Dean Glover almost scored direct from a corner while Mills' long-range power twice brought the best out

Dean Glover almost scored direct from a corner, while Mills' long-range power twice brought the best out of Stowell, but Wolves held firm.The Wolverhampton-born Rudge, who has guided Vale to their highest finish since the 1930s, said that he was close to agreeing a new three-year contract. "It's been a brilliant season but we've fallen almost at the last hurdle," he added. "That's the first time we've lost two back-to-back all season."The Premiership remains firmly within reach for his home-town team. However, it was typical of Wolves' luck with injuries that both Corica and Michael Gilkes may now miss the play-offs because of knee injuries.Goals: Thomas (34) 0-1; Naylor (40) 1-1; Atkins (42) 1-2.#Port Vale (4-4-2): Musselwhite; Hill, Aspin, Glover, Tankard; McCarthy, Porter (Koordes, 78), Bogie (Talbot, h-t), Corden (Foyle, 40); Mills, Naylor.Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-5-2): Stowell; Curle, Atkins, Williams (Law, 51); Smith, Corica (Osborn, 13), Ferguson, Thomas, Gilkes (Venus, h-t); Bull, Crowe.Referee: W Burns (Scarborough) Booking: Port Vale Glover.Man of the match: Atkins Attendance: 13,615.. Around every corner, there was a cameo of sheer delight. Old men with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces, their grandsons hanging red and white memorabilia from bridges or driving round the town, horns sounding, scarfs trailing.

Barnsley was taking a huge gulp of the unfamiliar nectar known as success. It was a different explosion of joy, almost an anachronism in these days when the media has made Manchester United a local team for everyone. This was a town, a community, embracing its own with no thoughts of shareholders or merchandising possibilities. Barnsley saluted Barnsley with no heed to the rest of the world. "It's been a long wait, but its worth it," an ancient supporter said, risking injury to bend down to throw his arms round passing players. He looked like an octogenarian but, while he might have been alive when Barnsley last sampled triumph on this scale with their FA Cup win in 1912, he certainly could not remember it. Very few can.After a century of trying, Barnsley had made it to England's top division, ironically at the very time it should have been hardest. How, John Dennis, the chairman, was asked, can you possibly survive next season? "We'll carry on being little old Barnsley," he replied, refusing to let the cold reality of the task ahead intrude "The future's the future.

Let's just enjoy the moment."Dennis has sampled the bad days when Barnsley were in the Fourth Division and his father, Ernest, saved the club from bankruptcy in 1966. The club has come a long way at a time when the town has declined socio-economically "The place has taken a few knocks, since the miners' strike. It's been difficult for people," he said."Even in the halcyon days of the coal industry you always had high levels of unemployment, but the people who worked in the mines were high earners and good spenders. The local authority has worked very hard to bring jobs to the town, the difference is that the jobs don't pay as well."Can't pay, won't pay.

Money is the great god of football these days but Barnsley have yet to go to the cathedral, Saturday's team costing less than the annual salary for some Premiership players. Even Dennis's profession, greengrocer, harked back to the days when football clubs were run by the butcher or the baker."We have been doing some planning," he said "We would have been foolish not to have done It's going to be difficult for us. I'm not going to make stupid statements like we're coming up, we'll show people. We have worked hard, a lot of people have contributed, and we'll have to do the same again."On the pitch a sea of celebration was crashing on to the main stand. Shirts were swapped with Bradford City supporters who had suspended traditional derby hostility to share in what even they could feel was a special occasion. Every home player was called for and applauded; Danny Wilson, the manager, was feted like a conquering Roman general."It's a marvellous, marvellous day," Wilson said.