Watford in the Premiership

DeMerit - 26 and only in his first season as a professional footballer after coming to London from the United States after failing to make the MLS draft - hurled himself at a Jordan Stewart corner after 25 minutes of fairly incessant Watford pressure, lax marking and no man on the far post allowing him to score his third goal of the season.

"We worked so hard all season and on the day all the boys came together for a team effort," DeMerit said after the game.

"It's always good to get off to a good start... I'm really happy that we held out at the end."

DeMerit's goal capped off an amazing two years for the University of Chicago graduate, who had moved to the UK on a whim to try and make the grade in non-League football before being spotted playing for Northwood.

"I can't really take all these things in. Maybe that's a good thing. It's important to remember where you came from."

Aidy Boothroyd was full of praise for his players, who overcame all the odds to finish third in the English second division.

"I love my players, they're fantastic. There are going to be a lot of clubs in a lot of divisions that are going to say "we're going to do a Watford".

"We haven't got the financial power but we have the team spirit.... People were saying we were favourites to go down this season, so I'm looking forward to it (the Premiership)."

Watford dominated the match and - a few shaky moments for on-loan Manchester United 'keeper Ben Foster aside - Leeds barely had a chance on goal.

After DeMerit's opener Watford continued to boss possession, going against their normally attractive footballing principles to use the long ball into the channels on account of a dreadful Millennium Stadium pitch cut-up by the Heineken Cup Rugby final between Munster and Biarritz only the day before.

Leeds' defence continued to look at sixes and sevens, unable to deal with most crosses from out wide and placing unnecessary pressure on veteran stopper Neil Sullivan with poor back-passes.

Even the half-time introduction for winger Robbie Blake for Frazer Richardson could not change things, with only Eddie Lewis able to test the Watford defence with crosses from the left.

Watford made it two ten minutes after half-time when Leeds failed to clear a long-throw from Gavin Mahon, Malky Mackay's flick arriving at the feet of former West Brom defender James Chambers, his scuffed shot taking a wicked deflection off the hapless Lewis to deceive Sullivan and creep in off the inside of the post.

The yellow half of the capacity stadium went delirious, an unexpected return to the top-flight beckoning and confirmed when second division top-scorer Marlon King was brought down in the box by Shaun Derry, Darius Henderson making no mistake with the penalty.

Watford - who will be the seventh Premiership club from the Greater London area - become one of the rare second division third-placed sides to actually win the play-offs and can expect up to 40 million pounds in extra funds on their promotion.

Watford in playoff final