Diame fires Hull back to the Premier League

LONDON (Reuters) - Hull City's Mohamed Diame struck an unstoppable long-range shot to beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Saturday and secure a money-spinning return to the Premier League. The game is billed as the richest in world football, with at least 170 million pounds ($248.59 million) for the winners, and with the stakes so high both teams put safety first. However, Wednesday goalkeeper Kieren Westwood had to be at his sharpest to deny Abel Hernandez in the first half. It was always going to take something special to beat the Irishman and Diame, who hit the post just before halftime, produced it after 72 minutes with a superb shot which curled under the crossbar. It was a goal that recalled memories of Dean Windass's stunning strike that secured Hull's first playoff triumph in 2008. Wednesday, who have been out of the top flight since 2000, finished with four strikers on the pitch but Hull held on to secure a return to the Premier League after one season. ($1 = 0.6839 pounds) (Reporting by Neil Robinson)