Sports digest

Today's other stories in brief

Today's other stories in brief

Hayter seals Doncaster's rise as Leeds stay put

ENGLISH LEAGUE ONE PLAY-OFF FINAL: James Hayter's second-half header saw Doncaster win promotion and Leeds consigned to a second season of third-tier football after a tense League One play-off final at Wembley yesterday.

Hayter took advantage of dismal marking to head in a 47th-minute corner and continue Rovers' remarkable ascent of the football pyramid.

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Just five years ago the club were playing non-league football but Hayter's strike was enough to cap a third promotion in five years and bring second-tier football to the club for the first time since 1957.

Leeds - who started the season on -15 points for breaking Football League rules on insolvency - had large spells of possession but were indebted to their goalkeeper Casper Ankergren for keeping them in the game as Doncaster threatened every time they poured forward.

Captain Brian Stock drifted the ball in from the right and Hayter was left with a free header on the penalty spot for the goal.

Smith relieved as Boyd clinches cup

SCOTTISH CUP FINAL:Rangers manager Walter Smith felt a sense of relief at claiming the Scottish Cup after being pushed all the way by Queen of the South, winning 3-2 in Saturday's final at Hampden Park.

The Ibrox side looked set for a comfortable win thanks to first-half goals from Kris Boyd and DaMarcus Beasley. But goals from Steve Tosh and Jim Thomson allowed the First Division outfit to restore parity within eight minutes of the restart.

It was Boyd who came to the rescue of Rangers once again, having already played a major role in the capture of the League Cup back in March, when he claimed the decisive goal late on.

Smith said: "It's a little bit of a relief I must say after the amount of football we've had over the last couple of months. It's obviously taken its toll a little, as you could see today, but I'm delighted for all the players we managed to win."

Windass steers Hull into top flight

ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF FINAL:Dean Windass does not want to be referred to as a "legend" after his goal on Saturday saw Hull promoted to the top flight for the first time in the club's 104-year history.

The 39-year-old Hull-born striker scored with a magnificent volley as the Tigers overcame Bristol City 1-0 in the Championship play-off final.

Windass fired his hometown club to glory in his first Wembley appearance, and milked the adulation of the 40,000-strong travelling support for all it was worth while he was out on the pitch.

The delight of the Tigers supporters was there for all to see that one of their own had shone on the biggest day in the club's history.

However, off the Wembley turf Windass, was quick to play down his achievement.

"I'm not a legend," he said. "People use that word too much in football and I don't like it. I'm not a legend, I'm a footballer.