EX-SAINT Kevin Phillips netted the most valuable goal in football history in the Championship play-off final.

Phillips’ match-winning penalty secured Crystal Palace a 1-0 victory over Watford and promotion to the Premier League – worth an estimated £120m in prize money and TV cash.

The teams were locked at 0-0 after 90 minutes, but Phillips, below – on loan at Palace from Blackpool – held his nerve after Watford’s Marco Cassetti brought Wilfried Zaha down to hand the Eagles a penalty on the cusp of half-time in extra time.

The former Hornets Academy player, 39, who had been on the losing side in play-off finals three times in his lengthy career, was delighted to write a “fairytale ending” to Palace’s season.

He said: “It’s fourth time lucky. It’s my fourth play-off final and I’m just delighted to get that feeling.

“To come on and get the winning goal against the club where it all started 20 years ago is a fairytale ending.

“Going into extra time it becomes a lottery, cramp sets in and players are tired but we were magnificent today and you saw how well they defended at the end.

“I felt confident and I wanted to take it. I had in my mind where I wanted to put it and I thought I’d smash it so I was delighted to see it fly into the top corner.

“I’ve scored at the old Wembley and now I've scored at the new Wembley and if that is my last game then what a way to sign off.”