Bristol City 2 Crystal Palace 1 (aet; BC win 4-2 on agg): Trundle carries Robins to Wembley

Goals in each half of extra-time from Lee Trundle and Michael McIndoe helped Bristol City secure their place in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on 24 May against Hull City or Watford.

And, having been chided by the Palace manager, Neil Warnock, for celebrating too early following their 2-1 win at Selhurst Park on Saturday, Gary Johnson and his players could be excused their rapturous reaction to the final whistle. "Credit to [Warnock], he came over and said congratulations at the end," Johnson said. "Everyone has to be humble in defeat and I tried to be humble in victory. This is why we've worked so hard this season, for these two extra games, because you need to finish strong. We've won both games 2-1 and that's put us through to one of the biggest games in the world."

The two goals which took them there would grace any stage. Trundle's curling left-foot shot was only his sixth goal of the season but easily the most valuable; McIndoe's 30-yard strike in the 110th minute gave way to unbridled joy among the home fans.

"We came and gave them a good game," said Warnock, who claimed a number of punches from home fans were aimed in his direction as he left the field. "I love the crowd here but you get one or two idiots. I've never had six security guards around me, it felt like Sex and the City."

It could have been so different once Ben Watson had given Palace cause to believe they could create history by overturning a home defeat in a play-off semi-final at this level, with a headed goal in the 24th minute. Watson took advantage of a defensive lapse from Jamie McCombe, who either did not hear the call from Adriano Basso or was not given one. Either way his headed clearance left his goalkeeper stranded and fell on to the head of Watson who lobbed the retreating Brazilian.

The Palace midfielder then wasted a golden opportunity to complete the job with 20 minutes of normal time remaining but struck a penalty against Basso's left-hand post after Nick Carle's lunge on Tom Soares had given the referee Howard Webb little option but to award it.

It would have been tough on City who could have won it themselves before extra-time when Trundle beat the Palace offside trap and lobbed a curling shot over Julian Speroni in the Palace goal and on to the bar in the dying minutes. His next effort was more decisive.

Bristol City (4-4-2): Basso; Orr, Carey, McCombe, McAllister; Noble (Sproule, 90), Carle (Fontaine, 113), Elliott, McIndoe; Trundle (Johnson, 109), Adebola. Substitutes not used: Weale (gk), Byfield.

Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Speroni; Butterfield, Hudson, Lawrence (Fonte, h-t), Hill; Soares, Watson, Derry (Moses, 105), Sinclair (Ifill, 111); Morrison, Scannell. Substitutes not used: Craig, Fletcher.

Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).