Watford will be the first team in the Championship playoff final after they clinched a dramatic last-gasp win over Leicester City at Vicarage Road.
Watford clinch playoff final spot after late drama against Leicester City
Watford clinched a late, late win over Leicester City to make the Championship playoff final after an insanely dramatic finale at Vicarage Road.
Michael Regan
The Foxes were 1-0 up from the first leg at the King Power Stadium, so Watford had it all to do, and they levelled the scores with one of the goals of the season. The out-of-form Matej Vydra, running onto a long ball, swept a beautiful first-time volley into the far corner of the net.
Leicester weren’t to be denied, however, and David Nugent soon levelled the game and put them back in the lead in the tie with a fine header from a corner. The away goal left Watford needing two goals to proceed.
A tense game continued, before Vydra scored again with a tap-in after a one-two with Troy Deeney to set up a frantic finale, but Watford simply couldn’t find a way through. Things were looking bleak for the Hornets when Leicester were awarded a highly undeserved penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Anthony Knockaert, the man who scored the late winner at Nottingham Forest to give the Foxes their playoff place, stepped up to take it. Incredibly, Manuel Almunia saved his effort, then his rebounded shot. Leicester were still going through, but incredibly, an event rarely ever seen that has happened twice in the past two weeks at Doncaster and Hull was to happen again. Watford immediately launched a desperate late attack, and as the ball fell back to Troy Deeney, he crashed a volley into the back of the net to put Leicester out and send Vicarage Road into scenes of rare jubilation.
See More:
