The expression on the face of Steve Duly at the final whistle said it all.

Crawley's managing director was in floods of tears after seeing the club's dream come true.

After years of talking about promotion to the Conference, Crawley are finally there.

Goals from Marc Pullan, Charlie MacDonald and Robert Traynor secured a 3-0 win at Welling which was enough to clinch the Dr Martens premier division title.

There was an anxious five-minute wait after the game as supporters and players hung around on the pitch to find out if they could still be caught by second-placed Weymouth.

But then the news came that their closest rivals had been held to a 1-1 draw by Tiverton which was the cue for a mass celebration.

The tributes came thick and fast over a loud speaker.

Top of the list was manager Francis Vines, who only took charge in January of last year.

The 42-year-old is in his first season as manager, having stepped up from his first managerial job as the reserve team boss.

However, Vines was quick to praise the contribution of club owner John Duly, his son Steve and the rest of the Crawley board for giving him the chance to become the club's most successful manager.

He said: "I would like to thank John and Steve for taking a gamble on me and I can't tell you how pleased I am that I proved them right.

"I had no doubts about it, but I didn't think the title would come so quickly.

"It's not just about me, though. The club has come up with a budget to make sure we did it and I thank those people who made the money available.

"The players have been fantastic and there is also Dave Swindlehurst (assistant manager), the physio and all the back room staff as well."

It was fitting Vines chose to thank the Dulys. John and Steve took over the club when it was in administration five years ago and said they would reach the Conference by this season.

So who can argue with them now when they say the next target is the Football League by 2009?

Steve Duly said: "It has been five years of real hard work by everybody and to have finally have done it feels great but the work starts now for next season.

"We don't just want to come straight back down, we want to stay in the Conference and get into the Football League. Boston did it, Rushden and Diamond did it, so why can't we?"

As in so many games this season, Crawley's players proved they could raise themselves for the big occasion while their rivals choked when it mattered.

They wasted no time in settling any early nerves the sizeable contingent of Reds supporters who had made the trip, may have felt With just two minutes on the clock, defender Pullan hooked in a looping half-volley from six yards for his first-ever league goal after a free kick from Peter Fear had been headed down by MacDonald.

Reds dominated thereafter and it was no surprise when MacDonald scored his ninth goal in ten games, and 22nd of the season, on 24 minutes.

Traynor was released down the right by Ben Judge and the former Brentford professional produced a superb low cross which left MacDonald with the relatively easy task of slotting past Darren Naisbitt from close range.

Crawley did not look the same side in the second half after MacDonald failed to emerge for the restart with a foot injury.

But, with Welling showing little danger going forward, there was always a sense that it was job done as far as Crawley were concerned with most Reds supporters more interested in Weymouth's game via text messages on their mobile phones.

Traynor, who replaced MacDonald up front, made sure Crawley got the right result by rounding off the win three minutes from time.

Fear curled a free kick into the danger zone from the left and Traynor headed home unmarked at the back post to get the promotion party started.