Socceroo Mile Jedinak is bound for the English Premier League after his Crystal Palace team won the Championship promotion playoff at Wembley in extra time.
Monday’s victory over Watford completes a remarkable rise for the 28-year-old who left A-League side Central Coast in 2009 to play in Turkey before joining Palace in mid-2011.
The Eagles beat the more-fancied Hornets 1-0 with a penalty in extra time in front of 82,000 fans at Wembley.
Before the winner-takes-all final, Sydney-born Jedinak declared: “We know how big the game is and what’s at stake.”
Palace dominated possession in the first half but didn’t make the most of their attacking opportunities.
Captain Jedinak was busy in the midfield both before and after receiving a yellow card at the 28-minute mark for a crude fist to the rib of Almen Abdi during a tackle.
With the score locked at nil-all at halftime, the game came alive after the 64-minute mark when Palace had a flurry of shots on goal requiring smart saves by Watford captain and goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.
Semi-final hero and Manchester United-bound winger Wilfried Zaha was again the star for the Eagles but chances weren’t converted.
Jedinak could have won it with a header in injury time but directed the ball straight at Almunia.
The Hornets picked up the intensity at the start of extra time but when Zaha was brought down inside the penalty area at the 14 minute-mark, substitute Kevin Phillips coolly slotted his spot kick past the Watford keeper.
Some pundits rate Jedanik – Palace’s 2012/13 player of the year – as the best defensive midfielder in the Championship.
He will be one of very few first-team Australians in the English Premier League next season.
Mark Schwarzer and Brett Holman have been carrying the flag for a dwindling contingent but there’s no guarantee either will remain in arguably the world’s top league in 2013-14.
Schwarzer is yet to renew his contact at Fulham and Holman appears on the outer at Villa suggesting he could be set for a move in the off-season.
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