Watford 2 Bristol City 0: City's Championship play-off pretensions were rendered notional as they crashed to defeat at Vicarage Road.

Requiring victory to close the widening gap between themselves and the top six, the Robins instead suffered the kind of setback which suggests they could yet spend the remainder of the campaign scrambling to stay clear of the relegation battle rather than pursuing promotion to the Premier League.

If a meagre return of two wins in their last 17 games is not sufficient cause for concern, then a mounting casualty list will surely set alarm bells ringing ahead of testing fixtures against promotion hopefuls Sheffield United, Leicester City and West Brom during the next 11 days.

However, the absence of several first-team regulars offered only partial mitigation for a first-half display which effectively ceded the initiative and, with it, the points to a Watford side which needed no second invitation.

Out-muscled by robust opponents, City allowed Heidar Helguson and Martin Taylor the freedom of their penalty area to head the Hornets into a commanding lead they never looked like relinquishing.

Although manager Gary Johnson made changes at half-time and City proved more competitive thereafter, the damage had already been done.

City remain halfway in the Championship, but a recurring lack of firepower in the attacking third is now becoming a glaring problem and Johnson faces a mountainous task to restore confidence ahead of Saturday's daunting trip to Bramall Lane.

A late assault on the play-offs is still not beyond the realms of possibility, but a remarkable turnaround in fortunes is required if these fading Robins are to close the gap on the top six.

Victorious on their last two visits to Vicarage Road, City had good reason to feel confident ahead of a contest against opponents who had won only once in nine outings since mid-December.

But any thoughts of a repeat of last season's 4-2 triumph on this ground were quickly dispelled as the Hornets surged into a two-goal lead inside 34 minutes.

City's defence went missing when it mattered most to allow Watford to force their noses in front on 14 minutes, Don Cowie skipping past Jamie McAllister and picking out Helguson with a deep centre which the Icelandic international headed firmly past Dean Gerken.

Disjointed and unable to hold the ball up in the final third of the pitch, City came under increasing pressure and it was little surprise when they fell further behind 11 minutes before half time. Alvaro Saborio was booked for a crude challenge on John Eustace and on-loan Arsenal starlet Henri Lansbury floated the resultant free-kick towards the edge of the six yard box, where giant centre-back Martin Taylor rose unopposed to head in from close range.

And Danny Graham almost added a third when forcing himself in front of his marker to meet another Cowie cross with a first-time effort which flew over the cross bar with Gerken stranded as the Hornets continued to call the shots.

Although City were handicapped by the absence of Nicky Maynard, Danny Haynes and Jamal Campbell-Ryce, there was no excuse for their first-half no-show and manager Gary Johnson, having seen his side fail to muster a single on-target effort during the opening 45 minutes, had his work cut out at the break.

He responded in decisive fashion, withdrawing the ineffective Saborio and sending on midfield powerhouse Marvin Elliott and sacrificing McAllister for the pace and attacking threat of Northern Ireland winger Ivan Sproule in a quest to turn things around.

City almost pulled a goal back moments after the restart, Liam Fontaine meeting a Lee Johnson free-kick with a powerful header which forced Scott Loach into his first meaningful save of the contest.

Sproule's introduction provided the visitors with a welcome outlet on the right flank and the flying winger kept Loach busy with a series of crosses as City built up a head of steam for the first time. But despite concerted second-half pressure, they seldom threatened the goal they so desperately needed to reduce the arrears and make their opponents think twice.

More direct and forceful, it was Watford who continued to carve out the best openings and the impish Lansbury almost made the visitors pay for another mis-timed tackle when sending a curling free kick inches beyond the far post.

Forced to gamble, City committed men to attack during the closing stages, but lacked the cutting edge to trouble a Hornets defence which held out reasonably comfortably.

Watford (4-4-2): Loach; Mariappa, Taylor, DeMerit, Mariappa; Harley, Eustace, Lansbury (Jenkins 84), Cowie; Graham (Henderson 71), Helguson.

City (3-4-3): Gerken; Carey, Fontaine, Nyatanga; Orr, Skuse, Johnson, McAllister (Sproule 46); Clarkson, Saborio (Elliott 46), Agyemang.

Referee: Danny McDermid (Middlesex)

Attendance: 12,179