Super Kev sees Eagles to Premier League

Crystal Palace 1 Watford 0 (AET)

Phillips’ extra-time penalty earned Palace a 1-0 win over Watford and promotion from the npower Championship in a game billed as potentially the most lucrative game in football.

Now Holloway, who led Blackpool to the Premier League with victory in the 2010 play-off final, will seek to mastermind top-flight survival at Selhurst Park.

“I’m very fortunate in my life to have some wonderful players who play for me and I’m so proud of the club. We’re in the Premier League so God help us!” he beamed at the final whistle.

“It’s massive, absolutely massive. We’ve got plans to change the ground, it’s getting a bit old in places, so I’m just delighted for everybody connected with the club. They’re gentlemen and I’m very privileged.”

Rather than be too concerned about next season and the recruitment possibilities from the enhanced revenue, Holloway focused on his playing group.

“How much you spend on your group isn’t always what gives you,” Holloway said. “It’s what’s inside their hearts and how much they work for you. I’ve been very fortunate that both teams that have done it for me, I was privileged to have worked with them. To me, they’re Palace heroes.”

With leading goalscorer Glen Murray injured, Phillips stepped up in his fourth play-off final to send Palace back to the top flight.

The 39-year-old had suffered play-off final heartache for Sunderland, West Brom and Blackpool, but had Holloway’s backing.

“If I had to put everything I own on someone smacking it in the net, then I’d put it on Kev,” Holloway said.

Phillips is on loan from Blackpool, where his contract expires imminently, and Holloway would happily sign the striker once again.

“I’ll keep signing him until he’s nearly 50 or 60, if he keeps putting the ball in the net,” the Palace boss said.

“It’s his enthusiasm that he needs to keep. It’s that little spark inside him, that jiggle. That’s what I want to keep.

“It’s your soul inside you. That little vibe when you get up in the morning. I’ve still got mine. Hopefully he’s still got his.”

Phillips’ decisive strike came in the 105th minute, with Holloway having already determined his penalty takers.

The spot-kick was earned when winger Wilfred Zaha bamboozled the Watford defence for the umpteenth time and was brought down by Marco Cassetti.

Holloway is tempted to ask new Manchester United boss David Moyes if he can borrow Zaha next season.

“I think he’d be silly to give me him back,” Holloway said.

“Now we’re up, it might be realistic, but who knows?

“He (Moyes) will know the task he’s got. Mine will be staying up, his will be winning every week. Good luck to him and good luck to us.”

Holloway’s focus is now on keeping Palace in the top flight, having overcome the critics who felt the Eagles would lose to Brighton in the play-off semi-finals.

Holloway said: “Everybody wrote us off, everybody. In a two-horse race there was one horse. We had no chance at Brighton away.

“We had enough match winners in our team that would cause a few problems. I’ve got to make sure we’ve got that next year.”

Gianfranco Zola plans to remain at Watford despite their near miss.

Zola was magnanimous in defeat, conceding Palace were the better side on the day, but felt his team deserved a second-half penalty when a Palace defender blocked the ball inside the area.

Zola said: “This game doesn’t take anything away from our season. It’s been a very good season.

“It’s a very unfortunate thing we didn’t play our best game. They played better and they deserved to win the game.”

CRYSTAL PALACE: Speroni, Ward, Gabbidon, Delaney, Moxey, Zaha, Jedinak, Garvan (Moritz 84), Dikgacoi (O’Keefe 17), Williams (Phillips 65), Wilbraham.

WATFORD: Almunia, Doyley, Ekstrand, Cassetti, Anya (Forestieri 86), Chalobah (Battocchio 74), Hogg, Pudil, Abdi, Deeney, Vydra (Geijo 46).

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).