Zamora strike sends Hammers back to Premiership

West Ham manager Alan Pardew. The Hammers claimed the third and final promotion place to the English Premiership this season after they beat Preston North End 1-0 in the Championship play-off final at the Millennium Stadium.

West Ham United claimed the third and final promotion place to the English Premiership this season after they beat Preston North End 1-0 in the Championship play-off final at the Millennium Stadium.

Bobby Zamora's 57th minute goal was decisive in ensuring a return to the Premiership for West Ham, who finished in fifth place, one spot behind Preston and were twice beaten by North End during the regular league season.

Zamora, a Hammers fan, turned in Matthew Etherington's cross from the left to seal a victory for the London club, who dropped out of the Premiership in 2003, in a game billed as the '20 million pounds match' because of the financial rewards of being in English football's leading division.

Earlier, West Ham's Shaun Newton cleared a Richard Cresswell header off the line as Preston pushed for a return to top-flight football for the first time in 44 years.

But it was West Ham, whose back four included Anton Ferdinand - Rio's brother - who had the best early chance when defender Tomas Repka hit the post from a tight angle before Carlo Nash denied Etherington.

However, they had to survive seven minutes of stoppage time and a late injury to keeper Jimmy Walker whose replacement, Stephen Bywater, made an important save to preserve the Hammers' lead.

Alan Pardew's men, playing the more fluent football, were nearly rewarded in the opening minutes when Newton released Repka but the Czech defender, who'd never scored for the club, saw his shot bounce off Nash's left-hand post.

Zamora then played in Etherington, who saw his effort palmed away by Nash.

Then only a last-ditch tackle from Claude Davis, who'd switched off shortly before half-time to let in Zamora, redeemed himself with a last ditch tackle to deny the striker amidst half-hearted penalty appeals.

Early in the second half Preston almost punished the Hammers when Paul McKenna's corner was met by Cresswell only for Newton to head the goalbound effort away.

But West ham should have gone ahead when Nigel Reo-Coker's through ball split the North End defence.

Nash though blocked striker Marlon Harewood's shot, Zamora's effort from the rebound was cleared off the line by Davis and Harewood's second attempt was blocked.

But then came Zamora's goal and he could have made it 2-0 when, unmarked, he headed Etherington's free-kick over the bar.

West Ham, with veteran former England striker Teddy Sheringham on the bench, had a nervy final few minutes after Walker was carried off with what appeared to be a severe knee injury.

Bywater though kept his cool and virtually his first touch was to keep out a McKenna free-kick from the edge of the box.

Preston rarely threatened from then on and at the other end Mark Noble could have wrapped up the game in extra-time but fired wide - not that Hammers' fans were complaining come the final whistle.