1989 Football League Second Division play-off final

Crystal Palace ended the season in third position, two places ahead of Blackburn Rovers, while Swindon Town and Watford were the other semi-finalists.

Midway through the first half, Simon Garner flicked on a cross from Scott Sellars and Howard Gayle scored to make it 1–0 to Blackburn.

Blackburn started the game strongly but Palace took the lead through Ian Wright who scored after 17 minutes from an Alan Pardew cross.

A minute after half time, Mark Atkins tripped McGoldrick in the box to concede a penalty from which David Madden scored.

With three minutes of the match remaining, Wright scored his 33rd goal of the season heading the ball from a McGoldrick cross past Terry Gennoe.

"[2] The home side made the better start but the match ended goalless with misses from Howard Gayle and Scott Sellars, while Neil Redfearn's shot for Watford in the second half was saved by Terry Gennoe.

Simon Garner put Blackburn ahead after beating Paul Miller and Kenny Jackett and striking the ball past Tony Coton in the Watford goal.

[3] Ending 1–1, the game moved into extra time but with no further change to the score, Blackburn progressed to the play-off final on the away goals rule.

On eight minutes, Mark Bright scored his 25th goal of the season after Paul Digby had beaten away a shot from David Madden, to put Palace ahead.

[8][9] During the regular 1988–89 season, Blackburn Rovers had won their home game between the two sides 5–4 in October, while the clubs played out a 2–2 draw at Vicarage Road the following February.

[14][15] In the 13th minute, a chance fell to Garner as he volleyed a cross from Chris Sulley, but Perry Suckling in the Crystal Palace goal saved the shot.

In the 27th minute, Gayle doubled his side's lead with a half-volley from just outside the Palace penalty area after David Burke had failed to clear the ball.

[15] John Pemberton's free kick was headed on by Wright to Eddie McGoldrick who scored his first goal of the season from close range.

[19] Wright then saw his volley from the edge of the box tipped round the post by Gennoe, before a header from McGoldrick went wide of the Blackburn goal.

[20] A minute after half time, Atkins tripped McGoldrick in the box to concede a penalty from which Madden scored, sending the Blackburn goalkeeper Gennoe the wrong way.

[23] Blackburn's next season saw them finish in fifth position in the Second Division and qualify for the 1990 Football League play-offs where they lost 4–2 on aggregate to Swindon Town.