Watford 0 - 2 Hull City

Watford v Hull: Preview

Updated: May 10, 2008, 2:53 PM UK

Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd has told his side to come out fighting as they prepare to take on Hull for a place in the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final.

The Hornets host Phil Brown's men at Vicarage Road on Sunday looking to bounce back from a run of just one win in 14 games and earn themselves a cushion to take to the KC Stadium for next Wednesday's second leg.

They scraped into the play-offs by just a goal, courtesy of Tommy Smith's equaliser at Blackpool last weekend, but Boothroyd is backing his boys to set the record straight.

"We're against a team that finished third and will probably be pleased they got us in the play-offs but that's probably when we're at our best.

"Probably all three of the teams would want to play us at the moment but you know what they say about an animal that's wounded, they are at their most dangerous.

"The relief we had at Blackpool, you could see it on everyone's faces, but we managed to get in there and do it.''

It has been a real rollercoaster ride for the Hornets following relegation from the Premier League last season, with the Hornets starting the campaign in style with 10 league wins from their first 13 fixtures before their slump.

Despite topping the table for 99 days, the storm clouds gathered over Boothroyd's head as a nine-point advantage was whittled away.

"Considering the season we've had, which has been a real horseshoe - a great start and a dip - now we've got to make sure we finish with a high,'' he added.

"We've got in the play-offs by one goal and our form has not been good enough, and that's got to change. But what better time for it to change.''

The suspension of striker Darius Henderson, who was sent off at Blackpool, has forced a reshuffle in attack with Hungarian frontman Tamas Priskin set to line up alongside Nathan Ellington.

Steve Kabba is rated extremely doubtful and Theo Robinson, who has already tasted promotion this season at League Two Hereford, is ineligible under the terms of his loan deal.

"We've been looking at a few options throughout the week, we've made up our mind and we're going to go with that on Sunday,'' he told Watford World.

Hull striker Henrik Pedersen is hoping a calf injury will not wreck his hopes of sampling the drama and intensity of play-off football for the first time.

The versatile Pedersen, who can also operate in midfield or at left-back, was forced to sit out the 1-0 defeat at Ipswich on the final day of the regular season last Sunday because of the problem.

Pedersen has worked tirelessly in training this week in the hope of impressing boss Phil Brown enough to earn an instant recall at Vicarage Road, and is relishing the chance of facing a Hornets side seemingly short of confidence.

"Hopefully I can make it for Sunday,'' said the 32-year-old former Bolton forward.

"Obviously I want to be involved because it's a huge game.

"It's probably one of the games you look at during your career and want to play in. The chance to do that has come.

"I never experienced the play-offs before. Probably the closest I've been is a semi-final [for Bolton against Aston Villa in 2004] in the Carling Cup which was played over two legs also.''

Pedersen remains wary of the threat Watford could cause despite Adrian Boothroyd's side ending the campaign with a string of below-par performances and disappointing results.

Indeed, the Hornets have lost their last three games on home soil at the hands of relegated Scunthorpe, Crystal Palace and Barnsley.

But Pedersen has echoed Brown's claims that form is irrelevant in the lottery of the play-offs.

"I don't think form matters,'' added Pedersen, who has scored four goals this season since joining from the Trotters in August.

"It's two new games and we have to perform on the day.''