Crystal Palace substitute Paul Ifill illuminated a dogged clash with Watford with a stunning strike to put the Eagles in pole position to claim the final place in the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs.

Teenage winger Victor Moses then added a second to leave the hosts in freefall and all but end their automatic promotion hopes.

They are now just a point ahead of Palace and will have to rely on their rivals slipping up to have any chance of sealing a place in the top two which had looked a certainty all season.

The sides met in the play-off semi-finals of two years ago and after Watford's disastrous run of form which has seen them win just once in their last 12 games they could be set for another clash this term.

Adrian Boothroyd's side should have taken the lead through striker Tamas Priskin but always looked susceptible to the pace of Neil Warnock's side on the break and were punished in clinical fashion.

In a scruffy start both sides struggled to get the ball down but it was the Hornets' wingers who carved out a great chance to break the deadlock in the eighth minute.

Tommy Smith beat three players down the Watford right before clipping in a fine cross which found Jobi McAnuff arriving at the far post.

However, the former Palace man was put under pressure by Matt Lawrence and guided his header two yards the wrong side of the post.

Moses then led a lightning break down the left and from his resulting throw-in Palace came desperately close to a goal. Mark Hudson shrugged off the attentions of Darius Henderson at the near post and stabbed in a shot which was saved by Richard Lee.

Clinton Morrison managed to hook the rebound goalward but Jordan Stewart was perfectly stationed to clear off the line.

Priskin then should have opened the scoring with a golden chance in the 57th minute.

Lloyd Doyley picked up the ball on the right and after surging past Clint Hill delivered an excellent cross which Henderson managed to head back into the six-yard box.

The ball sat up for Priskin but with Julian Speroni flying out of his goal the striker could only head against the underside of the crossbar.

Ifill then replaced Sinclair before John-Joe O'Toole drove a shot into Speroni's midriff as Boothroyd's side poured forward in search of a winner.

But instead it was the visitors who stole the lead through Ifill's 72nd-minute strike.

Ben Watson's corner was cleared to halfway where Jose Fonte launched it back forward.

Ifill brilliantly killed the ball with his right foot, lifted it over Leigh Bromby's challenge and then smashed a rising half-volley with his left which flew past Lee and cannoned into the net off the far post.

The visiting fans were in raptures and had to wait just three minutes for Moses to kill off the game.

The youngster wriggled his way past Doyley on the left-hand side of the area before hitting a low shot which went through Lee's legs and snuck into the net.

O'Toole saw an effort acrobatically saved by Speroni as the clock ticked down but it was the Eagles who clung on to a vital three points.

Teams:

Watford Lee, Doyley, Bromby, Shittu, Stewart (Ellington 88),Smith, Eustace, O'Toole, McAnuff (Sadler 73), Henderson,Priskin.

Subs Not Used: DeMerit, Williamson, Kabba.

Booked: McAnuff, O'Toole, Henderson, Shittu.

Crystal Palace Speroni, Lawrence (Butterfield 20), Hudson,Fonte, Hill, Soares, Derry, Watson, Sinclair (Ifill 66), Moses,Morrison (Fletcher 84).

Subs Not Used: Hills, Scannell.

Booked: Fonte, Soares, Speroni, Butterfield.

Goals: Ifill 72, Moses 75.

Att: 17,694

Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).