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.