Darren Byfield came off the bench for Bristol City to fire a stoppage-time winner against Watford at Vicarage Road.
City subs combine for fine away day in Watford
Darren Byfield came off the bench for Bristol City to fire a stoppage-time winner against Watford at Vicarage Road.
The well-travelled front-man volleyed home fellow sub Cole Skuse's right-wing cross to earn a victory that leaves Adrian Boothroyd to contemplate a real slump in form.
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.
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.
Hornets King
Marlon King then 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.
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.
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.
Fine comeback
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.
