Watford v Crystal Palace: Two club legends give their verdict on the Playoff Final

"Although Palace defended well against Brighton, I really can’t see Watford not scoring at Wembley. I think the game will get stretched towards the end of normal time and Watford will win it 2-1 (10.09/1)."

- Nick Wright

It's Watford v Crystal Palace in the Championship Playoff Final. Callum Davis spoke to Shaun Derry and Nick Wright, two men who know what it's like to reach the Premier League through the playoffs with Crystal Palace (in 2004) and Watford (in 1999) respectively, about their memories of the showpiece occasion and who they fancy for promotion this time round...

What are your memories of the game?

Shaun Derry (SD): My main memory of the game is that it was incredibly tight. We were coming into the game as underdogs while West Ham had been relegated the previous season and everyone fancied them to go back up. We didn't let any of that talk faze us at all in the build up to the game and our preparation couldn't have been better. The manager, Iain Dowie, kept drilling into us that we were more prepared than them and he turned out to be completely right. They were probably more nervous than us as the pressure was all on them to get promoted and as a result they didn't really threaten us. Despite the significance of the game, we were all very relaxed as a team and I think that helped us to play to our fullest potential on the day.

Nick, what are your memories of your spectacular goal?

Nick Wright (NW): I get asked this a lot and I honestly remember it all perfectly! As the ball came over I was in my usual position on the edge of the six yards box and I remember Andy Todd was defending under the bar. Andy headed the ball out to me with more of a looping header rather than a proper clearance. It all happened very quickly but as the ball came over my shoulder I just focused on getting as good a contact on it as it I could. I had to look through a pair of legs to see where the ball had gone but as soon as I saw the net move I knew I'd scored it. From then I remember I ran as fast as I could up the other end of the pitch towards the Watford fans where I was pole axed by Paul Robinson from behind with a rugby tackle that could have genuinely ended my career!

Was it the highlight of your career?

SD: Oh of course yes. Obviously it gave me my first taste of the Premier League and I was incredibly relieved and thankful to be given the opportunity to play at the top level with Palace. But more than that I was proud of the way we went about it. Iain Dowie had taken over near the beginning of the season when we were second from bottom of the Championship and at that stage we weren't thinking about the playoffs at all, it was more about making sure that we were going to stay up.

To go from that position to ending up in the Playoff Final and then getting promoted was an incredible experience. Iain Dowie managed to create a real close knit group of a team with a great team spirit and I see a lot of that team spirit in this season's Palace side.

NW: Oh definitely, people always say that their dream as a boy was to score in an FA Cup Final, and that was certainly mine too, but let me tell you the feeling of scoring that goal was even better. To score the best goal of my career in the biggest game in the club's history to take them to the Premier League was unreal.

What do you make of the current side?

SD: I always keep an eye out for how Palace do because it's still a club which means an awful lot to me. Just over two years ago they were close to going out of business and to see where they are now is a real pleasure for me to watch. They've taken huge steps since those dark days and I really hope they can go one step further and make the Premier League.

For me the core of their side is the back four and the two holding players in front. Everything they do is based around that stability which they have at the back, and in Miles Jedinak they have a real leader who has stepped up to the plate as captain without Paddy McCarthy in the side. I wasn't surprised at all to see how well they played against Brighton and that performance was all down to the back six making themselves so difficult to break down. It allowed Palace to soak up the pressure from Brighton and gave players like Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie the room to break on the counter.

NW: I do a lot work for Watford Radio so I've been fortunate enough to watch them a lot this season so I've been able to keep good track of them. I have to say that they're an exceptionally talented side. Their quality of movement, passing ability and creativity has been fantastic to watch.

My only concern is that they have relied on a handful of key players to get the job done this season and when those players don't perform the team tend not to function either.

Can your team win?

SD: I've got a sneaky feeling that Palace can do it. In many ways Watford and Brighton are very similar sides, they both like to keep possession and attack as much as possible and, as they proved at the Amex, Palace are well suited to play against a team like that. If the Palace back six can keep Watford's front three of Vydra, Anya and Deeney quiet then I think they'll will nick a win just like we did in 2004.

NW: Yeah of course they can and I'm fully expecting them to. I was at the game on Friday against Leicester and the atmosphere at the end after that finish to the game was unbelievable. The town and the team are on a massive high and I'd even go as far to say that the momentum is more with Watford than it is with Palace. There are also some good omens on our side as well, it's seven years since Watford were promoted in 2006 and it was seven years before that when we won the Play-Off Final against Bolton. I'm just praying that the seven year rule continues to be true for us!

Your recommended bet?

