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LONDON -- It arrived in the 24th minute: the moment that the past 12 months had built towards.
As Southampton striker Adam Armstrong guided the ball into the bottom corner of the goal with his right foot in front of the Leeds United fans, the seething mass of red and white shirts in the opposite half of the stadium formed a single entity -- they paused in unison before lurching forward and descending into an upheaval of limbs and tears.
Another 76 minutes of tense, strained football followed before the whistle gave way to celebrations throughout the stands: Southampton had won the Championship playoff final, 1-0 -- and, with that, they are headed for the Premier League.