Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway insists his side are back to their best after their semi-final win over Brighton & Hove Albion and believes the Eagles can upset the odds again against Watford at Wembley.
Palace went nine games without a win in the Championship between March and April but Holloway’s team have turned their fortunes round of late, winning two of their last three games and going unbeaten in six.
Having beaten Brighton, who finished a place above Palace in the table, the Eagles will be underdogs again in the final against third-placed Watford.
“I said a couple of weeks ago we’d turned a corner and that’s six undefeated now,” Holloway told SkySports after the win.
“We’ve got a chance of going to Wembley now to take on Watford and who’s to say we can’t do that as well? I’m so proud I’m bursting, absolutely bursting.
“We had a bad blip, it sent us off, but now we’re back. I can’t wait for the final, it’s fantastic.
“Watford are a fantastic team, but so are we.”
Unlike Hornets boss Gianfranco Zola, who will be leading Watford out in his first Championship play-off final, Holloway has now been involved in three of the last four promotion deciders, winning in 2010 and losing last year, both with Blackpool.
"I've been there but my players haven't," Holloway told the BBC.
"I can bring calmness to a situation. I didn't used to have patience. I'm bursting with pride.
"We have two weeks to get ready for a wonderful occasion."
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