Brighton vs Sheffield Wednesday: Sheffield through to play-off final after drawing with unlucky Brighton

Sheffield Wednesday draw 1-1 with Brighton, to beat the team - who led them by 15 points at the end of the season - 3-1 on aggregate

Sheffield Wednesday's Tom Lees, Daniel Pudil, manager Carlos Carvalhal and goalscorer Ross Wallace (PA)

Sheffield Wednesday are one win from a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2000 after surviving an early onslaught from a Brighton side who finished the season 15 points ahead of the Yorkshire club but whose luck has run out spectacularly in recent matches.

Fortune was against the Seagulls again this evening. Chris Hughton's men created enough chances to have won the match and even the tie in a scintillating opening half-hour but could only score once, through defender Lewis Dunk.

And they knew it was not their night when Ross Wallace levelled against the run of play for Wednesday with a goal as freakish as his strike in the first leg was sublime. After that, Wednesday, who had been hanging on thanks to a series of last-ditch challenges – some legal, some not – grew in confidence and by the end were repelling attacks with some comfort.

It was the first time that Wednesday have failed to win a play-off match, but they will not care. With Hull City 3-0 up against Derby County in advance of the second leg of the other semi-final, they are likely to face a Yorkshire derby in the final at Wembley on May 28.

But it was another heartbreak for Brighton, who missed out on automatic promotion by two goals and finished Friday's first leg with ten men after four of their players were forced off by injury. Urged on by a raucous home crowd, the Championship's joint-top scorers could not convert their superiority into goals.

Anthony Knockaert, unexpectedly fit after leaving the first leg with an ankle injury, dominated the early stages. The Amex Stadium had never sounded louder as Brighton won an early corner and both Steve Sidwell and James Wilson had shots charged down. And the noise was ear-splitting as Knockaert curled a free kick past Keiren Westwood's left hand but against the inside of the post. He had another try from a similar location minutes later, shooting under the wall as it jumped only for Westwood to read his intention and save. Knockaert and Sam Baldock had shots blocked and Knockaert headed wide when he should have hit the target.

A Brighton goal had to come and it arrived after 18 minutes. Knockaert, inevitably, was the creator as Bruno got the slightest touch to his driven cross from the right at the near post and Dunk, back from a two-match suspension, volleyed into the roof of the net from point-blank range. It was Brighton's first goal against Wednesday in seven meetings.

But, just short of the half hour, Wallace's cross from the right went straight into the net as Brighton furiously protested – with every justification – that Gary Hooper had pushed Dunk as he shaped to head away.

Brighton should have retaken the lead but Wilson could only prod the ball into Westwood's arms as he ran onto a low cross by Beram Kayal, while Kayal, Brighton's player of the season, saw his effort cleared off the goalline by Kieran Lee. And it was a sign that the match had swung against Brighton that they needed David Stockdale to make a breathtaking save from a header by Gary Hooper as Wednesday broke away in first half stoppage time.

Could Brighton keep up their breathtaking pace of the first half? No team could, and they began to play into Wednesday's hands with a series of long passes that were easily dealt with by the defenders.Westwood even denied Brighton a consolation in injury time with a save from Dunk.

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-4-2): Stockdale; Bruno, Greer (Rosenior 76), Dunk, Bong; Knockaert, Kayal, Sidwell, Skalak; Baldock (LuaLua 61), Wilson.

Sheffield Wednesday (4-4-2): Westwood; Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil; Wallace (Helan 65), Lee, Lopez (Hutchinson ht), Bannon; Hooper (Nuhiu 70), Forestieri.

Referee: Roger East.