Manchester City returned to the Premiership today after four years in the wilderness as lady luck smiled graciously on Joe Royle's jubilant side.

Royle and his players should have trudged off Ewood Park with heads bowed in defeat and contemplating the lottery of the play-offs for the second successive year.

Instead, they celebrated an unlikely victory and with it can now consider the riches on offer for reaching English football's promised land.

And given such wealth which comes with playing in the top flight, Royle's first purchase this summer should undoubtedly be the woodwork at Ewood Park to reinstall at Maine Road.

Blackburn, leading by Matt Jansen's seventh goal of the season just before the break, struck bar and post four times before City even contemplated their revival.

By that stage promotion rivals Ipswich were leading 1-0 at home to Walsall, and it appeared as if City would be denied their place back amongst the elite.

But then four goals in an astonishing second-half spell had the 'Blue Moon' half of Manchester celebrating after so many years looking enviously across the way at Manchester United and their haul of silverware.

The spectre of United's success may still cast a shadow over City, but this was finally a day to savour for the Maine Road faithful in what was arguably their biggest game since 1989.

On that occasion, City needed a point at Bradford to return to the top flight in what was then the old First Division, but were 1-0 down with five minutes to go - only for Trevor Morley to emerge the hero.

This match was even more important than last season's play-off final when Joe Royle's side staged a never-to-be-forgotten comeback against Gillingham.

With promotion to the First Division riding on the game, City appeared down and out as they trailed 2-0 and with just four seconds of normal time remaining.

Either by luck or by design, and amid some of the most incredible scenes witnessed at Wembley, they managed to force extra time before ultimately going through on penalties.

Surely today's events would not be as dramatic or as heart-stopping as those on the final day of last season, although the scene was set for an emotional rollercoaster of an afternoon - and so it proved.

The City fans had come to party, just as they had prematurely done nine days ago in the belief they were home and dry after a 1-0 Maine Road victory over Birmingham.

The thousands who had swarmed onto the pitch that evening to hail their heroes must have been shaken from their hangovers less than 24 hours later.

Ipswich, the perennial play-off stalwarts, produced their best result of the season in beating champions Charlton 3-1 at The Valley to keep their own hopes alive.

George Burley's side, the bridesmaids and never the brides having been left at the altar the last three seasons, have come so close to honeymooning in the Premiership.

Ipswich were again within touching distance as they led by David Johnson's early second-half strike, while Blackburn were running roughshod over City.

Marlon Broomes and David Dunn had twice rattled the bar, before Jansen finally pounced on Ashley Ward's headed flick from a Simon Grayson long throw.

It was nothing more than they deserved as City had looked nervous in the first half, with the tension refusing to fade at the start of the second.

Ashley Ward and Jansen both left Nicky Weaver standing with two superb strikes, but this was City's day as the woodwork at the other end prevented Blackburn from extending their lead.

With City being outplayed and outthought, their equaliser came from nothing as Goater turned home his 29th of the season, sidefooting home Kevin Horlock's left-wing cross.

Minutes later it was 2-1 as Christian Dailly steered Richard Edghill's right-wing delivery past keeper Alan Kelly, the centre back left lying in his own net with his head in his hands.

Suddenly, it was party time for City and when Mark Kennedy and Paul Dickov added the third and fourth goals, it sparked a pitch invasion at the final whistle.

Blackburn boss Graeme Souness had claimed he did not want to see another party at Ewood Park - other than that for his own side - after watching Charlton clinch promotion here two weeks ago.

But the thousands of City fans left the Scot with egg on his face as they turned their Lancashire rivals' ground into a home away from home.

For Royle, English football's top flight provides a king's ransom compared to 11 years ago when City travelled to west Yorkshire with their fate again in their hands.

The burning question now is can Royle's side survive in a world where so many before them have perished, particularly given their rapid rise over the last two seasons.

Just a few years ago Sunderland survived relegation by the skin of their teeth, and then a year later were promoted, only to drop straight back down 12 months on.

Manager Peter Reid admitted at the time his side could not cope with the calibre of Premiership football at that time and it would arguably have been better if they had remained in Division One an extra season to consolidate and strengthen.

Only time will tell whether Royle can work another miracle, with the City boss hailed like a messiah as he appeared before the massed ranks of supporters minutes after the game.

Teams:

Blackburn: Kelly, Grayson, Dailly, Broomes, Harkness, McAteer, Dunn, Flitcroft, Duff, Ward, Jansen.

Subs Not Used: Carsley, Ostenstad, Gillespie, Frandsen, Filan.

Booked: Harkness, Dunn.

Goals: Jansen 42.

Man City: Weaver, Edghill, Prior, J. Whitley, Jobson, Horlock, Pollock (Bishop 47), Tiatto, Kennedy (Granville 80), Goater, R. Taylor (Dickov 53).

Subs Not Used: Crooks, Wright.

Goals: Goater 60, Dailly 67 og, Kennedy 75, Dickov 81.

Att: 29,913

Ref: T Heilbron (Newton Aycliffe).