2006 Football League Championship play-off Final
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| Date | 21 May 2006 | ||||||
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| Venue | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | ||||||
| Referee | Mike Dean (Cheshire) | ||||||
| Attendance | 64,736 | ||||||
The 2006 Football League Championship play-off Final was an association football match played at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on 21 May 2006. It determined the third and final team in the 2005–06 football season to be promoted to the Premier League, the highest division in the English football league system. It was the last play-off final to be held at the Millennium Stadium, as the new Wembley Stadium was completed in time for the 2007 final.
The final featured Watford, who had finished third in the Football League Championship, and Leeds United, who finished fifth. In the semi finals, Leeds and Watford defeated Preston North End and Crystal Palace respectively. Watford won the match 3–0, with opening goalscorer Jay DeMerit named man of the match. Leeds goalkeeper Neil Sullivan scored an own goal to make the score 2–0 to Watford after 60 minutes, and the final goal was a penalty kick scored by Darius Henderson which assured Watford promotion to the Premier League.
Watford finished the 2005–06 Football League Championship in third place with 81 points, two places and 3 points above Leeds. In the play-off semi finals, Watford faced London side Crystal Palace, who had finished in sixth position. The first leg was held at Crystal Palace's ground, Selhurst Park, on 6 May 2006. Goals from Watford players Marlon King, Ashley Young and Matthew Spring gave them a 3–0 win. The second leg at Watford's Vicarage Road stadium finished 0–0, thus giving Watford a 3–0 aggregate victory and a place in the final.
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