Northern Ireland duo Josh Magennis and Gavin Whyte were celebrating automatic promotion back to the Championship following Hull City’s 2-1 victory over Lincoln City at the weekend.
A fourth-minute strike from Magennis - his 18th of the season - and a late penalty from Mallik Wilks was enough to give the Tigers all three points and secure their return to the second tier of English football at the first time of asking following their relegation last term.
Hull City manager Grant McCann, a former Northern Ireland international, said: “We were just pleased to get over the line.
“I made a real point to the players before the game about concentrating on our performance, but I knew deep down that it was all about the result in the end. We’ve got that result and I couldn’t be any more proud.”
Elsewhere, NI defender Craig Cathcart will be back in the Premier League next term after Watford sealed their automatic promotion back to the top flight with a narrow 1-0 success at home to Millwall on Saturday.
Also on the scoresheet over the weekend was MK Dons striker Will Grigg, who scored four goals in his side’s 5-0 home victory over Swindon Town to take his tally to eight since joining the club on loan from Sunderland in January.
It was the first time an MK Dons player had ever scored four goals in a league game and 29-year-old Grigg praised the contribution of his team-mates in helping him achieve the feat.
“I’m really pleased to get on the scoresheet and get four to break the record,” Grigg told the club website. “Full credit to the boys, though. I know it sounds a bit clichéd but they make it so easy for me. They put the ball into great areas for me consistently and I owe them everything.”
It was quarter-finals day in the Scottish Cup with St Johnstone providing the biggest upset by eliminating Steven Davis’ Rangers 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out at Ibrox.
The game ended 1-1 after extra time with St Johnstone midfielder Ali McCann hitting the decisive penalty for the visitors who will now be seeking to make it a Cup double after lifting the Scottish League Cup earlier in the season.
However, Matty Kennedy and Niall McGinn will not be joining McCann in today’s semi-final draw as Aberdeen were beaten 3-0 at home by Dundee United.
Meanwhile, Conor Washington returned to action as a late substitute in Charlton Athletic’s 1-0 home defeat to Peterborough United after missing the last four games with a hamstring complaint.
In youth football in England at the weekend Dale Taylor scored his fourth goal of the season for Nottingham Forest’s U23 side who lost 2-1 at home to Cardiff City, while Conor Falls was on target with his 11th goal of the campaign for Huddersfield Town’s U17s who beat Bradford City 3-0.
Finally, there were assists for Callum Camps, Liam Boyce and Oldham Athletic’s on-loan midfielder Alfie McCalmont.