SD: Like I said I think Palace will try to make it a tight game and will try and soak up all the pressure from Watford. I have a funny feeling that it could be a repeat of the 2004 final so I'll go for Palace to shave it 1-0 (9.08/1) . Saying that I can see it being incredibly close! To a certain extent Watford are an unknown quantity with the amount of foreign players they have in the team so Palace will need to do their homework.

NW: Although Palace defended well against Brighton, I really can't see Watford not scoring at Wembley. I think the game will get stretched towards the end of normal time and Watford will win it 2-1 (10.09/1). 

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Timeform Radio Tip: Myths and Legends at Fontwell

Timeform Radio Tip / Rory Delargy / 26 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Bally Legend (centre) could come good today for an out-of-form yard

"One swallow doesn’t make a summer, but I’m a fan of the yard, and believe that the progressive Bally Legend will provide value in a winnable race today."

Coughing in Paul Nicholls' yard, backing the horses of out-of-form trainers to come good and taking on one of the Queen's horses at odds-on. Rory Delargy explains all.

Gina Bryce and Rory Delargy are the Timeform Radio team who will take you through racing at Fontwell, Towcester and Naas on Sunday. The latter outlines his best bets.

There has been much talk of late about utilising trainer form as a guide to picking winners, highlighted by a brief lull in the fortunes of Paul Nicholls, before he revealed that he had some coughing in the yard. Those who waited for Nicholls to run up a sequence of losers before looking to lay his runners had a rude awakening when he had three winners from just four runners on Friday, however, and this angle clearly has its dangers too.

The horse I'm backing today comes from a yard which is also woefully out of form, but there are reasons for believing that such appearances can be deceptive. Caroline Keevil, who trains my fancy Bally Legend in the feature National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell has had a torrid time in 2012, sending out 34 runners without a winner in January and February. This leaves her firmly on the "cold trainer" list, and most punters who pay heed to such stats will swerve her runners today. A closer look will show that she's most unlucky to be in such a position, and her novice chaser Civil Disobedience was in the process of springing a surprise when he fell at the second last at Warwick on Friday.

One swallow doesn't make a summer, but I'm a fan of the yard, and believe that the progressive Bally Legend will provide value in a winnable race today. His current price of [8.6] is more than fair, but he may drift further in the market.

He finished behind Third Intention at Taunton last time over 17f, but can reverse that form now stepped up to a trip which his breeding (out of stout stayer Bally Lira), while the way he was ridden there didn't see him to best advantage (best of those to race prominently in a strongly-run race). Third Intention is far from certain to stay much beyond 2m, while most of the others are either ungenuine (Battle Group, Afsoun), or badly out of form (Duke de Regniere, Topolski, Clerk's Choice).

I'm also keen to oppose The Queen's Barbers Shop in the hunter chase on Fontwell's card, as this tricky customer isn't the sort to take two quick races, but has to do just that in order to qualify for the Cheltenham Foxhunters in less than three weeks time. He had things all his own way when winning at Fakenham last time (runner-up Eleazar is a notoriously lazy sort who wasn't seen to best effect), and steps up in trip now, having looked a non-stayer in his pomp. He may appear to have little to beat, but both the mercurial Hills of Aran and prolific pointer Merry Vic (returning from a lengthy absence under the very promising George Gorman) are capable of giving him something to think about.

Nico de Boinville will hope that his classy mount can do things easily, as he's most definitely one to lay should he come off the bridle. Laying him pre-race is a fair bet, but the real value may be had by taking him on at very skinny prices in running - Hills of Aran in particular is capable of producing a strong burst from a hopeless position, as he showed at Haydock last weekend.

Recommended Bets:

Back Midnight Legend in the 15:40 Fontwell @ [8.6] or bigger (NAP)
Lay Barbers Shop in the 16:15 Fontwell @ [1.49] (NB)

Two bets courtesy of Terry Norman on a busy day of racing.......

Rory Delargy joins Tim Peters on Timeform Radio for racing at Lingfield, Warwick and Sandown, and he outlines his idea of the day's best bets below......

Timeform's Jumps Editor Dan Barber sticks to what he knows best - whilst also strongly recommending everyone pays close attention to Dubai expert Stephen Molyneux's Smartplays for bets on today's Meydan card - on a busy Thursday afternoon....

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Failla Thrills Crowd, Wins WPT Legends of Poker

Poker News / Matthew Pitt / 31 August 2011 / Leave a Comment

The final table of the World Poker Tour Legends of Poker has been completed and it is Will "The Thrill" Failla who is the man who managed to win every single chip in play to be crowned as Champion. Failla started the day as the chipleader and although he let his chip advantage slip on a couple of occasions, he always looked like he would be there or thereabouts and at one point Ken Aldridge said Failla's victory was destined to happen.

