Trundle's the Ashton Great as Bristol City see off Palace to reach Wembley

The £1million signing from Swansea, a star of the lower divisions for many seasons, has not made much impact at Ashton Gate, but showed great skill to control a poor clearance on the edge of the area and send a superb left-footed half-volley past Julian Speroni 14 minutes into extra time.

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City made sure of a play-off final against Hull or Watford when Michael McIndoe struck a powerful free-kick into the bottom corner with 10 minutes left.

Defeat was particularly hard on Palace's Ben Watson, who followed up his first leg penalty by heading the only goal of normal time, but missed a spot-kick on 72 minutes.

A fiery atmosphere inside Ashton Gate had needed no stoking up, but Palace boss Neil Warnock could not help himself.

Long after everyone else emerged from the tunnel, Warnock, with his assistant Keith Curle and four burly minders, ambled out and chose a route to the dug-out that took him within insult-hurling distance of the home fans.

He loves to be hated, but it seemed on this occasion that he was trying to draw the hostility to himself and away from his players.

The early pressure came from the home side. After just 90 seconds, Palace keeper Speroni was rescued by his captain Mark Hudson clearing a Marvin Elliott header from under his own bar following a poor punch by Speroni.

At the other end, Scott Sinclair jinked into the area, but the on-loan Chelsea winger went down too easily under the challenge of two City defenders as he tried to draw a penalty.

Disaster struck for the home side in the 24th minute. Keeper Adriano Basso came to claim a routine Danny Butterfield cross, but then found himself stranded when centre back Jamie McCombe headed the ball out of his hands.

Watson, who converted a first-leg penalty, coolly looped a return header into the empty net from outside the area.

The giant McCombe tried valiantly to make amends with headers on two separate occasions from City corners, but errors are not easily wiped out in play-off semi-finals.

The tension threatened to spill over three minutes from half-time when Palace full-back Clint Hill clattered into Louis Carey and rightly earned a booking.

A squabble on the touchline ended with a further yellow card for Clinton Morrison, while City assistant manager Keith Millen was ordered to the stands.

The second half began like the first, with a goalbound Elliott header. This time Speroni threw himself dramatically to his left to save.

That sparked a period of play that took the breath away as first one side then the other powered forward. City's was more of a collective movement, while Palace relied more on the darting runs of Sinclair and light-footed Sean Scannell.

It was Palace midfielder Shaun Derry who went closest with a firm shot held by Basso, but City nearly grabbed it at the death as Lee Trundle chipped Speroni but saw his shot clip off the bar.

Extra time brought no clear chances for either side until Trundle's intervention, and Palace hopes were killed off by McIndoe's free-kick as the home crowd began the celebrations.

• Watford captain John Eustace will be available for their Championship play-off semi-final second leg at Hull tonight after his red card for a clash with Tigers' captain Ian Ashbee in Sunday's 2-0 defeat was rescinded on appeal.