SUNDERLAND'S season has taken them from Highfield Road to heaven and, last night, the penultimate leg of the journey secured the ultimate prize.

Substitute Stephen Elliott's dramatic late winner clinched the Championship title and ensured next Sunday's final home game against Stoke will be a promotion party capped with a trophy presentation.

Last weekend's win over Leicester guaranteed promotion to the Premiership and the Black Cats will now go up as champions after coming from behind to see off play-off hopefuls West Ham at Upton Park.

The statistics will show that Ipswich have the most potent attack and Wigan the most watertight defence in the Championship. But Sunderland have the best all-round team, and last night's victory underlined the effort, commitment and never-say-die attitude that has served them so well this season.

Other sides would have crumbled when Marlon Harewood fired the Hammers into a barely-deserved lead on the stroke of half-time.

But, digging into their reserves of resilience, the Black Cats purred into life after the interval. Julio Arca levelled things in the 53rd minute, before Elliott scored the goal that clinched the title three minutes from time.

Picking up the ball in the inside-right channel, the Republic of Ireland international drove into the penalty area before placing a precise finish past the helpless Jimmy Walker.

At the start of the season, West Ham were the side expected to be gunning for the title with two games to go while the bookmakers made Sunderland play-off outsiders at best.

But, while the Hammers have been consistently inconsistent since then, the Black Cats went into last night's game having lost just twice since their New Year's Day defeat at Preston.

That run secured promotion and, unsurprisingly, boss Mick McCarthy chose to reward the players who have done most to avoid the play-off lottery.

Fit-again full-back George McCartney returned to the starting line-up, with youngster Andy Welsh dropping down to the bench, while teenager Ben Alnwick made his second start between the sticks in the continued absence of Thomas Myhre.

For Sunderland, the trip to London's East End represented the first of two chances to clinch the title - for West Ham it was really a case of win or bust in terms of the final play-off spot.

So, with that in mind, it was no surprise to see the home side making the early running. Matthew Etherington surged past right-back Stephen Wright in the first minute and, while the former Spurs midfielder struggled to find the delivery to go with his direct running, West Ham's best passing moves drifted in his direction.

Sunderland have their own lively left-winger though and, with his first meaningful touch of the night, Arca almost contributed to the opener in the 11th minute.

The Argentinian picked out Dean Whitehead from the left flank but, while the Sunderland midfielder shuffled the ball into a shooting position, Walker pulled off a fantastic reflex save to parry his close-range strike.

Chris Brown was rightly flagged offside as he rammed home the rebound but Whitehead's effort would have stood had Walker's reactions not been so sharp.

The Hammers' goalkeeper was making the 490th appearance of his career last night. Alnwick is some way short of that, but he proved equally adept at shot-stopping eight minutes later.

Shaun Newton rolled a quick free-kick into Harewood's path but, while the striker's shot looked destined for the top corner, Alnwick somehow clawed it over the crossbar at full stretch.

This week, McCarthy insisted he would not be afraid of starting a Premiership game with the 18-year-old between the sticks.

On the evidence of that save alone, his confidence looks to be well-placed.

Alnwick was eventually beaten midway through the first half, but only after Bobby Zamora, playing in place of the injured Teddy Sheringham, had clearly bundled him to the ground before rolling the ball into an empty net.

That strike was not allowed to stand but, when he was beaten again two minutes before half-time, there was no such salvation.

Unsurprisingly, Etherington was the instigator as his driving run to the edge of the penalty area failed to draw a single tackle.

His sideways ball teed up Harewood and, while former Hammer Gary Breen looked to have the striker covered, neither he nor Alnwick were expecting the instinctive left-foot strike that found the net via the upright.

The deftness of Harewood's finish stood in stark contrast to the scrappiness of Sunderland's equaliser eight minutes after half-time. Marcus Stewart miscontrolled Whitehead's through ball in the penalty area but, with Walker off his line, Thomas Repka's wholehearted challenge on Brown only served to send the ball spinning towards the net.

It almost certainly would have gone in anyway but Arca made sure from less than a yard out to rack up his ninth goal of a typically consistent campaign.

With West Ham reeling, Liam Lawrence should have given Sunderland the lead 60 seconds later but, after peeling off at the back post to meet Arca's cross, the midfielder shot wastefully over the top.

Hayden Mullins displayed similar profligacy at the other end after Newton's lay-off had teed him up in the box and, as full-time approached, the home side's attacking became increasingly frantic.

That inevitably left gaps at the back and Sunderland's swift counter-attacking style meant they were always the likelier scorers as the game became stretched.

Elliott came close to winning it in the 80th minute - his shot was clawed away by Walker - but, when the youngster next advanced into the area, he was not to be denied.

Showing a coolness that belied his tender years, he calmly cruised into the area before stroking the ball into the net.

The goal might not have been the most spectacular he has ever scored but, for the 3,000 Sunderland fans behind the goal in the Centenary Stand and the countless others watching at home on TV, it was undeniably the best.

Result West Ham United 1 Sunderland 2.

Party time on Wearside

SUNDERLAND have announced that the promotion-winning team will parade through the city on May 9 to mark their return to the Premier League. Fans are being invited to line the streets to cheer on the players and manager Mick McCarthy and congratulate them on their tremendous success.

Chairman Bob Murray said: "We are delighted the city has chosen to honour the club's achievements and give the team a chance to share it with the most important people - the fans.

"It is a great opportunity for the club and its supporters to celebrate together and I'm sure it will be a great occasion for all concerned."

Meetings are currently taking place with the city council and the emergency services to plan the detailed arrangements for this event. Further details about the exact route will be announced shortly.

Read more about Sunderland here.