The Hatters, who went from non-league to Premier League in the space of nine years after bouncing back to the EFL in 2014, prevailed 6-5 on spot-kicks. The showpiece went right down to the wire in a tense shootout after finishing 1-1 in normal time but Rob Edwards’ were triumphant at a packed-out Wembley Stadium.

The Hatters started brightly, and Gabriel Osho thought he’d given Luton the lead inside the first five minutes. Alfie Doughty’s corner caused all sorts of problems and the ball was bundled over the line, but the linesman’s flag was already up.

It was disappointment for Luton skipper Tom Lockyer whose afternoon was cut short when he went down with less than 10 minutes on the watch, before being stretchered off and replaced by Reece Burke.

There were chances for Edwards’ side to take the lead. Top scorer Carlton Morris poked the ball wide of Ben Wilson’s goal frame. Morris then attempted to set up Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, heading the ball down for his teammate whose shot was smothered by Coventry keeper Wilson.

With 23 minutes played, the Hatters took the lead through Jordan Clark, but it was an opener that owed much to Elijah Adebayo. The forward latched on to a long ball lofted forward and took on Kyle McFadzean, knocking the ball past the Sky Blues defender not once but twice to weave his way into the box and set up Clark who took a touch before rippling the net.

On the half-hour mark, Adebayo had the chance to double Luton’s advantage. Morris saw his effort blocked but from close range, the former failed to hit the target.

And the Bedfordshire outfit thought they’d doubled their advantage with 41 minutes gone. A clearance ricocheted back off Adebayo, but the ball struck the 25-year-old’s arm before dropping over the line and the Hatters were denied.

Coventry began to find their feet in the game with half time approaching. Gustavo Hamer found himself on the end of perhaps their best chance of the first period. Jake Bidwell picked out the midfielder who fired over the bar before the half time whistle sounded with Luton leading at the break.

The Sky Blues picked up where they left off after the interval. Hamer’s pressure almost paid off when he chased down Luton stopper Ethan Horvath’s clearance from Osho’s back pass. The ball almost rebounded off the Brazilian before seeing it trickle wide of the upright.

Soon after, Coventry worked an opening which fell to Liam Kelly but the captain couldn’t keep his shot down as the Sky Blues went in search of a way back into the Final.

They found it with 66 minutes on the clock when Viktor Gyokeres and Hamer combined for the Sky Blues. Coventry hit Luton on the counter-attack with the Swede leading the charge down the left. He cut the ball back for the arriving Hamer who swept the ball beyond Horvath to make it 1-1 as the West half of Wembley burst into song.

Substitute Matt Godden spurned a chance to turn it around for Coventry after Gyokeres played the ball into the striker’s feet, but he couldn’t convert from inside the area.

With extra-time on the horizon, Godden took aim from distance, looking for the winner but it sailed wide as both teams readied themselves for an additional 30 minutes to decide who would win promotion.

After the restart, Gyokeres drew a save from Horvath between the sticks for Luton when the Sky Blues’ leading marksman let fly with a powerful half-volley which the keeper had to palm out of the way before pouncing on it.

In the first half of extra-time, when Clark was brought down by Coventry stopper Wilson who clattered into the winger, the Hatters appealed for a penalty but the Luton goalscorer went into the referee’s book instead for simulation.

In the 116^th minute, the Luton supporters erupted. Introduced in extra-time, Joe Taylor thought he was the hero when he put the Hatters back ahead only for a VAR check to rule the goal out after the substitution was adjudged to have committed a handball in the last throw of the dice.

The Final would be decided on penalties in front of the travelling Hatters fans and after both teams confidently dispatched all five of their spot-kicks, the shootout went to sudden death. After Dan Potts stepped up to find the back of the net from 12 yards, Dabo blazed over for Coventry, sealing victory on penalties for the Hatters.

Coventry City: Ben Wilson, Callum Doyle (Jonathan Panzo 114’), Kyle McFadzean, Liam Kelly, Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Fankaty Dabo 90’), Jamie Allen (Matt Godden 45’), Ben Sheaf, Luke McNally, Viktor Gyokeres, Jake Bidwell, Gustavo Hamer (Kasey Palmer 80’, Josh Eccles 101’).

Luton Town: Ethan Horvath, Cody Drameh, Tom Lockyer (Reece Burke 12’), Carlton Morris, Elijah Adebayo (Joe Taylor 105’), Marvelous Nakamba, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Luke Berry 98’), Jordan Clark, Amari’i Bell, Gabriel Osho (Dan Potts 112’), Alfie Doughty (Fred Onyedinma 84’).

Attendance: 85,711

Report: Luton Town seal promotion from the Sky Bet Championship in Play-Off Final

Report: Luton Town seal promotion from the Sky Bet Championship in Play-Off Final