FT: Hull City 2-2 Cardiff City - Tigers promoted to Premier League

Bruce and his squad endured “torture” as they were made to wait on the outcome of Watford’s result against Leeds after their own pulsating encounter against champions Cardiff, which had a sending off, two penalties and a mini pitch invasion in the final eight minutes, finished 2-2.

When the final whistle sounded in East Yorkshire there was still plenty of time left at Vicarage Road because of a first-half injury and one goal would have seen the Hornets finish second.

Yet it was Brian McDermott’s men who would get the goal which gave Leeds a 2-1 win and sparked joyous celebrations for Bruce and his men back in the bowels of their stadium.

“I’ve been in the game a long, long time and I don’t think I’ve ever seen or witnessed anything quite like that,” said Bruce afterwards.

“The 10, 12 minutes was just ridiculous and having to wait.. We’ve seen people in tunnels, people walking in corridors, people hiding in toilets, it was just really incredible.

“And for Leeds to score, it was just remarkable and just shows you how difficult a league this is. To get up without any strikers for three months is just a remarkable testament to this squad.”

“Even today, when we went 1-0 down I thought ‘This is going to test them’ and they’ve come out again and shown what a great bunch they are.

“They might not be as naturally talented but they’re a great bunch and they’ve got a huge desire which has took us where we wanted to be.”

The Tigers perhaps should have sealed promotion themselves long before today.

Yet, without a goal in three, they have made life difficult and faced an even more uphill task today when a player formerly of their parish ignited a crazy second half.

Substitute Fraizer Campbell, who was on loan with Hull when they were last promoted in 2008, opened the scoring yet goals from Nick Proschwitz and Paul McShane swung the pendulum in Bruce’s side’s favour.

As the game moved into stoppage time Hull were going up by virtue of their own victory, and the icing should have been applied once Cardiff captain Andrew Taylor had been sent off before the hosts were awarded a penalty.

Yet, as dozens of fans spilled onto the pitch thinking the promotion race was over, Proschwitz’s spot-kick was saved and the Bluebirds raced up the other end to get a penalty of their own which substitute Nicky Maynard converted.

It meant ex-Manchester United defender Bruce needed to find an unlikely ally in Leeds.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been supporting Leeds but wow, for Leeds United to do it for me is remarkable,” added Bruce.

“It’s been a really, really fantastic effort by everybody concerned.”

The visitors may have already been crowned champions prior to this clash, but there was a sharpness about Malky Mackay’s men which suggested they wanted to end their glorious campaign on a high.

“There’s no way I wanted to lose the game today and I don’t think we deserved to lose the game today,” said the Bluebirds boss.

“In Nicky Maynard, Fraizer Campbell and Rudy Gestede I’ve got three strikers on at the end trying to win the game.

“But I don’t think Steve expects anything different. Steve didn’t expect any favours from me today and didn’t get any. You see his team fighting to the end.”