Norwich City are "excited for the future" after winning promotion to the third tier of women's football in the most dramatic way possible.
Goalkeeper Sarah Quantrill saved two spot-kicks as Norwich beat Moneyfields 6-5 in a penalty shootout at the Pirelli Stadium in Burton-on-Trent.
The Women's National League Division One South play-off final had ended level at 2-2 after 90 minutes.
Holly Kennard and Grace Riglar had given Norwich a two-goal lead but their Hampshire opponents levelled the scores before half-time.
Norwich then found themselves 3-2 behind in the shootout after Hope Strauss missed, but Quantrill saved Moneyfields' next attempt and, then, after Kennard had put them in front, the stopper denied Lucy Chads to send City up.
"We just wanted to get to a point where either Quantsy saved it or we scored and that's what we did – brilliant," head coach Andy Cook told BBC Radio Norfolk.
"Pressure's only what you think it is. We'd worked that much on penalties, we knew what we were going to do – it was just then executing it and that's where the problems come, but we just had to trust the players, we had to believe in them and they delivered."
Cook said Norwich's performance in the first 15 minutes of the game was as good as they had been all season, but they had to regroup after Moneyfields hit back to reach the interval on level terms.
"We said at half-time 'the first half's now gone, we won't speak about it, we'll just make sure we're performing in the second half' and we did that," Cook added.
Conversations between Cook and head of women's football Flo Allen have already taken place about next season.
He added: "We've got to make sure we're ready for tier three because it is a ruthless league, the quality and ability those teams have. I'm really excited for the future."
Quantrill said she was confident they would prevail on penalties, having won the last shootout she had been involved in.
"There were a couple more there that I got a fingertip to as well and I thought 'I was so close', but I'm just buzzing (to win)," the 35-year-old said.
"We've been preparing (for penalties) for the last couple of weeks and I had confidence in the girls as long as I did my job."
Quantrill paid tribute to the travelling Norwich supporters, adding: "Even when we turned up there were already fans here, and when we walked out they were singing, they were cheering – they're at every game, we appreciate them so much."
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Sunday's victory made it a doubly pleasing weekend for midfielder Eloise King after Ipswich Town – the team she supports – won promotion to the Premier League the previous day following a home win over Queens Park Rangers.
Following a successful penalty by 17-year-old Drew Wilson, King scored City's fifth in the shootout despite struggling with cramp during the game.
"This has been one of the best days of my life – this group have worked tirelessly over the season and deserve every bit of celebration," she said.
"I have a little banter all the time with the staff about kissing the badge and once I'd scored that pen I had to do it.
"We practiced them all the time over the last few weeks and I backed everyone that stepped up – and I backed Quantsy in goal so we were absolutely fine."
Having finished the Women's National League Division One South East campaign in second place behind Fulham, City will now join them in the Southern Premier next season.
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed
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