Crystal Palace crown history-making Glasner era with deserved Euro trophy

Scene before kick-off at the Red Bull Arena

UEFA Conference League Final

Crystal Palace (0) 1 Mateta 51

Rayo Vallecano (0) 0

The Eagles concluded a stunning year and a half of high-octane drama and emotion with a first piece of European silverware to sit alongside their first ever domestic trophies - ensuring a fitting send-off for the man who oversaw it all.

To Jean-Philippe Mateta goes the honour of scoring the all important history making goal that means the Eagles become the fifth London club to win a European trophy - and the third in this competition after West Ham and Chelsea.

Pictures of a beaming Oliver Glasner holding the FA Cup at Wembley last season adorn the Selhurst Park press room - now they can add fresh images of the Austrian with the Euro Conference League trophy.

Throw in the Community Shield and it is clear this has been an era like no other for joyous Palace fans, who will feel the bitter-sweetness of their honorary south Londoner heading away now his work is done.

A few months ago, it looked odds-on that Glasner would depart before the season was over after going public with his dissatisfaction at the club's recruitment policies.

Most head coaches would have been shown the door, but chairman Steve Parish still believed keeping his man in position until the end of the season made sense.

Glasner was right to point out that his team were too often under strain in what was a largely underwhelming Premier League campaign, but deep down he knew he still had the tools to mastermind another glorious season finale - and the chance to add a trophy to the Europa League pot he won with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ah yes, the Europa League. Barred from entry to that competition last year over ownership issues, this time there will be no denying them their place. As winners of this one, they automatically elevate to Europe's second tier competition. This time, surely, there will be no Uefa rulings or Marinakis challenges to thwart them.

Palace laboured before the interval but threw off the shackles to seize control soon after the restart. Adam Wharton was allowed to advance unopposed some 30 yards and after keeper Augusto Batalla could only palm the midfielder's shot out in front of him, there was Mateta to snaffle the rebound with a first time finish.

The match could almost have been put to bed moments later. Yeremy Pino's free-kick came back off both posts, with Mateta almost forcing in the rebound that came back off a post again. Then Mateta was thwarted by Batalla's fine reflex save as he almost turned in Daichi Kamada's cross.

They could have done with one of those chances going in to ease the tension but they managed the final 20 minutes without fuss.

This was a massive occasion for Madrid minnows Rayo Vallecano too. Their first ever Euro final allowed them to step out of the shadows of the Madrid giants - neither of whom could make it all the way to the Champions League final.

The Franjirrojos, whose ground holds less than 15,000, finished a very creditable eighth in La Liga this season, losing only twice on home soil at El Campo de Futbol de Vallecas. The great Laurie Cunningham played for them before his tragic death in a car accident in 1989, but theirs is a modest history and they too were looking to break new ground.

An unbeaten run of nine games going into this final was a warning to Palace that it would not be easy.

But ultimately they did not have the weapons to hurt a Palace rearguard which did perfectly well without the half fit Chris Richards - who stayed on the bench.

The tears flowed at the Madrid end at full time. They had invested plenty of passion and emotion.

The Eagles began positively without really cashing in and Rayo missed two excellent half chances to take the lead - Brazilian striker Alemao clipping a cross wide and Unai Lopez bending just off target from the D.

But the vision and precision of Wharton marked him out as the game's best player and when he chipped a lovely ball into space, Tyrick Michell had the goal at his mercy - only for the wing back to send his header wide. It was a massive let off for the Spaniards but it only delayed the inevitable.

Palace fans have revelled in their team's whirlwind tour, which has included visits to such diverse destinations as Dublin, Nicosia Florence, Strasbourg, and Krakow.

They have also been to Norway and Bosnia. But Leipzig is the one they'll remember most for years to come.

Champagne moment

Eagles: (3-4-3) Henderson - Riad, Lacroix, Canvot - Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell - Sarr, Mateta (Strand Larsen 76), Pino (Guessand 80)

Los Franjirrojos: (3-4-2-1) Batalla - Ratiu, Cissy, Lejeune, Chavarria - Lopez (Pedro Diaz 62), Valentin (Mendy 63) - de Frutos (Carmello 70), Palazon (Akhomach 77), Garcia (Espino 70) - Alemao

Attendance: 39,176