BARNSLEY will return to league action at the Vic tonight (Wednesday) and the Tykes know they'll need to start earning points to ensure their Championship survival.

Three consecutive league defeats have plunged Simon Davey's side into the relegation mire and they'll have to forget their FA Cup heroics for the time being.

Their cup form was nothing short of sensational, dumping Liverpool and Chelsea out of the world famous cup competition.

Davey will hope his squad reacts in the same manner again after a cup fixture, after beating west Londoners Chelsea in the sixth round they stuck four past Ipswich at Oakwell.

This is their second season back in the Championship, in the last campaign they finished eight points above the bottom three. Manager Davey originally joined the club in the summer of 2006 as the Academy manager.

He eventually took the permanent job of first team manager in December 2006 after taking over as caretaker in November 2006 after Andy Ritchie left the club.

Boss Simon Davey

Davey is well respected and well qualified and has already completed his A, B, C and Pro 'Uefa' Licences.

Since the turn of the year the Tykes have recruited in the loan market, including Daniel Nardiello from QPR, Lewin Nyatanga from Derby and Luke Steele from West Brom, who has performed so well in the recent cup run.   

They have a host of nationalities in their squad, including players from Hungary, Nigeria, Germany, Holland and Brazil.

TEAM NEWS
Skipper Brian Howard misses both of Barnsley's Championship games this week with an ankle injury picked up in the semi final at Wembley.

Meanwhile winger and ex-Hornet Martin Devaney misses his return to the Vic after he pulled his thigh in the second half against Cardiff on Sunday.

Old Watford boy Devaney misses out

Striker Jon Macken and defender Nyatanga are both available again after being ineligible for the FA Cup, but Anderson De Silva and Heinz Muller remain long-term absentees following knee operations.

HEAD TO HEAD
There isn't much between it as the Tykes lead the overall stats with 16 victories, compared to 15 for the Golden Boys.

Since the first meeting in 1910/11 in the FA Cup, the teams have met a total of 44 times.

Watford last beat Barnsley at Vicarage Road in November 2001, with goals from Tommy Smith and Heidar Helguson (2) securing the points. Smith is the only survivor from that day although the team included current Goalkeeper coach Alec Chamberlain.

Barnsley had current Sheffield United captain Chris Morgan in their side alongside ex-Hornets Bruce Dyer and Kevin Miller. 

LAST TIME THE TEAMS MET
It was back in November when Davey's men won the game 3-2 after both sides scored two apiece before the break. Man-mountain Dan Shittu converted twice for the Hornets while Howard and Devaney (both out this evening) scored for the hosts.

Shittu scores at Oakwell

Richard Lee scored an own goal to hand three points to the Tykes. The game marked a comeback for Damien Francis and Lionel Ainsworth's first appearance for the club.

HORNETSBET
Home win - 4/7
Away win - 5/1
Draw - 11/4

Scorecast: Darius Henderson to win first and Watford to win 2-0 - 25/1

PLACE YOUR BET AND HELP THE CLUB