It is the sharp end of the season when the P-word becomes the priority and while automatic promotion has come and gone as the preferred path to the top flight, the play-offs are a perfectly adequate second prize. Adrian Boothroyd’s rousing speech at his Watford team’s awards dinner last week focused on privilege, pressure and progress, but his opponents are the ones who can legitimately talk about promotion after the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs semi-final, first leg yesterday.

Instead, it could soon be the H-word that has managers in the Barclays Premier League reaching for their football annuals. Hull City will make history if they can reach the top flight for the first time in the club’s 104-year existence. On paper they may be the least glamorous of the quartet of teams taking part in the end-of-season lottery, but the team with momentum often walk away with the honours. Eight wins in 12 matches, compared with Watford’s one in 14, leaves Hull needing to defy the record books. Only eight teams who finished one place outside the automatic promotions spots have gained promotion since the play-offs were introduced 21 years ago.

It had been thought that Phil Brown, the Hull manager, had built a team good at preventing the opposition from playing, in the fashion of Sam Allardyce, his mentor at Bolton Wanderers, but on this evidence they can play, too. They cut through Watford with Dean Windass, 39, combining his unrefined talent with the dexterity of Fraizer Campbell and Nicky Barmby’s incisive passes.

Brown felt that his team should have added to the two goals they scored in the opening 25 minutes. “I told the players that was the disappointing thing,” Brown said. “We had chances to kill the tie off. The third goal could be important. They score it, and it opens things up. No one will be allowed to take their foot off the gas.”

Brown will take nothing for granted in the second leg at the KC Stadium on Wednesday. He played in the Blackpool side that lost a two-goal, first-leg lead against Bradford City in a phenomenal turnaround 12 years ago. “I was involved and I remember what it was like,” he said. “We won’t be repeating that.”

Hull passed Watford into submission, probed down the flanks and through the middle until they found a weak spot, yet it was a mistake that led to their opener. Dan Shittu got tangled up with Mat Sadler, a fellow defender, and the ball fell for Campbell to run into the area and pull back for Barmby to side-foot in.

With Watford at sixes and sevens at the back, Hull added a second soon after. Barmby found an overlapping Andy Dawson, and although Campbell’s header was deflected on to the bar, