Crystal Palace Return to Premier League

Veteran Kevin Phillips scored the only goal as Crystal Palace deservedly defeated Watford in a tense Championship play-off final at Wembley.

The 39-year-old, a loser in three previous play-off finals, struck from the penalty spot at the end of the first half of extra time as the Eagles ended an eight-year absence from the Premier League.

It was a superb penalty kick into the top corner and came after a clumsy foul by Marco Cassetti on Wilfried Zaha, who has been at Palace since the age of nine and was playing his final game before his summer move to Manchester United.

Watford almost equalised at the very end but Joel Ward headed off the line from Fernando Forestieri as the Eagles held on to win a match that had been described as being worth £120m to the victors.