McIndoe Seals Wembley Date for Bristol City

Lee Trundle repaid a huge slice of his £1m transfer fee as the Bristol City striker's extra-time strike against Crystal Palace booked a play-off final date at Wembley amid joyous scenes in the West Country.

Michael McIndoe added the gloss with a late free-kick to wrap up the semi-final second-leg win. After Ben Watson, whose early header had leveled up matters, saw a late penalty rebound off the post, Trundle curled home a fine strike in the 104th minute to tip the balance after meeting Jose Fonte's weak headed clearance.

On a night of tension at Ashton Gate, it was no surprise that a defensive mix-up would prove crucial as the Robins' dream of a return to the top flight after a 28-year absence hung in the balance. Neil Warnock, having never lost a play-off semi-final tie, knew it would be a tough task to keep his unbeaten record intact in the West Country. With Palace installed as favorites, David Noble upset the applecart with his late goal which may have handed City the slender advantage heading into the last night's second-leg.

Yet the return match promised to be a fiery affair after a stormy Selhurst Park clash that included a touchline water fight and ended with Warnock blasting the visiting players for "over-celebrating and kicking their way to victory".

Bristol City came firing out of the blocks and almost took a second-minute lead.

Palace's captain Mark Hudson came to the rescue after his goalkeeper Julian Speroni's weak punch forced the defender to clear Marvin Elliott's looping header from underneath his own crossbar.

Another chance was presented to Lee Trundle moments later but he headed at Speroni as it was the jittery visitors, rather than City, who displayed early nerves.

Despite their dominance, City fell behind as Ben Watson leveled the tie in the 24th minute after a costly individual mistake. A cross from the right-flank saw Jamie McCombe intervene as Bristol City's goalkeeper, Adriano Basso, came to collect but his tame clearance was seized upon by Watson whose looping his header from the edge of the area found an empty net.

Tensions rose as the game threatened to boil over before the interval. Clint Hill's challenge on Louis Carey reignited the touchline feud and ended with two yellow cards and Bristol City's assistant manager Keith Millen being sent to the stands to bring an unsavory end to a tense half.

Dele Adebola, a handful in the air all evening for the Palace defence, ensured City returned after the interval on the front-foot as his goal bound header was scrambled to safety.

But the home team's all-too familiar failure to find the net was threatening to hit their bid for back-to-back promotions.

Trundle saw a sight to goal blocked when he should have done better while Adebola was off-target in a sustained spell of pressure.

The sniping runs of Sean Scannell and Scott Sinclair was keeping the home defence firmly on their toes and veteran midfielder Shaun Derry, jeered throughout following an ugly first-leg challenge, almost silenced the boos when he fired straight at Basso.

Just when the game was petering out into extra time referee Howard Webb adjudged that Nick Carle had tripped Tom Soares. But Watson's evening went from joy to despair as his effort crashed off the post.