Bristol City 2-1 Crystal Palace (aet) (4-2 on aggregate)
Adam Baker reports from Ashton Gate

Extra-time goals by Lee Trundle and Michael McIndoe saw City book a place in the Championship play-off final on 24th May.

Ben Watson headed Crystal Palace ahead in the first half but crucially missed a chance to win it for the visitors when his penalty hit the post in normal time.

City already had a 2-1 lead going into the game and almost extended their aggregate lead within two minutes of kick-off.

Julian Speroni could only punch out Louis Carey's cross a couple of yards and Marvin Elliott's guided header back towards needing a clearance from Mark Hudson beneath his own crossbar.

Lee Trundle tested Speroni again on seven minutes with a header into the Argentine keeper's arms after Matt Lawrence had failed to deal with Bradley Orr's cross.

Palace did well to weather the early storm and could have been awarded a penalty on 14 minutes when Scott Sinclair took a tumble in the box under pressure from Carey and Nick Carle. However, referee Howard Webb was well positioned and waved play on.

But then came Palace's goal on 24 minutes which brought the visitors all square in the tie. A raking pass from Danny Butterfield into the box had Adriano Basso advancing to collect the ball, but McCombe rose before his keeper to head away towards the edge of the box. Watson still had it all to do with his header from the edge of the box, but his looping attempt had the beating of Basso - left out of position - and agonisingly found the net.

David Noble and Carle both lashed efforts from distance over the top before a long free kick from Jamie McAllister was flicked just over by the head of McCombe.

The blue touch paper was well and truly lit two minutes before half-time when Clint Hill's dangergous two-footed tackle on Carey sparked angry scenes in the technical area. Hill was cautioned, as was his team-mate Clint Morrison - who had argued the decision with City assistant boss Keith Millen. Amazingly, for his part in the bust-up, Millen was sent to the stands by referee Webb after advice from his fourth official.

When play resumed Elliott headed McIndoe's cross wide of the mark, while at the other end Watson's 25-yard free kick was comfortably saved by Basso.

Straight after the interval Elliott again connected with a swirling McIndoe pass and this time Speroni was on hand to claw the ball away to safety in a crowded goal-mouth.

With the momentum swinging back the other way Basso clutched on to a shot from Derry and McCombe executed an inch-perfect tackle on Sean Scannell inside the box.

Then on 72 minutes Carle was adjudged to have hacked down Tom Soares in the penatly box when trying to hook the ball clear. Watson stepped up - just as he did on Saturday - and drove his spot-kick against Basso's right-hand post.

With time ticking away Scannell saw a shot deflect off Carey and just over the bar, before Palace received a major let off.

Just one minute of normal time remained when Trundle curled a shot from the edge of the box against the crossbar and over the top.

The end of normal time signalled the introduction of Ivan Sproule for Noble.

Chances were few and far between in extra time - Adebola being blocked off by Hudson and Watson blazing over at the other end.

But Trundle was in the right place, in the right time in the 104th minute of the game to curl a beautiful shot from 20 yards, obviously with his left foot, to send Ashton Gate into delirium.

Sproule teed up Adebola early in the second period of extra time, but Speroni made a comfortable save.

Goalscorer Trundle was replaced by Lee Johnson with time edging towards the final whistle and City sealed their place at Wembley on May 24th with a McIndoe free kick on 110 minutes.