Gianfranco Zola: 'Crystal Palace deserved to win'

Watford manager Gianfranco Zola has conceded that Crystal Palace deserved to win the Championship playoff final this afternoon.

Kevin Phillips scored the game's only goal when he converted from the spot to give the Eagles a 1-0 win over Zola's side after a surprisingly dull affair between two teams renowned for scoring goals.

Zola acknowledged that his side were below par, but believes that the performance should not detract from what he feels has been an excellent season for the Hornets.

"This game doesn't take anything away from our season. It's been a very good season," he said.

"It's a very unfortunate thing we didn't play our best game. They played better and they deserved to win the game."

The Championship playoff final is regarded as the richest match in football, with the winners receiving an estimated £120m.