Christopher Schindler scored the penalty which sent Town into the Premier League and sparked the biggest party Huddersfield will ever have seen.

He clinched a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win over Reading in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final at Wembley after Danny Ward had saved a crucial kick from Jordan Obita.

Ward - hero of the semi-final shoot-out win over Sheffield Wednesday - had previously been beaten by Yann Kermorgant, Daniel Williams and Liam Kelly before Liam Moore blazed over the bar to give David Wagner’s battling heroes a lifeline.

Chris Lowe netted Town’s first before Michael Hefele, superb in 120 minutes, saw his effort saved.

Nahki Wells and Aaron Mooy held their nerve while Moore buckled.

Then, when Ward saved, record £1.8m signing Schindler sent 39,000 Town fans in a crowd of 76,682 into utter delirium.

The fans were magnificent throughout the whole showpiece, and now they can see their club - around £200m richer - taking on some of the biggest names in world football.

What a reward for chairman Dean Hoyle. And what a reward for the David Wagner revolution!

Wagner made just one change to the 18 which defeated Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals, bringing back Chelsea loanee Kasey Palmer to the bench in place of Jack Payne.

The starting line-up remained the same, in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Tommy Smith captain and club captain Mark Hudson on the bench.

Reading were also unchanged but with one switch on the bench, Jordan Obita replacing Dutchman Danzell Gravenberch.

Skipper Paul McShane was suspended after being sent off in the first leg of their semi-final victory over Fulham, so right wing-back Chris Gunter led out the side, playing in a 3-5-2 formation.

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The 39,000 Town fans in the stadium gave their team an unbelievable welcome, holding up cards with the yellow and black hoops as fireworks heralded the arrival of the players.

After a tense opening, Town had a great chance on five minutes, after a foul on Rajiv van La Parra. Aaron Mooy swung in the free kick from the left and Michael Hefele’s downward header was placed wide when he could easily have scored.

Town went even closer in the 10th minute after a raid down the right by Smith. Elias Kachunga passed the ball across the box and Chelsea loan man Izzy Brown somehow stabbed his shot wide of the unguarded target from no more than two yards.

Reading responded with a curling shot wide from Lewis Grabban, as both teams made good use of any space.

As Town continued to press, Reading centre-back Joey van den Berg was booked by referee Neil Swarbrick for hauling down Kachunga (16 minutes).

Jonathan Hogg was booked for Town on 28 minutes, for a late lunge on Daniel Williams, as the encounter started to get spicy in midfield.

Nahki Wells was getting little help from the referee, either, in the face of some strong challenges, but Town continued to look slick going forward up until half time.

The second half opened at pace with Lowe trying a long-range effort for Town and Danny Ward making a smart save to deny Swift.

Reading then had their best spell and Grabban had a half chance after getting wrong side of Hefele, but he lifted the shot wide.

Kachunga was booked for dissent on the hour mark as Town battled to get back into it, with Reading having 62% of second-half possession to that point.

Reading sent on Jordan Obita and switched to a flat back four, while Wagner replaced Kachunga with Collin Quaner, a move which worked so effectively against Sheffield Wednesday in the semis.

It was Town who had to defend, however, with Hefele making an outstanding block on Grabban to prevent a 71st-minute shot in the box.

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Smith went into the book for a foul on Williams 15 minutes from time before Town went close through Quaner, who didn’t know too much about Mooy’s drllled cross as he stabbed it wide.

Hefele intervened superbly at the back once more for Town to stop Yann Kermorgant as Reading pumped up the pressure in the final 10, respite coming when Smith went down injured and, unfortunately, was forced off. Martin Cranie took over at right back with 88 minutes on the clock and seven extra added.

Chris Gunter headed over for Reading from a dangerous position as Town protested for a foul on van La Parra, and there was still nothing to separate the teams.

Eight minutes into extra time, Wagner sent on Palmer to replace Brown and see if he could spark an opening as play slowed almost to walking pace.

Stam responded by replacing Swift with Liam Kelly and Reading raided to provide a hot for McCleary, but it drifted wide.

Town had an escape on 105 minutes as no-one picked up McCleary on the edge of the box and his crisp low 18-yarder was inches wide of Ward’s left hand post.

At the break, Wagner went on with specific instructions for Palmer, which were then reinforced by assistant Chrisoph Buhler.

Hogg got a stern talking to from referee Swarbrick after catching Gunter with a late challenge in the 10th minute of second-half extra time.

Then, with four minutes remaining, Wells had a decent chance inside the box from Palmer’s right-wing cross but turned his shot wide.

Then, in the final seconds, Lowe just overhit a free-kick for Cranie at the back post, meaning the game went into those nerve-jangling penalties.

Play-off final: Huddersfield Town promoted to the Premier League