Never in the history of conflict with their bitterest enemies has a goal scored by Crystal Palace meant so much to so many at Albion.

Solemn acceptance of the Seagulls' fate in the spring sunshine gave way to raucous celebration as news filtered through to the Withdean faithful of Dele Adebola's late match-winner for Palace against Stoke.

So Albion, with Churchillian-type defiance, simply refuse to surrender their First Division status without an almighty fight.

The unfolding drama of the battle to beat the drop is going to the last day, perhaps even the final kick. Who would dare bet against Steve Coppell's troops after this?

The odds are still stacked against them but the psychological force is surely with them now.

Imagine the desolation in the shattered Stoke camp today.

They were eight minutes from salvation when Adebola pounced to give glorious relevance to Albion's biggest win of the season.

Suddenly issues which would have meant nothing in the context of a match between two relegated teams next Sunday have real meaning.

Can Richard Carpenter and Paul Brooker return from the lurgy which sidelined Coppell's assistant Bob Booker for a week and ruled them out on Saturday?

Will Gary Hart, recalled to the starting line-up with Nathan Jones, and Simon Rodger recover from their injuries?

Will Ivar Ingimarsson continue in midfield instead of the centre of defence?

Coppell will be pondering over those selection problems this week with some relish.

A word of warning though. Grimsby, rock-bottom and relegated a week ago, are nevertheless bound to offer more resistance than Watford did.

Ray Lewington's lacklustre players, the epitomy of mid-table non-motivation, may as well have been sprawled out in deckchairs all afternoon.

Coppell's close friend admitted: "I think my players thought it was a trip to the seaside.

"I am pleased for Steve but I also know Tony Pulis (Stoke manager) very well. He will be looking at the result and probably having a go at me.

"The lesson from our point of view is that whoever you are playing you cannot take liberties."

The result wasn't just down to Watford's comatose contribution. The starkness of Albion's plight uninhibited them, particularly in the first half when they played with freedom and style.

The outcome was never in doubt from the 13th minute when Dean Blackwell powered home a close range header from Kerry Mayo's left wing cross.

Fourteen minutes later, Paul Kitson, bright and sharp, volleyed into the roof of the net from a couple of yards from Mayo's long throw, which somehow found its way through a crowded goalmouth.

If Coppell ever gets too fed-up with this oh-so-tense management lark, he could turn his hand to clairvoyancy.

He has been predicting for weeks that the injury-plagued Kitson still had a crucial part to play and for almost as long that the relegation tussle would go right to the wire.

Kitson's second goal in five games offered a cushion which Albion sat comfortably on in the second half once Dave Beasant foiled Watford's only chance.

Jason Norville burrowed his way between Blackwell and Danny Cullip just before the break, but the veteran custodian spread himself to make a significant save.

If, as the vast majority of supporters expect, this was Bobby Zamora's last home appearance for the club amid renewed speculation of Spurs' interest then he left his mark on Withdean in fitting fashion.

With 18 minutes left, Jones controlled Beasant's clearance on the left flank and crossed for Zamora to rise above his marker on the edge of the six-yard box and head his 13th of the season.

A few minutes later the crowd erupted as Adebola's deadlock-breaker at Selhurst Park became common knowledge, but Albion were not finished yet.

Two minutes into stoppage time Zamora back-heeled, Graham Barrett crossed and fellow sub Charlie Oatway swept in a rare goal.

Coppell was on the phone to Steve Kember on Saturday evening to thank the Palace caretaker after a lap of honour with the players.

"I told them we had to control our stuff and forget what was going on elsewhere and they did," Coppell said. "We coped admirably with the losses of Richard Carpenter and Paul Brooker.

"We are grateful to finish the season on such a high in front of our own fans. There was relief in the dressing room and anticipation at having an opportunity now.

"We are capable of doing it. The sad thing is it's not in our own hands.

"We are still depending on somebody else, but Reading are one of the teams I would want to depend on.

"They are a solid outfit and Alan Pardew is a manager who wants to achieve."

Having depended on his old club on Saturday, Coppell is now relying on his former Palace midfielder Pardew, providing of course Albion take care of business at Blundell Park.

  • Albion (3-4-3): Beasant (gk) 7; Watson (rwb) 7, Mayo (cd) 7, Cullip (cd) 7, Blackwell (cd) 7, Hart (f) 6, Jones (lwb) 7, Ingimarsson (m) 7, Zamora (f) 8, Kitson (f) 8, Rodger (m) 7. Subs: Oatway 7 for Rodger (injured 51), Pethick, Wilkinson for Kitson (withdrawn 88), Packham, Barrett 7 for Hart (injured 34).
  • Scorers: Blackwell (13), Kitson (27), Zamora (72), Oatway (92).
  • Bookings: None.
  • Watford (4-4-2): Chamberlain; Ardley, Robinson, Cox, T. Smith, Brown, Glass, Mahon, Johnson, Norville, Swonnell. Subs: Fisken for Swonnell (withdrawn 73), Lee, J. Smith, Godfrey, Fitzgerald for T. Smith (withdrawn 67).
  • Bookings: Fisken (80) foul.
  • Referee: E. Wolstenholme (Lancs).
  • Half-Time: Albion 2 Watford 0.
  • Attendance: 6,841.
  • Fan's View, by Paul Gunn (Brighton): "A fine performance from the Albion against an understrength Watford side. The way Albion played, I think they would have given most teams in this League a run for their money. The 4-0 win would have been all for nothing had it not been for Palace's 1-0 win against Stoke. I doubt a Palace goal will ever be celebrated by an Albion crowd like that ever again. Dele Adebola an unlikely Albion hero. Now on to Blundell Park and the final chapter of The Great Escape and at around 3.15pm next Sunday we find out if we are we a team of James Coburns or Steve McQueens. Ironically, on our day, we are a far better team than Stoke, but the record shows they took six points off us!"