It took an hour for the first player to be eliminated from the six-handed final table at the Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, California and that dubious honour went to Owais Ahmed. The man who won his first World Series of Poker bracelet a couple of months ago started as the shortest stack and from the off was playing very aggressively in an attempt to chip up. However, his efforts backfired as he moved all in from the small blind with Js7s for 1,760,000 (blinds 60,000/120,000/20,000a) and Failla made the call in the big blind with Ac5h. The board ran out As-Kh-7h-Ad-Kc, gifting Failla an unnecessary full house and sending Ahmed to the cashier's cage to pick up $77,100.

Another two hours passed before the five players were reduced to the final four and it was Adam Aronson who was busted out in spectacular fashion. With blinds now 100,000/200,000/25,000a Aronson open-shoved from the button for 1,675,000 chips and was snapped off by Jeff Vertes in the big blind. Aronson flipped over 6c6s and was in a whole world of pain against the AdAh of Vertes but that all changed as the flop came down 8h-6h-3s. The turn was the 7h and brought a few "oohs and aahs" from the crowd as Vertes held the Ah meaning he could win by hitting an ace or heart on the river and it was the latter, the 9h, that made an appearance on the fifth community card sending a disappointed Aronson home for an early bath.

Joshua Pollock's elimination 30 minutes later was a little less exciting in terms of action but it did earn him $128,500. Pollock raised to 425,000 from the button and Aldridge called from the big blind. The dealer got busy putting out the Ad-Kc-4d flop. It was greeted with a check from Aldridge, a 500,000 continuation bet from Pollock and a check-raise to 1,200,000 from Aldridge. Pollock sat for almost a minute before moving all in, Aldridge made the call and showed As7h, which needed to avoid a diamond as Pollock held Jd7d. And avoid diamonds he did as the turn and river were the 7c and Th respectively to send the popular Pollock to the sidelines.

They played three-handed for almost three and a half hours before something finally gave and Vertes was sent packing. With blinds now really starting to bite at 200,000/400,000/50,000a the players were prepared to splash around in pots so it was only a matter of time before two big hands collided. Failla opened to 900,000 from the button and then shoved over the top of Vertes' three-bet of 1,750,000 from the big blind. Vertes made the call and his AhQd was nicely dominating the AdJc of Failla. This was not the case for long as the flop came down Ac-Jd-Tc but the hand was far from over as Vertes still had outs. The 9h was not really one of them and unfortunately for him neither was the As on the river and it sent him home, albeit with $186,400 in prize money.

Going into heads up Failla held a 13,075,000 to 10,650,000 chip lead over Aldridge but that would not last for very long. On just the fourth hand of play Failla min-raised to 800,000 and was called. A flop reading Ac-As-6s was met with a check from Aldridge, a bet of 1,000,000 from Failla and a quick check-raise to 2,500,000 from Aldridge. Failla paused before making the call. The turn was the 4d and again Aldridge checked, again Failla bet this time 1,500,000 but instantly folded as Aldridge made another check-raise, this one all in.

That completely turned the tie around and Aldridge was armed with 14,550,000 chips but in heads up No Limit Hold'em things can change instantly and change they did. Eight hands later and Failla doubled up and crippled Aldridge after some good fortune. Aldridge opened to 900,000 and Failla called, and the latter check-called Aldridge's 500,000 bet on a Jc-5d-2h flop. The 9h on the turn saw Failla check, Aldridge bet 2,000,000 and after a minute of deliberating, a call from Failla. The river was the 7h and now Failla came out betting to the tune of 4,000,000. Aldridge quickly moved all in but was not happy when Failla snap-called and turned over 8h6h for an unlikely flush, much stronger than the AdAs of Aldridge. When the players had stacked their chips Aldridge said "It looks like destiny," referring to a now very likely Failla win.

That win was confirmed just three hands later. Failla now with over 20,000,000 chips moved all in and Aldridge thought briefly before calling. Failla turned over Jh6c which was dominating the 6s4h of his opponent. The dealer put out the five community cards, which read Kc-Kh-7h-Qd-9s meaning Failla's jack-kicker came into play which sent "Teach" Aldridge to the rail as runner-up.

The World Poker Tour next stops off at the Aviation Club in Paris for the Grand Prix de Paris between September 4-12, where yours truly will be reporting live on the World Poker Tour website. Until then, a massive congratulations to Will Failla on his first World Poker Tour title!

Final table payouts

1st: Will Failla: $758,085
2nd: Ken Aldridge: $365,800
3rd: Jeff Vertes: $186,400
4th: Joshua Pollock: $128,500
5th: Adam Aronson: $102,800
6th: Owais Ahmed: $77,100

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