THE dream has become a reality for Hamilton.

It may have taken a couple of weeks longer than it should have but Accies are going up and will play Premiership football next season.

After throwing away the Championship title and being written off in recent days, Alex Neil's side defied the odds to become a top-flight club once again yesterday, a shoot-out victory over Hibernian just reward for their efforts on the day and over the season.

Goals from Jason Scotland and Tony Andreu clinched a deserved 2-0 win at Easter Road but it took two penalty saves from keeper Kevin Cuthbert to get the party started.

Neil said: "I am delighted for the players. Before the game, a lot of people had written us off but we didn't read too much into it.

"I didn't think the first game was a 2-0 game and I felt we played well.

"I said to the players that, regardless of who believed, we have got to believe.

"I thought our set-up and the way we went about our business was great.

"I am more pleased for the players than I am for myself, because of the amount of effort they have put in this season and knockbacks we have had as well.

"We should have won the league, I thought we were the better side, but didn't manage to do it.

"That was difficult to accept but this was a second chance for us."

Accies knew they had to get the first goal of the afternoon to stand any chance of causing an upset and Neil's side were on the front foot from the off.

A lack of cutting edge cost them dear in midweek as a series of opportunities passed them by, but it took them just 12 minutes to open the scoring in the capital, Scotland spinning on the edge of the box and beating Ben Williams with a low strike.

It was the perfect way to give their promotion dreams a much-needed shot in the arm and as the nervous energy seeped from the stands and into Terry Butcher's players, Hamilton continued to grow in confidence.

They did ride their luck at times, Jason Cummings denied his third goal of the tie as his effort was cleared off the line, but chances were missed at the other end as well, Louis Longridge and Andreu both coming close.

The interval offered Hibs respite but didn't break Hamilton's stride and they continued to pile forward, with Scotland denied by Williams as the pressure mounted.

Just when it looked like the task might have proved too much for Neil and his players, there was another twist to come in a remarkable campaign. Andreu was the hero as he converted Scotland's cut-back to send Accies into ecstasy and the tie to extra time.

The added 30 minutes would follow a similar pattern as Hamilton once again outplayed and outfought a woeful Hibs but it would take Cuthbert's heroics to finally get the job done, the keeper saving from Kevin Thomson and Cummings to send Accies into the top flight.

Neil said: "I genuinely believed we were going to win. I said to the players before the game, if you don't believe it is never going to happen. I just had a feeling.

"I was so close to playing. I had myself in the team then took myself back out.

"I had a feeling about something, I don't know what and changed it about.

"I thought, to a man, we were unbelievable. The effort they put in was incredible."