Palace scrape through

DIVISION ONE UPS & DOWNS Up: Norwich & West Brom Play-offs: Sunderland, West Ham, Crystal Palace & Ipswich Down: Bradford, Wimbledon & Walsall Final day Division One photos

West Ham, Ipswich and Crystal Palace booked play-off berths on a dramatic last day of the First Division season.

A late Brian Deane goal gave West Ham a draw at Wigan that knocked their hosts out of the play-off picture.

It also put Palace back in the play-off places despite their 2-1 defeat at Coventry City.

At the other end of the table Walsall joined Wimbledon and Bradford in dropping to the Second Division despite a 3-2 win at home to Rotherham.

The day started with West Ham, Crystal Palace and Ipswich all in play-off places with Wigan, Sheffield United and Reading chasing hard on their heels.

And that was the way it ended after a fluctuating afternoon of football.

The result at the JJB Stadium between Wigan and West Ham was the all-important score and Deane's 90th minute equaliser turned the play-off equation on its head.

Palace moved back into the top six at Wigan's expense despite losing at Coventry.

PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINALS 14 May: Palace v Sunderland 15 May: Ipswich v West Ham 17 May: Sunderland v Palace 18 May: West Ham v Ipswich

Iain Dowie's team had been rocked on their heels by first-half goals from Muhamed Konjic and Michael Doyle which gave new manager Peter Reid the perfect start to his Sky Blues managerial career.

Palace pushed forward in the second-half, Dougie Freedman pulled one back and despite laying siege to Coventry's goal they could not find a way through.

But Deane's late strike was celebrated by the travelling Eagles support as much as any goal by their own players this season.

Ipswich also went through despite not winning.

Shefki Kuqi fired in the opening goal against Cardiff before the Town's notorious leaky defence let in the Bluebirds for an equaliser, but Joe Royle's team stood firm for a vital point.

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Those results made Sheffield United's 3-3 draw at Preston and Reading's 1-0 loss at Watford immaterial.

Paul Merson's Walsall failed in their fight for survival despite winning 3-2 at home to Rotherham in an exciting end-to-end match.

Gillingham's point from a 0-0 draw at Stoke ensured the Gills stayed up on goal difference of one goal.