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MOTD- Crystal Palace 1-0 Watford: Palace promoted to the Prem

By on May 27, 2013

Kevin Phillips’ extra-time penalty has sealed Crystal Palace a spot in the Premier League for the first time since 2005, at the expense of Phillip’s old club Watford in a thrilling Championship Playoff final at Wembley. Although Giafranco Zola’s side took the match into extra time after Palace were dominant most of the game, Phillips buried his hundred-and-fifth minute penalty to give the Eagles the win in a match the reportedly had £105 million at stake (due to the television and advertising rights in the Premier League).

Watford began the match on the front foot though, and Palace were content to let Zola’s side keep possession in the opening minutes. Ian Holloway’s side sprung lightning quick counter-attacks when Watford lost the ball, most of the attacks centering around young starlet Wilfred Zaha, who showed brilliant speed and trickery to get around the Watford defense down the right. One of Palace’s counters lead to Aaron Wilbraham finding himself with space to shoot on the right side of the box, and after teeing it up his shot was blocked by Marco Cassetti.

The match had very little chances in the opening half-hour, though Owen Garvin came close to opening the scoring in the twentieth minute when the youngster recieved the ball from Zaha’s pass in the center of the box. Garvin had his shot blocked by Lloyd Doley, but neither side could create many chances. The flow of play remained mostlly in the hands of Palace, but Watford looked very good when they kept the ball on the ground. Matej Vydra found himself in miles of space in The Eagles box after some excelent play from his side in the thrity-third minute, but Palace defender Damien Delany made a superb tackle to block the wingers shot. Still, Neither side could create anymore chances before the end of the half, which ended 0-0 after two minutes of added time.

The first few minutes of the second half saw the final open up, and on sixty-four minutes Watford goalkeeper Manuel Almunia made the first real save of the match when Zaha cut inside from the left, before laying it off to O’Keefe, who beat his man with a lovely swivel of the hips before blasting a low shot on goal. Although Almunia was quick of his line, and the shot flew over the bar after it deflected of the goalkeeper’s leg, the Eagles were back on the attack moments later, and Almunia again came out strong to stop Wilbraham’s shot from point-blank range after a cross somehow found it’s way to the forward.

Garvan volleyed just wide following Zaha’s cross as The Eagles contunied to pound away at the shattered Watford defense, before Almunia stopped Wilbraham’s poke from the center of the box after Zaha threaded the ball through to the forward, but Palace couldn’t grab a winner, and the match moved on to extra time.

Troy Deeney had his shot stunningly tipped wide by Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni in the nintey-fifth minute, but the tides turned when Palace were awarded a penalty in the hundred-and-fifth minute. Zaha took on Casseti on the left, and flew by the defender, who stupidly tackled, and instead of getting the ball, took down Zaha. Phillips’ brilliantly blasted the following penalty into the top corner with perfect technique, with the ex-Watford man coming up with the all-important goal. But, Watford did not go down without a fight, and came inches away from taking it to penalties in the hundred-and-eighteenth minute. Frenando Forestieri recieved Alexandre Geijo’s header on the right side of the Palace box, and after wonderfully faking a shot sending Palace defnders flying, he curled a beuatiful shoot with the outside of his boot to the top corner of the goal, but Joe Ward was there to head it off the line. Palace wasted the remaining seconds of play, and after two minutes of added time, joined Cardiff and Hull City as the third side to be relegated to the Premier League.
Man of the Match: Wilfred Zaha

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.