Theo Bair discovered his form as Motherwell beat Livingston 3-1 to record a first win in 16 cinch Premiership matches.
The forward scored two and set up another for Blair Spital as Motherwell doubled their first-half goal tally for the league season inside 35 minutes.
Scott Pittman had made it 2-1 but Bair’s fourth goal of the season put the game beyond the reach of the bottom side.
Livi continued battling but could not get a lifeline as they drifted seven points behind their rivals at the foot of the table.
The game pitted two teams in desperate need of a turning point in their season against each other.
Since their previous meeting, which Livi won 2-0, David Martindale’s side had only scored two goals and collected two points in 11 games, while Motherwell’s long run without a win was piling pressure on manager Stuart Kettlewell.
Kettlewell made a big call as he handed Oli Shaw his second start since his loan move from Barnsley and recalled Bair in a three-pronged strikeforce with Callum Slattery and Harry Paton dropping to the bench.
Motherwell had only opened the scoring once since their previous win, against Hearts on September 3, but they came close twice inside four minutes. Bair sliced wide off a defender before Shamal George saved well from Mika Biereth from close range following Georgie Gent’s cross.
The game stopped for 60 seconds at the 10-minute mark as applause rang out around Fir Park for former Motherwell skipper Phil O’Donnell, 16 years and a day after he died after collapsing during a game.
Bair saw another effort deflected wide before setting up the opener in the 14th minute.
Joel Nouble dallied in possession just outside his own box and was robbed by Biereth, who played it on to Bair. The former St Johnstone striker looked like he might have passed up the chance but he played the ball in front of Spittal just in time for the midfielder to stab home.
Spittal repaid the service five minutes later when he played Bair in behind from near the touchline and halfway line. The Canada international got there before George to stab home.
Boos rang out from among the 216 away fans after each goal but they were cheering in the 23rd minute when Cristian Montano chipped the ball over the home defence and Pittman volleyed into the top corner.
The home side restored their two-goal lead in the 35th minute. Bair was already shouting for a pass down the line when Biereth intercepted a Livingston pass and the Dane delivered.
Bair cut inside Mikey Devlin and waited for George to go down before dinking the ball over the goalkeeper and sparking gasps of astonishment from the crowd.
Bair almost had his hat-trick when Shane Blaney’s header bounced off him and went in but it was disallowed for offside.
The Irish defender pulled up with a hamstring problem in the closing seconds of the half and was replaced by Bevis Mugabi, who was busy with the rest of the Motherwell defence for much of the second period.
Livingston’s best chances fell to defenders though and Devlin and Ayo Obileye were off target following set-pieces to leave the visitors in deep relegation trouble, although they have three home league games in succession to follow against Hearts, Dundee and Ross County.
Martin 'overwhelmed' after guiding Saints back into Premier League
Russell Martin admitted he was "overwhelmed by the love and support" from Southampton, after guiding the Saints back into the Premier League.
Martin's side sealed their return to the top flight at the first attempt, with Adam Armstrong's strike enough to seal a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.
The former Swansea City boss, who replaced Ruben Selles at St Mary's last June, secured his first promotion as a manager, having also done so five times as a player.
And Martin fought back tears as he reflected on his achievement.
"I feel really emotional, I feel overwhelmed by the love and support I've had over the past nine or 10 months - especially in the tougher times," he told Sky Sports. "The team have been so brave, and I'm really proud of them.
"I've enjoyed watching the team grow, and watching the players grow. I absolutely love that group of players. I'm so pleased for them because what we've asked them to do is not easy."
Meanwhile, Southampton skipper Jack Stephens paid tribute to his team-mates, who gave him his "best feeling in football".
"I'm so proud to be captain of this club. I'm so proud of the boys today, I think they've been unbelievable," the defender told Sky Sports. "I think we probably didn't play our best game today, but we showed a different side.
"A few people have doubted us over this season. Can we defend? Can we dig in? I think we really showed that today. The feeling I've got now is the best feeling I've ever had in football. Honestly, I'm just so emotional."
Matchwinner Armstrong added: "I don't know what to say. It's what we've been working for all year, we know how good the Championship has been this year.
"What a way to go up! I saw the space in behind [for the goal] and I knew if I put it across goal it was going to go in, so it was a nice one.
"It means everything. The gaffer and his staff came in in pre-season and put a marker down of what they wanted to see, and look at this. This is why we're footballers, we want to be involved in the biggest games, what a way to win."
