The Hornets host Phil Brown's men at Vicarage Road today 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.

"Henderson has been wonderful for us but these things happen, we have to get on with it and move on."

A 1-0 win in the home league fixture against the Tigers back in October was followed by a 3-0 thumping at the KC at the end of March as inconsistency blighted the Hornets' challenge for an automatic promotion berth.

And the boss knows any repeat could prove fatal to their chances.

"We got well and truly done (at Hull), we switched off and the game was over after 12 minutes," he said.

"For some reason we were still in the changing rooms and 2-0 down. We deserved what we got.

"Hull have a nice balance, they are strong at the back, direct and have old heads in middle and power and pace up front. And a little bit of guile if (Dean) Windass plays. They have a huge squad.

"We won't be going gung ho but at the same time we want to try and win it.

"We set ourselves a problem with expectation and we added to that by starting so well and since then its been 'come on Watford what you doing?', particularly at home - yet we've finished the season with the best away record.

"But what better way to finish the season than with a brilliant, resounding, noisy home win."