Hull City 4-1 Watford (6-1 on agg)

But, after a pulsating second-leg tie at the KC Stadium on Wednesday night, all that is about to change and the side that has already made history are now just 90 minutes away from the greatest prize in domestic football, a place in the Premier League.

And it was local boy Nick Barmby who steadied the ship with a goal just before half-time to send the sides in at the break level on the night.

Despite having a 2-0 lead from the first leg, City seemed to be feeling the tension of the occasion and the expectancy of the home supporters and Watford were the much better side in the first half.

The visitors added to City's jitters by taking a 12th-minute lead through Darius Henderson, who played a neat one-two with Nathan Ellington before sliding home from eight yards past a despairing Boaz Myhill.

Hull almost hit back immediately when a Dean Windass volley from the edge of the area flew past the angle of crossbar and far post with Richard Lee in the Watford goal grateful that it wasn't on target.

With the aggregate score reduced, the visitors found a new belief and, for most of the half, played the better football.

It looked to the 23,000-plus who had packed into the stadium that an upset might be on the cards, but, just before the interval, Richard Garcia responded quickly to a poor defensive header from Lee Williamson and his looping goal-bound header left Lee stranded in no-mans land.

As the keeper scrambled back in an effort to get to the ball, up popped Barmby to make sure that the ball crossed the line with a nod-in from no more than a few inches.

That goal could not have come at a better time and, after the break, City looked a different side and began to grow in confidence and press forward.

Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd took just 12 minutes to throw on striker Tamas Priskin, who replaced Adrian Mariappa, a switch which left Watford with just three at the back.

Almost immediately, the Hungarian striker was in the thick of the action, exchanging passes with Tommy Smith down the right before latching onto a through ball in the area and firing a fierce diagonal drive at Myhill, who could only claw it away for a corner.

Just after the hour mark, Hull sent on Caleb Folan to replace the 39-year-old-Windass.

Watford left gaps at the back as they pressed for a goal and Folan took advantage of that to break into space and nod home unmarked from Garcia's right-wing centre.

To their credit, Watford kept going and Henderson was unlucky to see Bryan Hughes clear his effort off the line following a McAnuff corner.

With time almost up, Richard Garcia went on a jinking run that resulted in an excellent finish under Lee.

That goal led to a mini-pitch invasion, which was quickly cleared, and the victory was completed with almost the last kick when sub Nathan Doyle's deflected shot made it 4-1.

The final whistle sparked another pitch invasion, this time en masse, and the start of the celebrations.