Brilliant Watford on the brink

After a first-half in which the Eagles were the better side, and unfortunate not to be leading at the interval, Adrian Boothroyd made some tactical adjustments and his team reaped the dividends in a manner few would have believed beforehand.

The Championship's leading marksman Marlon King set the ball rolling with a trademark strike within 60 seconds of the start of the second-half; Ashley Young then curled home a fantastic free-kick before a devastating finish from Matthew Spring left a shell-shocked Palace knowing they need to score at least four in the second leg at Vicarage Road on Tuesday, May 9 to reach Cardiff.

The Hornets boss made three changes from the team that drew with Hull. Malky Mackay and Spring, as largely expected, both returned with Adrian Mariappa and Al Bangura dropping to the bench. Intriguingly though, James Chambers came into the starting line-up at the expense of Chris Eagles to provide extra cover in dealing with the threat of Jobi McAnuff.

Palace, who lost at Sheffield United last time out, also made three changes. Andrew Johnson, Emmerson Boyce and Michael Hughes came back in for Dougie Freedman and Marco Reich, who were among the substitutes, and Gary Borrowdale.

The home side were out of the blocks very quickly and forced a corner inside the opening 50 seconds after a neat interchange of play between Hughes and McAnuff down the left, but the Hornets safely saw off the threat from the set-piece.

But it didn't take long for the visitors to get their attacking play going either, with Gabor Kiraly plucking a useful Gavin Mahon cross from the left off the head of Mackay.

The big Scottish centre-half was then involved to positive effect at the other end, making an excellent tackle when Johnson broke towards the area and threatened to pull the trigger.

But Watford were very close to making the breakthrough after six minutes when a long Ben Foster clearance was misjudged by Tony Popovic, giving King a clear route to goal but Kiraly was quickly off his line to block the striker's rising shot behind for a corner.

The incessant action continued with Foster making an excellent save at his near post to keep out a low McAnuff drive after the midfielder had cut in off the left flank, and then Kiraly had to go to ground to hold onto a low 20-yard effort from Young.

However, Palace were inches away from taking the lead after 15 minutes when a quickly taken free-kick was rolled down the right side of the Hornets defence and the livewire Johnson latched onto the ball and shot across Foster but narrowly wide of the far post.

The end-to-end exchanges continued with Watford nearly forcing an opening in the 21st minute when a Mahon long throw from the right was flicked on by Mackay but the ball just wouldn't fall quite right for Chambers on the edge of the six-yard box.

The Eagles were enraged soon after when Clinton Morrison sought to latch onto a through ball as he broke clear and appeared to be held back by Jay DeMerit, who was the last man, but referee Mike Jones didn't see any foul.

Morrison had another opportunity moments later when the ball was worked to him on the edge of the area and he curled a shot narrowly wide of Foster's left-hand upright.

Spring was perhaps unfortunate to be booked after 31 minutes when he won the ball in a challenge on Soares but, in fairness, also caught the Palace midfielder. Not content with showing one yellow card though, the referee rather needleesly decided to dish out two more a couple of minutes later to Jordan Stewart and Popovic after the Watford defender took exception to the Palace centre-half's challenge on Foster.

But when play resumed Palace went close again when Johnson got free on the right side of the area and his attempted ball to Morrison was cut out by Lloyd Doyley, only for it to run straight to Ben Watson on the edge of the area, but the midfielder's drive went wide.

Next Morrison saw a shot deflected behind after Stewart's good tackle on Johnson had broken for the Palace striker, but neither side was able to create another chance as an excellent entertaining opening 45 minutes finished goalless.

Boothroyd decided to make a change at the interval, bringing on Bangura for Darius Henderson who had struggled to get involved, but within a minute of the restart Watford made a sensational breakthrough. Palace allowed a long Foster clearance to bounce and King received the ball with his back to goal, superbly turned former Hornet Darren Ward and struck an early left-footed shot from the edge of the area across Kiraly and in off the far post to send 3,000-plus travelling fans wild with his 22nd of the season.

However, Palace came straight back, with Foster forced to tip over a Popovic header following a free-kick. Moments later Johnson had the ball in the net but the whistle had already blown for a free-kick to the visitors.

But the goal had clearly rattled the home side, who struggled to get their game going in the opening ten minutes of the second-half, and the Hornets had another sight of a chance when Mahon sent King away down the right side of his area, but his stinging shot from a tight angle didn't unduly trouble Kiraly.

However, the Hornets had to clear their lines after 57 minutes when Popovic headed a Watson corner from the right back into the danger zone, before Chambers picked up an unnecessary booking for a daft foul on the Palace centre-half.

Iain Dowie decided action was needed and made a double change after 64 minutes, bringing on Freedman and Danny Butterfield for Soares and Ward, but a minute later the Hornets were in absolute dreamland. Young was fouled around 25 yards from goal and, after dusting himself down, he curled a magnificent free-kick over the wall and inside the near post, although serious questions had to be asked of Kiraly's positioning given the ground he gave himself to try and make up.

Watford kept pushing on and Spring drove straight at Kiraly, before King was set free on the left and he cut inside before trying a right-footed curling shot that looked to be heading for the far corner until it was deflected behind off the head of Popovic.

The Hornets were now threatening every time they went forward, as their opponents became increasingly dispirited, but with 15 minutes remaining it took an excellent save from Foster to prevent Boyce from making it 2-1 after the Palace left-back had found himself with a clear shooting opportunity in the area. Then a Watson effort from inside the box looked to be heading for the back of the net until it was blocked by a Watford body.

Eagles replaced Chambers with seven minutes left and two minutes later Watford all but secured their trip to Cardiff with a wonderfully-crafted third goal. Young received the ball in the inside right channel and laid a reverse pass back inside to Spring, who cut inside off his right foot before rifling a stunning rising left-footed drive high into the net, giving Kiraly no chance.

Johnson had an opportunity to give Palace a lifeline with a minute of normal time remaining, but Johnson snatched a shot badly wide, leaving the well-beaten Eagles wondering quite how they will recover from a three-goal deficit as Watford left Selhurst Park in complete control of their fate.

Crystal Palace: Kiraly; Hall, Ward, Popovic, Boyce; Soares, Watson, Hughes, McAnuff; Johnson, Morrison. Substitutes: Freedman and Butterfield for Soares and Ward after 64 mins; Leigertwood, Reich and Speroni not used.

Watford: Foster; Doyley, DeMerit, Mackay, Stewart; Chambers, Spring, Mahon, Young; King, Henderson. Substitutes: Bangura for Henderson after 45 mins; Eagles for Chambers after 83 mins; McNamee, Mariappa and Chamberlain not used.

Bookings: Spring for a foul on Soares after 31 mins; Popovic for altercation with Stewart after 33 mins; Stewart for altercation with Popovic after 33 mins; Chambers for a foul on Popovic after 60 mins; Hall for a foul on Stewart after 88 mins.

Attendance: 22,880.

Referee: Mike Jones (Ellesmere Port, Cheshire).