Bristol City's David Clarkson insists the equalising goal he scored against Coventry on Saturday can serve as a platform from which to launch his second coming as a Championship striker.

Signed from Scottish Premier League Motherwell last summer, the Scot commenced his Bristol City career in style, marking his debut with a goal in a 2-2 draw at Preston North End on the opening day of the season.

Yet, his impressive contribution in that contest and subsequent victories over Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace proved a false dawn when the Scotland international was struck down by a virus which swept through Ashton Gate in August and September.

Laid low for several weeks, Clarkson forfeited his strength and fitness and was effectively propelled back to the starting gate, forced to embark upon a second pre-season training programme in a bid to regain peak condition.

Such was the virulence of the infection, the road to recovery has been a long and arduous one, hindered by the absence of the regular reserve-team fixtures which represent a pre-requisite for a return to full-match sharpness.

Restored to the starting line-up to face Reading at Ashton Gate on December 19, Clarkson failed to make an impact or last the pace and was quickly relegated to the substitutes' bench, since when his opportunities have been few and far between.

But the 23-year-old forward is, by nature, an optimist and he considers his glass half full rather than half empty. And he feels confident the incisive cameo performance which rescued City against the Sky Blues last Saturday can serve as a launch-pad for a brighter future.

Introduced with 16 minutes remaining, Clarkson was charged with the task of equalising David Bell's 46th-minute opener and salvaging a point for City.

Within eight minutes of entering the fray, he had met his obligations in full, seizing upon Louis Carey's nod down to sweep in his first senior goal in more than six months and only his second as a Championship footballer. It earned City a 1-1 draw, which kept them betwixt the race for play-off status and the scramble to avoid relegation.

Whether his strike proves sufficient to earn him a place in the starting line-up to face Watford at Vicarage Road tonight remains to be seen. What can be said with a degree of certainty, however, is that the Scot is again displaying the anticipatory sixth sense and sharpness in and around the penalty area which characterised his early-season performances.

For his part, Clarkson remains philosophical. He said: "It's up to me to make the most of my chances when they come along. There is competition for places throughout the team, not just among the strikers, and I'm one of several players trying to break into the side.

"All I can do is keep working hard in training, do my best when the reserve games come around and try my best to score when I come off the bench. If I can continue doing all those things, then I'll gradually work myself into a starting position."

While reserve-team football represents a chore to some, Clarkson appreciates the value of outings for the second string. He said: "It's about going into those games with the right attitude and getting as much as you can out of them.

"I scored twice in a 9-1 win over Exeter the other week and that probably earned me my chance against Coventry.

"It was a sweet moment when the ball hit the back of the net and it felt good to get on the scoresheet again in the Championship.

"It will definitely help with my confidence and, hopefully, this will be a second start for me. I know a lot more about the Championship now and feel I can do a job for the team if called upon."

Clarkson is eager to make up for lost time after enduring several frustrating months.

He said: "The illness really floored me and knocked me off my feet for three or four weeks.

"We thought it was just swollen glands to start with, but then it drained me of all my energy and I couldn't get out of bed or keep any food down. Once I was back on my feet, it was a matter of starting from scratch and regaining my fitness and match sharpness.

"You then have to play catch-up and work twice as hard to get back, which was unfortunate considering I had just joined a new club and was looking to impress. But that is all in the past now and I've done the work which means I can look to the future.

"It's up to me to keep my current level of fitness and sharpness and make sure I'm ready to take my chance when it comes."

Given the dead leg which has ruled Bristol City top scorer Nicky Maynard out of tonight's Vicarage Road contest, Clarkson will feel he has a genuine chance to impress from the outset.