Leeds United 0-1 Southampton: Armstrong sends Saints marching back into Premier League
Southampton secured an immediate return to the Premier League after Adam Armstrong was the hero in a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the Championship play-off final.
Saints' top scorer Armstrong provided the decisive first-half strike at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, with his 24th league goal of the season sending Russell Martin’s side straight back into England's top division.
The pair had scored a combined 197 goals this campaign, but just the one finish was enough to settle what was only the third second-tier play-off final between two sides relegated the previous year.
Southampton join Leicester City and Ipswich Town in winning top-flight promotion, while Leeds – who hit the crossbar through Daniel James late on – must prepare for at least another campaign in the Championship.
Daniel Farke's team settled the quicker of the two sides, who were separated by just three points during the regular season, but with little success in front of goal.
Archie Gray – the youngest Leeds player to appear at Wembley – drilled just wide early on, while Wilfried Gnonto shot straight at Alex McCarthy.
However, Southampton struck the all-important opener after 24 minutes, somewhat against the run of play.
Armstrong beat the offside trap after Ethan Ampadu's mindless charge out from the back, latching onto Will Smallbone’s throughball before neatly slotting past Illan Meslier.
A shoulder injury forced a distraught David Brooks off soon after but the Saints went close to doubling their lead just before the break as Meslier parried away Armstrong’s drive.
Crysencio Summerville curled just wide from the edge of the box within four minutes of the restart as Leeds sought an equaliser.
Substitute James rattled the crossbar with a right-footed effort six minutes from time and was again denied by McCarthy, as Southampton held on to seal their return back to the big time.
One Armstrong finish, one giant step for Saints
Southampton were appearing in their first-ever play-off final, and they had lost on eight of their 10 previous visits to Wembley, including each of the last five.
However, the Saints stopped the rot with a little help from a promotion expert – boss Martin achieved five of them as a player, and this was his third to the top flight overall.
Armstrong's cool finish proved the difference; his 24 goals this term is the most by a Southampton player in a single season since Rickie Lambert struck 27 in 2011-12 – their last promotion-winning campaign.
It was also the Saints' 100th – and most important – goal of the season; their first time reaching triple figures since the 2009-10 season under Alan Pardew.
More play-off pain for Leeds
Leeds have now appeared in the English Football League play-offs on six occasions, failing to secure promotion in each of those instances.
The omens did not look good when they fell behind considering not since Cardiff City in 2010 has a team failed to get promoted after opening the scoring in a Championship play-off final.
It is just over 16 years since their third play-off final disappointment against Doncaster Rovers in League One (May 25, 2008), with Leeds now playing the most such matches without ever gaining promotion.
Farke also missed the opportunity to become the third manager – after Steve Bruce (four) and Neil Warnock (three) – to win three Premier League promotions, following his Championship-winning campaigns of 2018-19 and 2020-21 with Norwich City.
Nagelsmann backs Kompany potential as Bayern prepare for shock appointment
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann backed Vincent Kompany to succeed at his former club Bayern Munich as expectations grow for the Belgian to take charge in Bavaria.
The former Manchester City captain, who began his coaching career in Belgium with Anderlecht, oversaw Burnley's relegation from the Premier League in the 2023-24 season.
Yet Kompany is expected to soon be announced as the new head coach of Bayern.
The Bundesliga giants parted ways with Thomas Tuchel after a rare season without silverware but Nagelsmann, speaking on Sky Germany, expects Kompany to deliver for the Bavarian side if appointed.
"I've heard that he's a very good coach with outstanding prospects, and he has had many good coaches who trained him, so he'll do well," said Nagelsmann, whose two-year spell with Bayern ended in 2023.
"In the end, it's good for the club that they didn't win the championship this time. I don't think it's a bad situation for a young coach who can leave his mark.
"Who, I think, can change more than if they had won the championship again or been extremely successful."
Bayern lost their last game of the Bundesliga season to finish third, having failed to win any of the four trophies they were in for, as their German top-flight dominance ended to Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.
Alonso, who oversaw Leverkusen's unbeaten league season, had been Bayern's primary target but their former midfielder has elected to stay at Leverkusen next season.
Kompany would come as a surprise choice but Bayern will hope he can rediscover his magic touch from when guiding the Clarets to promotion, earning 101 points in the process in his first 2022-23 season.
However, Burnley managed just five wins this term on their way to taking 24 points this season as they finished 19th, going back down alongside Luton Town and Sheffield United.
The former Belgium international, if appointed, will leave Burnley having managed 96 games, winning 41 (42.7 per cent) of those matches.
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