22 seconds

Watford went into the home leg of the play-off semis 1-0 down to Leicester and scored a great first goal through Vydra to balance things up before Nugent scored his second of the tie. The Czech championship-player-of-the-year then poached a second to make things all square. Four minutes of added time were extended due to an injury and it was with 95 minutes on the clock that their French winger won a tie-winning penalty with a dive. I was in the New Rose on Essex Road, with a Leicester fan I'd met there, and started complaining that this was no way to behave.

Lockaert then got up and took the penalty. It was weak and Almunia saved it with his legs and got in the way of a dinked follow-up from the same cheat. The ball was hooked away and next thing you know, the Horns were breaking down the right. The ball was passed to Forestieri to deliver a cross that was cushion-headed back by Johnathon Hogg - who had run faster than anyone else on the pitch to get from our penalty box to their goal line - for Troy Deeney to blast in from close range just 22 seconds after the penalty kick and Watford were in the final at Wembley on the 27th. My description does the drama no justice.
Palace beat Brighton away after a goalless first leg and it is them we will meet. I am confident of getting tickets but have my fingers crossed.

Drama

Drama. I saw before I left for the pub that our first-choice keeper had been injured during the warm-up. When I got to the pub, the stand-in was prostrate, head being supported by a medic. Sixteen minutes were added to the first half and nineteen year old academy graduate, Jack Bonham, came on to play in our biggest game for years.
A defensive mix-up gave Leeds the lead. The Horns needed to better Hull's result so defeat was not in the script. Almen Abdi took a pass after a great run by Ikechi Anya and slotted a great shot into the top corner. 1-1. Game on.
In Hull, the champions Cardiff took the lead. As it stood, Watford were automatically promoted. There was a long time left, though. Before Watford's second half had begun, Hull scored and minutes later took the lead. Nothing Watford could do would be enough.
Watford were nervy. There were no great chances and then Troy Deeney dove in and got himself a second yellow and marching orders. Head-in-hands time.
Because of the stoppage time, Hull's game was in its 90th minute when we still had more than quarter of an hour to play. The screen flipped to Hull's game: they had a penalty. Saved! But still, they were 2-1 up. Back to Watford: a chance, another chance. Agh. The screen split to show Hull again. Cardiff had a penalty now. They scored: 2-2. The game finished minutes later. Watford had plenty of time to score and go up in second place but with 10 men and not looking like they could. The fans got behind them, lifted the atmosphere for a push for that goal. There was pressure, there were half-chances. Nothing. We edged closer and closer to the 90th minute. Leeds broke, long ball, player took a weak chip. And our young keeper, what was he doing? It was not clear what he intended but the ball hit his palms and kept going...and into the net. 2-1 down with a few minutes left and no way back.
It was saddening and the poor young keeper will never forget his nightmare. On the way home, though, I was able to appreciate the excitement and drama of the previous two hours and got home to tell my too-young-to-understand-anything-but-the-breathlessness son the story.

We're in the playoffs against Leicester, while Brighton play Palace. No way I'll be able to get a ticket for either leg so just have to hope we make it to the final and there are enough to go around.