly into the side netting.

The second half was a different affair with both teams smelling blood and throwing caution to the wind. Birstall were the first to foray forward as skipper Aaron Short was on hand to slide in and block a low cross from the flank early doors.

Hucknall soon bit back and found the breakthrough through Kieran Knight, who moments before had seen a header blocked off the line. The winger got a knee to a chaotic Joe Ashurst corner that pinged off nearly everyone in the box, but managed to end up in the back of the net courtesy of Knight.

It wasn’t to last long, though, as the hosts soon restored parity from the penalty spot after the referee spotted a handball inside the Hucknall area.

The last fifteen minutes of the action saw the game open out even further, with Knight turning onto a fine Sims pass before volleying on goal with power, only to be denied by the goalkeeper comfortably.

Birstall should have taken a late lead as a long ball over the top with ten to go allowed their winger to get around Kinnerley and square it inside, but their striker and captain slipped under pressure from Billy Brooks and Short and failed to capitalise.

In a now end-to-end affair, Ashurst was next to have a go as a cross from substitute Oliver Brown was cleared as far as the midfielder, allowing him to strike a venomous first-time attempt that fizzed wide of the near post.

Birstall again were faced with a golden opportunity with only seconds left in the game, as a missed clearance allowed two hosting attackers to foray in behind with only Kinnerley to beat, only for Jamie Crawford to somehow get back in time to put in a sensational sliding tackle and kill the chance.

It was, then, to be penalties that decided the winners of promotion in Leicestershire. Joe Ashurst was first to take in front of the ferocious home fans, but he rolled his kick comfortably home.

Kinnerley was the hero in the semi-final with two penalty saves at Bourne Town, and continued his heroics again here as he stooped over to his left to beat behind Birstalls first strike.

Aaron Short and Billy Brooks were the two players to step up next for Hucknall with both centre backs blasting their strikes home, but both were matched by Birstalls next takers, with Kinnerley unlucky not to reach the first and bewildered by the second, after their taker had seemingly hesitated immediately before kicking it to no referee intervention.

It wasn’t to matter, though, as Niall Towle stepped up with decades of Hucknall Town history on the line to dispatch his penalty high into the top right corner to send The Yellows up into the Premiership for the first time since 2011.

Hucknall starting XI: Kinnerley, Crawford, Brooks, Short (C), Tomlinson (Brown 60’), Wilson (Lane 62’), Sims, Ashurst, Lamb (Lindo 56’), Knight (Towle 85’), Westcarr

Unused subs/reserves: Connor Whiles, Callum Clarke, Fin Whyte

The club would like to thank our supporters for an amazing turnout in what was a memorable day.

More coverage throughout the day on our official website, Twitter and Facebook feeds.