Promotion play-off: Watford manager Aidy Bothroyd looks set to be banned from the touchline for the Championship play-off final against Leeds United, comfortably the biggest game of his brief managerial career, after being sent to the stands last night following a brawl in front of his dugout.

Bothroyd sparked mayhem midway through the second half after flicking the ball away from Fitz Hall with a hand as the Crystal Palace defender sought to take a quick throw-in.

Hall reacted angrily and appeared to shove the Watford manager, culminating in a melee involving almost every outfield player and substitutes and backroom staff from both clubs.

At least 30 people seemed to be involved and Bothroyd may not be the only individual charged by the FA once video evidence has been reviewed. Palace's manager Iain Dowie got heavily involved, too, and may have thrown a punch.

Stewards intervened to break up the brawl and Bothroyd was sent off by the referee, Steve Tanner, who also booked Hall. That minute of madness overshadowed Watford's comfortable passage to a final that puts Bothroyd up against the club he worked for before moving to Watford.

Palace had sights of goal early on but never seriously threatened to overturn a three-goal deficit. Given Watford had started with a three-goal lead from Saturday's game at Selhurst Park, even the most pessimistic home fans had expected their team to reach the final and move closer to a return to the top flight, a level the club last played at in 1999-2000.

Palace controlled most of the first half and applied pressure but they rarely looked like finding a route back into the tie. The opportunities they made came to nothing. Alert goalkeeping by Ben Foster, who came off his line to clear from Andy Johnson and Dougie Freedman, was partially responsible for that.

At times Palace were too keen to hit early balls searching out the pace of Johnson. They also had passages of more co-ordinated play but lacked the final pass.

Bothroyd had chosen a 4-1-4-1 formation with a view to soaking up Palace attacks and striking on the break but his team went too much into defensive mode and carried scant threat with Marlon King as a lone striker. Bothroyd responded by pushing Ashley Young up as a second forward around the half-hour and, although it had little immediate impact, King almost scampered clear in the 41st minute after a Tony Popovic error. An excellent challenge by Hall got his central-defensive colleague out of trouble.

Palace started the second half minus captain Michael Hughes, who suffered a suspected broken arm when fouled by Bangura. Dowie brought on Ben Watson and Palace's search for a goal looked increasingly forlorn.

WATFORD: Foster, Doyley, Mackay, DeMerit, Stewart, Spring, Bangura, Mahon, Chambers (Henderson 75), Young, King. Subs not used: Chamberlain, Eagles, McNamee, Mariappa. Booked: Bangura.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Kiraly, Borrowdale, Fitz Hall, Popovic (Reich 69), Boyce, Soares, Hughes (Watson 45), Leigertwood, McAnuff, Johnson, Freedman (Macken 58). Subs not used: Hudson, Andrews. Booked: Fitz Hall.

Referee: S Tanner (Somerset).