Hamilton Academical player-manager Alex Neil has expressed his delight at having led the club into the top flight of Scottish football in his first full season at the helm.

Accies secured their place in the Scottish Premiership courtesy of a penalty shootout victory over Hibernian at Easter Road in their playoff final second leg this afternoon.

The visitors had to overcome a two-goal deficit from the first leg to force penalties, but Neil insists that he always had a "feeling" his side would emerge victorious.

"I am delighted, for the players and the fans. A lot of people wrote us off but I didn't feel it was a 2-0 game and we played well first half. I told them to believe in themselves and to believe they could do it and once we got the first goal it changed a lot," Neil told reporters.

"My team talk was just telling them to believe and telling them to create chances - and take them. I don't think the Hibs managers and players through it was job done - but people in general did. I always believed we would win. I just had a feeling. I don't know what it was.

"I was actually going to play myself but I had a feeling and I took myself out of the team again. I changed it about and to a man we were unbelievable. The effort we put in was incredible. I saw Kevin Phillips saying the best way to go up is through the play-offs and now that we've done it, I know what he meant. It's incredible."

Hamilton return to the top flight after a three-year absence.