Hull 4-1 Watford(Hull win 6-1 on aggregate): Goals from Nick Barmby, Caleb Folan, Richard Garcia and Nathan Doyle helped Hull reach Wembley for the first time in the club's 104-year history and set up a Coca-Cola Championship play-off final clash against Bristol City on May 24th.
Barmby cancelled out Darius Henderson's opener as Watford briefly threatened a stirring comeback in the semi-final second leg at a packed KC Stadium before succumbing to a convincing aggregate defeat.
Substitute Folan climbed off the bench to add his side's second after former England international Barmby had notched his second goal against Adrian Boothroyd's side in the space of four days.
Garcia and Doyle then grabbed a goal apiece late on as Hull romped to victory to spark a pitch invasion at the full-time whistle.
Tigers boss Phil Brown will take the majority of the plaudits after guiding a club seemingly in freefall when he took charge in December 2006 to safety last season and now to within one game of securing promotion to the Barclays Premier League.
Perhaps even more poignant is the fact it was two Hull-born players, Barmby and Dean Windass, who scored the goals over the two legs that in the end sent their hometown club to Wembley.
As for Watford and boss Boothroyd, they are left to reflect on a run of one win from 16 games which scuppered any hopes of an immediate top-flight return.
Despite starting the evening with the comfort of a two-goal cushion following a convincing 2-0 win in the first leg on Sunday, Hull were poor early on.
Hornets skipper John Eustace had a 20-yard volley comfortably saved before Fraizer Campbell almost capitalised on Adrian Mariappa's sloppy backpass to goalkeeper Richard Lee.
Boothroyd's boys needed an early goal if they had any hope of turning the tie around and it duly arrived after 12 minutes, with Henderson making a dramatic return to the side from suspension.
Henderson exchanged a series of intricate passes with Jobi McAnuff after a scramble on the edge of the penalty area before firing clinically past Boaz Myhill from 10 yards to take his tally for the season to 13 goals.
Windass volleyed over from 20 yards straight from the restart and curled a 30-yard free-kick over as Hull struggled to emulate the attacking gusto shown in the first encounter between the sides.
Ian Ashbee powered a near-post header over after meeting Andy Dawson's 40th-minute corner and barely three minutes later the hosts were level.
Michael Turner's lofted header caused unrest in the Watford defence and Jay DeMerit's weak headed clearance fell to Garcia.
Garcia looped a goalward header over the advancing Lee and the outstretched Barmby bundled the ball over the line from right underneath the crossbar to ease the home side's nerves heading into the interval.
Barmby's equaliser galvanised Brown's men and they looked more comfortable in possession after the restart.
Boothroyd introduced Tamas Priskin on the hour mark and it almost proved an inspired substitute for the visitors.
Priskin latched on to Tommy Smith's pass before unleashing a rasping 12-yard drive from an acute angle with his first touch which Myhill could only palm behind for a corner.
It was another substitute - Folan - who effectively ended the game as a contest 20 minutes from time as he stooped unmarked to head home Sam Ricketts' right-wing cross from six yards.
Doyle and Craig Fagan went close to adding another for Hull, while Bryan Hughes cleared off the line from Henderson in a breathless end to the second half.
But the Tigers finished with a flourish as Garcia scampered through the Watford defence and slotted home from 14 yards after 88 minutes, before substitute Doyle's deflected effort from 12 yards completed the scoring barely a minute later.
