One win in 14 games is hardly the form of a team brimming with confidence, yet Adrian Boothroyd, the Watford manager, is confident his side can win promotion to the Barclays Premier League after scraping into the play-offs by the slimmest of margins. A second-half equaliser by Tommy Smith proved enough to pip Wolverhampton Wanderers to sixth place in the table by a difference of one goal.

Having led the table by nine points after 12 games, it has been a disappointing second half to the season for Watford, but Boothroyd feels his side will get it right in the play-offs semi-final against Hull City, particularly after overcoming the sending-off of Darius Henderson for two bookable offences.

“There is a sense of huge relief in our dressing-room,” Boothroyd said. “It just goes to show the fine margins in football. Bigger clubs than us have come down from the Premier League, lost momentum and dropped further. The play-offs are all about being organised and holding your nerve. We have done it before and I see no reason why we can’t do it again.”

Watford put their 1,750 travelling fans through agony and got off to a calamitous start, falling behind in just 65 seconds when Ben Burgess poked the ball over the line from eight yards after Lee Williamson’s sliced clearance. As news filtered through that Sheffield United and Crystal Palace were winning, thus knocking Boothroyd’s side out of the top six, Watford looked increasingly nervous. Their plight worsened when Henderson, earlier cautioned for deliberate handball, was sent off after fouling Kaspers Gorkss on the hour mark.

Yet just when all seemed lost, Smith came up with the equaliser. The point proved enough to keep Blackpool in the Championship. “It’s a magnificent achievement for this club to stay in this division,” Simon Grayson, the Blackpool manager, said.

Blackpool (4-4-2): P Rachubka – S Barker, I Evatt, K Gorkss, D Coid – J Martin (sub: A Morrell, 75min), K Southern, C Jorgensen, W Hoolahan – S McPhee (sub: D Fox, 87), B Burgess (sub: G Holt, 87). Substitutes not used: M Jackson, S Flinders.

Watford (4-4-2): R Lee – L Doyley, D Shittu, L Bromby, M Sadler – T Smith, J Eustace, J McAnuff, L Williamson (sub: A Mariappa, 90) – D Henderson, N Ellington. Substitutes not used: M Poom, T Priskin, J-J O’Toole, L Ainsworth. Booked: Henderson. Sent off: Henderson.

Referee: G Laws
Attendance: 9,640