Playoff Leg 2; Crystal Palace (2) 2 – 0 (0) Brighton & Hove Albion: Palace Are Off To Wembley!!!

For the first time since 1997 and that Hopkin goal, Palace is returning to the spiritual home of football Wembley Stadium. Watford waits for a place in the Premier league in 2013/14. The result that took the Eagles there was secured against their bitterest rivals and in their rival’s back yard making it all the sweeter for the vocal two thousand travelling fans.

These matches were always going to be tight. The size of the prize at stake was always going to cement a historical new chapter in this fierce rivalry. Ambiguous though the nature of the rivalry may be to the rest of the football world, it remained as alive as ever throughout the match. A fact reflected in the ridiculous police presence around both matches. The match was played in the relative comfort of the new Ammex Stadium and with excellent disabled views the ground was ready for the biggest derby match in its young history. Palace was ready for the challenge and disciplined in their approach.

The second leg saw Palace play an unchanged side from the match at Selhurst Park barring an enforced change upfront because of Glenn Murray’s injury. Aaron Wilbraham came into the team with Garvan playing off him. This would be the performance to define Palace’s season reflecting the character of this great Palace team that never give in. This Crystal Palace team was organised and determined playing the game and not the occasion. In finding form that reflected the purple patches of the autumn Brighton did not see it coming and could not react to the knockout punch.

 In the first half despite continuing its tight pattern the match was being controlled from the benches by a tactically astute Ian Holloway. He had learned from the heavy defeat in March. Joel Ward was brilliant at right back. Delaney and Gabbidon were quietly efficient and effective at the back. This win was built on solid organisation nowhere more so than in midfield Jedinak and Garvan breaking up play and creating space for Williams and Zaha to exploit. The timings of Holloway’s substitutions of Moritz and Bolasie on for Garvan and Williams was perfect in exploiting the most out of Brighton’s fatigue and frustration.

Victory came after the substitutions with the brilliance of Wilfried Zaha scoring two goals by carving up the Brighton defence in the last half an hour. Heading home a Bolasie cross after getting in front of Wayne Bridge he stooped to conquer sending all Palace fans wild. On Eighty Eight minutes it was two; Zaha collected a pass from KG to turn Gordon Greer and smash the ball home into the roof of the net.

Crystal Palace’s season now culminates at Wembley on 27^th May 2013 against Watford. Fittingly in the week Crystal Palace academy graduate Ben Watson scored the winning FA Cup Final goal for Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium, Wilfried Zaha’s last Palace match before his much heralded move to the Champions will also be at Wembley. What a tribute to the Crystal Palace academy system. Dreams can come true for smaller clubs but this takes place only alongside hard work and determination. Well done to everyone involved. Enjoyment and celebration will now mix with the final professionalism to get in the Premier League. The first appearance of Crystal Palace Football Club at the new Wembley marks an appropriate sent off for the final match of our current badge on the clubs shirts.