McShane and Hull back in top tier

Hull defender Paul McShane has said watching his side get promoted from the tunnel at the KC Stadium was a “surreal” experience.

As the Irish defender trudged off after their 2-2 draw with Cardiff, he began pondering the dreaded play-offs but events elsewhere put them back in the Premier League.

“I thought we were done,” said McShane.

“I was getting my head around the play-offs because somebody on the pitch said it was 2-1 to Watford (against Leeds, but it was 2-1 to Leeds) so I was devastated, but just trying to get my head around it.”

There was plenty for McShane to comprehend.

Four second-half goals — one of which he scored — a red card, two penalties and a premature pitch invasion had taken McShane on an “emotional rollercoaster”.

One Hornets strike would have sent them up to the Barclays Premier League at Hull’s expense, yet it was Ross McCormack who would get the final goal to give Leeds a 2-1 win and prompt jubilant scenes back in East Yorkshire.

McShane said: “I just tried to keep level-headed because I didn’t want to start celebrating then we’re in the play-offs.

“Watching the game in the tunnel was surreal, really like a bit of a dreamland.

“The game finished 2-1 to Leeds and people went wild. The crowd out on the pitch there — amazing stuff.”

While Saturday was a day of unbridled joy for Hull’s sizeable Irish contingent, the emotions at Wolves were very different as they and Peterborough were relegated.

For Wanderers, it wasn’t and even that was rendered meaningless when they lost 2-0 at Brighton.

For Posh, their situation changed a number of times. Starting outside the bottom three, they dipped in and out as Barnsley and Huddersfield traded goals in their clash. That ended 2-2 which would have seen Darren Ferguson’s men safe but, when they conceded a last-minute winner to Crystal Palace, they were down.

At the other end of the table Brighton, Crystal Palace and Leicester join Watford in the play-offs.