Stop celebrating and get on the road to Wembley

Palace were 19th in the Championship when Neil Warnock was appointed manager last October but an astonishing run of form has seen them end the regular season in fifth spot.

Watson, whose cool penalty began the 5-0 rout of Burnley at Selhurst Park on Sunday, said: "Okay, we weren't expected to be here but we've still not achieved anything yet.

"When the gaffer took over, if you had said we had to win the last game of the season to get into the play-offs we'd have taken it.

"But now we've got to get into the Premier League, where everyone wants to play. It's down to us, the gaffer and the players, to really achieve something."

Palace must play Bristol City at home on Saturday and at Ashton Gate next Tuesday for the right to make Wembley for the play-off final on 24 May.

But while form is with Palace - Warnock has claimed six promotions in a managerial career spanning 22 years and he has yet to lose at Wembley - Watson warned against complacency.

The 22-year-old Londoner said: "The pressure is going to be on us, given the manager's awesome record in playoffs. And Bristol are a good team, they wouldn't be in the play-offs if they weren't good.

"But we do go into every game thinking we can win it. And while Bristol have been up around the top of the table all season we have beaten them and drawn with them. We'd take the same again in the two play-off games."

The victory over Burnley was witnessed by the season's first sell-out crowd at Selhurst Park and Warnock is only too aware that the euphoria inspired by Sunday's result will transform into expectation.

Yet the 59-year-old insisted: "You haven't got to win the first leg. It is not the be-all and end-all in the play-offs.

"From my own point of view, from being second from bottom in November to getting us into the play-offs, I can't really think of a better achievement I've had in my career.

"It's also an achievement for all the lads. They've knuckled down and done what's been asked of them."

Warnock could hardly have asked for more than Palace's dominating performance against Burnley.

Their cause was helped immeasurably by Clarke Carlisle's sixth minute dismissal for bringing down Scott Sinclair in the penalty area. Watson converted the spot kick and when Victor Moses made it 2-0 two minutes later the game was effectively over as a contest.

As Watson acknowledged, however, a 10-man side can be hard to play against and it was to the credit of Palace that they patiently maintained a passing game that produced more goals from Tom Soares, Sinclair and Clinton Morrison.

"It was our day," said Watson. "Luck was with us and hopefully it will be with us for the next couple of games."

Warnock, who has won promotions with Notts County, Plymouth, Huddersfield, Scarborough and Sheffield United, said: "There are four teams left in it, so we have a 25 per cent chance.

"Let's see what happens. It can come down to a lucky break or a bit of brilliance from a player.

'We haven't spent much money, and we've brought kids through because nobody wanted to play for us, so it's been remarkable.

"Now we'll have a normal week because the two play-off games are like league games as far as I'm concerned. All I can say is that I've had six promotions - and my lucky number is seven."