The clock said 3.15, the referee's whistle blew for the final time and Middlesbrough's fax machine started receiving. The message was from the Premier League and said: "Welcome back".

No one at a chaotic, exhilarated Riverside cared whether it was just a tale or not. All that mattered was that one year after the most painful of relegations, Middlesbrough had returned to the Premiership.

The fans had to sweat as usual, though. Middlesbrough were poor and anxious throughout the first half, Sunderland were winning at Swindon and it was not until Paul Merson set up Alun Armstrong a minute into the second half that anyone could relax.

Even then Armstrong took an age over his shot but once it hit the far corner delirium broke loose. Two minutes later a near identical move along the right saw Merson feed Armstrong again and promotion was assured. For good measure, Craig Hignett added a quick brace of his own and Sunderland's scoreline became an irrelevance.

Nicky Banger scored a meaningless goal with 20 minutes to go but it was ignored by the noisy crowd, already celebrating.

However, amid the joyous chanting of "We're not going to Wembley" was one of "Three points, three points". That was a reference to the deduction that saw Middlesbrough go down so tearfully last year and clearly the bitterness over that decision lingers.

Bryan Robson managed not to mention it but he did say: "After all the disappointment of the relegation and the three cup final defeats, they deserved that today. When we were beaten at Sheffield United we were looking at the play-offs; that's why I said to the lads they had to win their last six games. We've won five and drawn one."

With Sunderland tripping up at Ipswich that was good enough form for promotion though Robson knows his team will need "strengthening in two or three areas" before any thoughts of Premiership consolidation can be taken seriously. He has not shirked from spending as the season has gone on and yesterday one of his purchases came good just at the right time. Four days ago Armstrong, bought for £1.6 million from Stockport in February, could not walk due to a disc problem in his back.

Then, as Robson explained: "The kid came into training on Friday and said he was feeling a lot better. Then he joined in a five-a-side on Saturday. It was a gamble, a calculated gamble."

Up to half-time it had not paid off and Armstrong indeed looked lame. But, as Armstrong was to say afterwards: "I asked for just 10 more minutes. My back was really sore at half-time and I've got an operation on Thursday, but this was my last chance."

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Harrison, Festa, Pearson, Townsend, Mustoe, Gascoigne, Armstrong (Ricard 67), Merson, Hignett. Subs Not Used: Kinder, Beck. Goals: Armstrong 47, 48, Hignett 57, 63.

Oxford UTD: Whitehead, Robinson, Marsh, Gray, Davis, Gilchrist, Murphy (Banger 67), Smith, Francis (Cook 85), Powell (Remy 63), Beauchamp. Goals: Banger 70.

Middlesbrough promoted to Premiership