BRISTOL City have mounted a strong challenge so far since their promotion to the Championship and there appears to be no stopping their robust form that currently sees them top of the table with 66 points.

Gary Johnson led the Robins to promotion last season where they finished second behind Scunthorpe. Since relegation in 1998/99 the club has been trying to haul themselves back to the second tier of English football.

They reached the play offs in 01/02, 02/03 and 03/04 but all campaigns were fruitless and ended in heartache. However now back in the Championship they are making up for lost time with a promotion push that has taken many by surprise. 

Johnson has been in the hot seat at Ashton Gate since he took over from Brian Tinnion in September 2005. It looks to have brought some stability to the club after a long list of managers in recent years.
 
Bristol's current boss has links with the Hornets too. He was in charge of the Academy at Vicarage Road and his son Lee, now at Ashton Gate with this father, was also on the books of the Golden Boys. Tommy Smith is just one of the players to come through under the stewardship of Johnson and play alongside his son and Johnson was the one to hand a pro contract to Richard Lee.

Johnson was in charge of Latvia between 1999 and 2001 and when he returned to England he took charge of Yeovil. He won promotion to the Football League and at the second time of asking took them up another division.

Despite his current success with the Bristol side, it hasn't all been plain sailing for the ex-Hornet. His early term at the club included a nine game losing streak, however he steadied the ship and guided the club to a ninth place finish. Last season they gained automatic promotion, which included an 18 match unbeaten run.

Johnson is assisted by another man with ties to Vicarage Road - Keith Millen. The centre half was with the Golden Boys between 1994 and 1999 - where he made over 160 league appearances. A solid, dependable player, he shored up a leaky defence, Millen played under Graham Taylor and it was in Hertfordshire where he met Johnson.  

This term they started with two draws before disposing of Scunthorpe and they haven't looked back since. So far they have won 11 games at home and lost twice in front of their own supporters. They are unbeaten since a heavy defeat at the hands of QPR in early February. 

They too are yet to meet some of the sides near the top between now and the end of the season, with a trip to Stoke to come as well as a trip to Home Park to meet Plymouth.

Johnson has recruited well and snapped up Marvin Elliott and Darren Byfield for the Championship season from Millwall, while Lee Trundle moved to Ashton Gate for £1m.

The Robins have shared the goals around with Byfield, Elliott, Trundle new signing Dele Adebola and a host of others bagging goals - with no one yet in double figures for the season.

TEAM NEWS
Boss Johnson was keeping his team news very close to his chest when he met the media yesterday (Monday). However he told their official site that defender Louis Carey has fully recovered after a foot injury.

Meanwhile Bradley Orr is available for selection after serving a two-match ban. Here is how the Robins lined up when they met Leicester City on Saturday:

Basso; Wilson, McCombe, Fontaine, McAllister, Carle (Sproule 49), Elliott, Johnson (Vasko 79), McIndoe, Adebola, Byfield (Trundle 63)
Subs not used: Weale, Noble. 

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Overall this evening's home side has the better record. In total the Robins have 32 wins to their name to Watford's 23.

Apart from the meeting earlier this season the teams hadn't met in the league since 1998/99.

That year the Golden Boys did the double over the Robins with Allan Smart scoring the only goal at Vicarage Road, while a double strike from Richard Johnson gave the 'Orns all three points on the road as part of a 4-1 victory - Dean Yates and Alon Hazan with the other goals.

Current goalkeeper coach Alec Chamberlain was in goal that day while under 18s coach Sean Dyche stepped off the bench for the Robins. Dyche had a spell at Ashton Gate between 97 and 99.  

LAST TIME THE TEAMS MET
It was back on the first day of December last year that Bristol took three points away from Vicarage Road, with a last gasp winner thanks to Byfield in front of the Sky cameras.

Enoch Showumni opened the scoring on 75 minutes before substitute John Joe O'Toole scored with three minutes left, just two minutes after stepping off the bench. However the Robins were to have the last laugh with Byfield taking advantage of uncertainty in the Hornets defence.

HORNETSBET
Home win - 7/5
Away win - 15/8
Draw - 23/10

Scorecast: Jobi McAnuff to score first and Watford to win 2-0 - 150/1.

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