Hull secured their place in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs thanks to a brace from Oli McBurnie during a 2-1 comeback win at home to Norwich.
With Wrexham and Derby having both faltered, the Tigers seized their moment to regain a top-six finish - a position they have occupied for most of the season - after they came from behind at the MKM Stadium.
Norwich were the best side in the Championship last month and, even with nothing to play for other than personal pride and improved contract negotiations, deservedly opened the scoring through Mo Toure.
Hull had been awful until that 26th-minute goal, but charged back into the game two minutes later when McBurnie equalised from the penalty spot.
And with favourable results elsewhere, Hull fans were left to dream of a potential return to the Premier League after McBurnie stabbed home his 20th goal of the season after 67 minutes.
Yet perhaps a touch overawed by the pre-match sense of expectancy, Hull never laid a glove on Norwich during the early throes of a tense afternoon in East Yorkshire.
And had it not been for a smart stop from Ivor Pandur off Kellen Fisher's long-range hit after 15 minutes, their task could have been insurmountable.
That certainly felt the case when Toure scored a brilliant opening goal, 11 minutes later.
Anis Ben Slimane was chief orchestrator as his chipped pass through the heart of Hull's defence outfoxed a statuesque rearguard.
Toure was still faced with a difficult task, but he never looked like missing with a pivoted strike on the half-volley that found the bottom-right corner of the net.
But Hull responded purposefully and equalised two minutes later after Joe Gelhardt was clearly tripped inside the penalty area.
McBurnie waited for Norwich goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic to make his move before gently slotting the ball into the middle of the goal.
The Canaries remained an offensive threat, though, and must have felt harshly done by to have been on parity with Hull at the interval.
The hosts, however, were far sharper after the break and came desperately close to a second goal after 53 minutes.
Ryan Giles' perfect free-kick from the left found McBurnie, whose volley with the outside of his right boot was just as good.
But goalkeeper Kovacevic was well-positioned and pulled off an outstanding low save at the far post.
Kovacevic could, however, do nothing about the winning goal.
Lewie Coyle's reaching free-kick from deep found Matt Crooks, who instinctively headed towards an unmarked McBurnie on the edge of the six-yard box.
McBurnie's strike was unimpressive, but it had enough weight and accuracy to squirm over the line.
Norwich were compliant visitors thereafter and, a few minor half-chances and a potential stoppage-time penalty appeal aside, rarely had the inclination to get back into the game.
That suited the hosts, whose supporters can look forward to an intriguing play-off clash with Millwall.
Play-off semi-final first legs
Play-off semi-final second legs
Play-off final
Hull's Sergej Jakirovic:
"It's a big success to have achieved this.
"To achieve this is my first season at the club is unbelievable. It's a very big achievement, but this is massive for me and club - especially in these circumstances.
"We maybe missed a few opportunities to get a more points this season, but that's what makes football so interesting.
"This is a sweet feeling. I'm very proud of our players because they showed a great mentality.
"In the first half we didn't do anything - just kicking the ball around nowhere - but my message at half-time was that we needed to calm down and believe in ourselves because they (Norwich) are not robots.
"When we scored a second goal, we didn't need to score again so it was important to defend so well and we did that really well.
"We had to do everything to win this game and - in the end - we succeeded.
"I was calm after the second goal. My focus was on how we could improve and what needed to be changed. I'm so happy we got there and it is great credit to the lads.
"We will recover good for two days and then full concentration from Tuesday for Millwall."
Norwich's Philippe Clement:
"All credit to Hull, but that was not a game we should have lost.
"We did our job to get a result and think we deserved more. Our players showed the right mentality and they - until the last second - (tried) to get a result.
"We deserved more out of this game, but it didn't happen.
"We need to focus on ourselves. What we missed to have a really good game was to be more ruthless in the final third.
"The last 26 games we took most points in the league, so it's an amazing story.
"Next season this (the play-offs) will be our target. There's now a real unity with our fans so, of course, we want to do something special next season.
"We need the right recruitment and the right players - players will also be coming and going - so that's a puzzle that will need to be fixed.
"The most important thing is to focus on ourselves but to raise our levels with recruitment, with players who are already in the building.
"I'm really hungry to continue this story (for as long) as possible."
