Watford 1 - 2 Bristol City

Watford 1-2 Bristol City

Updated: December 1, 2007, 7:36 PM UK

Bristol City striker Darren Byfield came off the bench to fire a stoppage-time winner and condemn Championship leaders Watford to their third defeat in seven days.

Byfield was in the right place to volley home fellow sub Cole Skuse's right-wing cross to earn a 2-1 win at Vicarage Road that leaves Adrian Boothroyd to contemplate an alarming slump in form.

The Hornets' lead at the top of the table is now down to just a solitary point and serious questions must now be asked of what had appeared to be a procession to promotion to the Premier League.

Watford have now picked up just four points from their last six games and have seen a nine-point lead at the summit disappear in just five weeks.

Enoch Showunmi had headed City ahead in the 76th minute before Watford sub John-Joe O'Toole looked to have grabbed a vital point with just four minutes to go before Byfield's finish.

The hosts had an early scare when Michael McIndoe's inswinging corner was missed by Mart Poom and Jordan Stewart was forced to head clear from under his own crossbar to prevent Marvin Elliott from heading in.

And Elliott was at the heart of another great chance in the 10th minute when Northern Ireland winger Ivan Sproule should have given the Robins the lead.

A rash clearance from Gavin Mahon was seized upon by David Noble and after he headed to Elliott the midfielder released Sproule with incisive pass inside Lloyd Doyley.

Sproule took a touch onto his left foot but his weak strike was well saved by the sprawling Poom.

Sproule then raced clear of Dan Shittu from a throw in but was again foiled by Poom as the visitors looked a constant threat on the break.

Another fine Sproule run won a corner in the 27th minute and after it was taken quickly Showunmi headed McIndoe's cross against the post.

Boothroyd's side had been poor but almost snatched the lead after a touch of class from Marlon King.

King played an intricate one-two with Darius Henderson to sprint clear down the right and his attempted cross was tipped on to the angle of post and crossbar by Adriano Basso, who then saved Jobi McAnuff's follow-up with his legs.

The hosts started the second half in similarly disjointed fashion but did appear to be denied a penalty for handball after a well-worked set-piece was headed across goal by Shittu.

The decision incensed the home crowd but for all their pressure the league leaders failed to create a clear-cut chance.

King looked the most likely to force a way through and fired a powerful drive into the side-netting after Tommy Smith had hooked on an aimless ball forward. But the former Nottingham Forest man spurned an easier chance minutes later when Henderson's cut-back found him free on the penalty spot but he scuffed his effort horribly into the turf and aimlessly wide.

Stewart then burst into the area to rifle in a low shot which was well kept out by a combination of Basso and Louis Carey as Boothroyd's side turned the screw.

But in a rare foray forward the visitors took the lead with 14 minutes remaining.

Liam Fontaine broke clear down the left and his floated cross found Showunmi unmarked on the corner of the six-yard box and he made no mistake with a downward header.

Boothroyd piled men forward in search of an equaliser and his strategy seemed to have paid off with time running out.

Lee Williamson's cross from a short corner was clawed out by Basso and Jay DeMerit's diving header across the face of goal was headed in by O'Toole from three yards.

But with 92 minutes on the clock Byfield volleyed down into the ground and over Poom to complete a nightmare week for Boothroyd.