Play-Off Final - Match Preview

This coming Sunday Watford will do battle with Leeds United in the Coca-Cola Championship Play-off Final for the last remaining place in next season's Barclays Premiership.

With a potential £30m bounty on offer to the winning club, notwithstanding the possible monetary rewards for the players, pressure to succeed is considerable, and with the closeness in playing merits of both teams one suspects the camp that copes best with the overwhelming tension of the occasion will ultimately prevail in front of a near if not completely sold out Millennium Stadium.

Watford, under the encouraging promptings of Bradford born Aidy Boothroyd have been the Championship's surprise package this year, quietly securing a third place finish during the regular season, before bursting into the national limelight with an attention grabbing three goal two-legged play-off semi-final triumph over Iain Dowie's much vaunted Crystal Palace.

Leeds United meanwhile, under the unassuming guidance of Kevin Blackwell threatened, but eventually failed to deliver automatic promotion their fanatical fans craved, although a resolute play-off semi-final victory over Billy Davies' spirited Preston North End, rekindled hopes of the club returning to the Premiership they last graced two years ago.

The managers know each other well, Boothroyd having been Blackwell's first team coach at Elland Road prior to accepting the job at Vicarage Road a year past March.

The protégé, unashamedly ambitious, is surely destined to manage at the top level and his eloquent, creative style of coercing individuals into working desperately hard for each other has transformed Watford into an extremely powerful unit.

Blackwell is not to be underestimated though, overseeing a massive reorganisation of the club that had been floundering badly, both on and off the pitch since the heady days of former chairman, Peter Ridsdale and erstwhile manager, David O'Leary.

A glance at the relative playing strengths of each team also makes it impossible to predict the final outcome with any certainty.

It is probably fair to say the Golden Boys have had the edge in the goal scoring department this season, and whilst Marlon King, Darius Henderson and Ashley Young have been in tremendous form throughout, bagging 51 goals between them, the Whites struggled at times to regularly find the back of the net, especially during the crucial run-in and this, despite having the gifted Rob Hulse, Robbie Blake and Northern Ireland International, David Healy amongst their ranks.

On the flipside Leeds United had the meaner defence, and marshalled superbly by ex-Wimbledon stopper, Neil Sullivan and veteran Gary Kelly in particular, Leeds United remained firmly in games they might otherwise have lost.

Elsewhere there is talent in abundance and it will probably just take a magical moment from one of the game's unsung hero's to turn potential triumph into tangible reality, Matthew Spring to net the decisive winner against his former paymasters perhaps?

Failing that there is always extra-time and the dreaded death or glory penalty shoot-out for those who do not suffer from a nervous disposition!

So the scene has been set, and the prospect of the Golden Boys returning to the Premiership after an absence of six years may have been unthinkable nine months ago to many a Watford fan, but Boothroyd's unquestioning belief in his slightly unfashionable yellows joining England's elite may ultimately deny his home county's premier side.

History of the Leeds United v Watford fixture

Watford face Leeds United in Cardiff in Sunday's winner take all Coca-Cola Championship Play-off Final looking to reverse a trend which has seen the Yorkshire outfit dominate recent encounters.

The two games this season were predictably close affairs, and following a goalless draw at Vicarage Road at the start of October matters really came to a head at Elland Road on Valentine's Night which resulted in a tempestuous affair and Watford reduced to nine men.

Both sides at the time were attempting to force their way into the automatic promotion picture as Sheffield United suffered high altitude tuberlance, so there were plenty to play for in the cool of a West Yorkshire evening.

A superlative free-kick by Ashley Young steadied the visitors and gave the Golden Boys a deserved lead at half time only for the game to change inextricably in four mad minutes around the hour.

A poor back pass by Jordan Stewart left goalkeeper, Ben Foster in trouble and the on-loan Manchester United star had little option but to pull Rob Hulse down. Without hesitation Referee Mr. Jones pointed to the penalty spot and ordered Foster off.

Robbie Blake levelled matters from 12 yards but worse was to follow for the Golden Boys moments later as Darius Henderson was also red carded for an incident involving Shaun Gregan.

With a now decisive numerical advantage, Leeds United pressed for an undeserved winner and, despite spirited Watford resistance, it came when Blake notched his second goal of the game nine minutes from time.

For a detailed analysis of the head-to-head between the two sides, click here.

Recent respective form guides

Leeds United have lost just one of their last six matches, which included fixtures against already promoted sides, Reading and Sheffield United, and three games against Preston North End.

Goal scoring has been a problem of late though for the Whites, and they have managed just 7 goals from their last 11 fixtures.

The Golden Boys had been in decent form towards the end of the regular season, remaining unbeaten in their last five fixtures, and this good run continued during the Coca-Cola Play-off Semi-Final matches against Crystal Palace.

Leeds United came fifth in the final Coca-Cola Championship table with 78 points from their completed programme of 46 matches. Meanwhile, Watford finished the regular season two places higher in third spot, having accrued 81 points from their 46 games played.

For a detailed analysis of team form guides throughout the leagues, click here.

* Points total are not applicable are two of the matches were Coca-Cola Championship Play-off Semi-Final matches where points were not played for.

FootyMad's Predicton…

It is going to be an extremely tense and exciting afternoon at the impressive Millennium Stadium, but here at the Golden Boys we think the extra fire power at Watford's disposal may just be enough to see them through to the Premiership, possibly after extra-time. Watford Win