Scunthorpe United 3 Millwall 2

NIGEL Adkins paid tribute to Martyn Woolford who was the unlikely Wembley hero as Scunthorpe secured a return to the Championship with a dramatic 3-2 play-off final win over Millwall.

The 23-year-old winger, who four years ago was playing at Northern Counties East outpost Glasshoughton Welfare, fired the Iron back into the second tier – a year after they were relegated – with the winner five minutes from the end of a thrilling clash.

‘‘We brought him in from York on a free in the summer, we saw the potential in him and he’s a flair player,’’ said Adkins. ‘‘He’s bided his time, got into the team and did ever so well.”

Scunthorpe went ahead in the sixth minute when Millwall keeper David Forde could only finger-tip Woolford’s low drive into the path of Matt Sparrow, who slammed the ball into the roof of an empty net.

But Millwall, roared on by more than 45,000 fans in the May sunshine, turned the match on its head with two goals in two minutes before the break from striker Gary Alexander.

The first was truly spectacular, Alexander controlling the ball on his chest 30 yards out, turning and smashing a dipping volley over Joe Murphy and into the net.

Moments later, he met Dave Martin’s cross with a header which squirmed out of Murphy’s grasp and over the line.

Wembley-born Sparrow, Scunthorpe’s longest-serving player and in his testimonial year, fittingly dragged his side level with a cool finish from Woolford’s cross in the 70th minute.

And boyhood Lions fan Alexander will be having sleepless nights for weeks after passing up a gilt-edged chance for a hat-trick, and the winner, when he headed Chris Hackett’s cross wide from in front of goal.

Instead it was Woolford who stole the limelight.