Ten changes for Manchester United, no change for Hull City: they are in the Barclays Premier League next season. Exactly a year after Hull beat Bristol City in the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final, ecstasy came via text messages and radios, not the swinging boot of Dean Windass, but the day proved as sweet all the same.

United’s win defused the controversy surrounding Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to field reserves before the Champions League final on Wednesday. There was so much hysteria about their “weakened” lineup that it seemed as if the top scorer of United’s under14s might be in with a chance of a game, but Ferguson picked a more experienced team than predicted.

Tomasz Kuszczak and Rafael Da Silva, likely to be on the substitutes’ bench on Wednesday, started. Rio Ferdinand was rested despite speculation that he might play to prove his fitness, but he is expected to be available for the trip to Rome. “Rio trained yesterday and he trained this morning, so he’s getting there,” Ferguson said. “He should be OK for Wednesday.” Gary Neville and Wes Brown completed 90 minutes, bringing them into contention for the squad.

The sudden release of tension can do funny things to people. After the final whistle, Phil Brown grabbed the microphone for a performance that proved he was right to go into coaching rather than crooning. He belted out a verse of Sloop John B, by The Beach Boys, the lyric given a more positive slant: “I don’t wanna go home/ this is the best trip I’ve ever been on”.

It was perhaps the most cringeworthy piece of on-pitch rabble-rousing since Delia Smith tried to pump up the Carrow Road crowd in 2005. The Hull manager was as off-key as his team has been for months, but you could understand his giddy exuberance.

Fourth from bottom at the end of Hull’s first top-flight campaign is a terrific achievement, attained in bizarre circumstances as they hobbled lamely over the finishing line looking every inch the Championship club they are not. “Everybody expected us to be in the bottom three and we’ve proved a lot of people wrong,” Brown said.

“How we’ve done it has been a little bit different.”

Hull gamely lost 4-3 at Old Trafford in the autumn when victories over the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur created the illusion that they could not only cope but thrive at this level. But after beating Middlesbrough on December 6, Hull won only one of their next 22 league games.

So what? While no one cared about that last night, such form is an ominous portent for next season. “We certainly have to improve,” Brown said. “There is money to spend. It is important that you stay at this level and get the finance to avoid this kind of day again. We have long-term plans for the club.” With Ferguson focused on the immediate future, Darren Fletcher – suspended in Rome – was the only man to retain his place in a United XI containing three teenagers. There were first league starts for two Carling Cup regulars, Danny Welbeck and Darron Gibson. At left back was Ritchie de Laet, a 20-year-old Belgian signed from Stoke City in January, who spent three games on loan to Wrexham in the Blue Square Premier last November.

Hull began energetically but fell behind to an extremely late contender for goal of the season. Gibson, 25 yards out, crashed a diagonal shot high into the far corner. Instant deflation for Hull, and the KC Stadium fell silent until news of Aston Villa’s goal against Newcastle United swept the stands.

It soon became clear that Hull’s fate would be decided in Birmingham because Brown’s side were impotent. They were pinned back into their own half as United played “keep ball” with embarrassing ease, teasing and tricking with the arrogance of the young and brilliant. “[Ferguson’s] got a number of players there who are potential David Beckhams,” Brown said. It was so simple for United that they overelaborated up front, with Welbeck doing his best to fill the step-over quota in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.

United, with their regulars fresh and their reserves full of promise, now head for Italy. Brown is off on holiday to the South of France to celebrate his 50th birthday, with a spring in his step and a song in his heart.

Hull (4-4-1-1): B Myhill 6 S Ricketts 4 M Turner 6 K Kilbane 5 A Dawson 4 R Garcia 4 G Boateng 4 D Marney 4 N Barmby 6 Geovanni 4 C Fagan 5 Substitutes: C Folan 4 (for Geovanni, 54min), B Mendy 4 (for Barmby, 68), D Cousin (for Garcia, 82). Not used: M Duke, B Hughes, P Halmosi, K Zayatte.

Man Utd (4-2-3-1): T Kuszczak 6 Rafael Da Silva 6 W Brown 7 G Neville 7 R de Laet 6 D Fletcher 7 D Gibson 8 Nani 7 L Martin 7 D Welbeck 7 F Macheda 6 Substitutes: R Eckersley 6 (for Rafael, 60min), R Possebon (for De Laet, 79), Z Tosic (for Welbeck, 87). Not used: B Amos, C Evans, D Drinkwater, M James.

Referee A Wiley Attendance 24,945

Players of the season

Hull City Michael Turner

The 25-year-old had never played in the Premier League but adjusted quickly to the higher level, impressing in the air.

Manchester United Rio Ferdinand

United’s central defence won them the title and Ferdinand outshone Nemanja Vidic in the autumn. Barely made a mistake all season.