Palace back in EPL as Phillips nets winner

DPA/London

Kevin Phillips converted a penalty against his first club as Crystal Palace beat Watford 1-0 in the play-off final to secure their place in the Premier League next season.

The 39-year-old substitute thumped home from the spot in the 105th minute to settle a disappointing game at Wembley.

It was his fourth play-off final, and his first success, having tasted defeat with Sunderland in 1999, West Bromwich Albion in 2007 and Blackpool last year.

The play-off final is thought to be worth 120 million pounds (181 million dollars) for the winning club.

After a tight opening, Watford finally carved out a chance after 33 minutes, but Damien Delaney got across quickly to block as the ball broke to Matej Vydra on the edge of the box.

Watford played most of the football, with Palace content to spoil and hit long balls.

Palace midfielder Mile Jedinak emerged as a key figure, reading the game well and breaking up Watford attacks, although he was perhaps fortunate not to be sent off after planting an elbow in the face of Nathaniel Chalobar. Manchester United signing Wilfried Zaha showed occasional flashes of inspiration in his final game for Palace, but it was Aaron Wilbraham who had Palace’s first real chance, breaking clear just before the hour only for Daniel Pudil to make a block as he checked back onto his favoured left foot.

Zaha then teed up Stuart O’Keefe, whose shot was turned wide by the legs of goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. With Palace suddenly in the ascendant, Almunia then made a close-range block from Wilbraham after Pudil missed a simple header.

Wilbraham then turned onto a Zaha pass into the box, only for Almunia again to save with his legs. The keeper was called on to make a falling save to keep out a Jedinak header in injury-time.

The game, though, went to extra time and Watford began it much better than they had ended the second half and Julian Speroni made a brave save to deny Troy Deeney.

But in the final of the first half of extra-time, Cassetti chopped down Zaha, gifting Phillips the chance to fire Watford into the lead from the penalty spot.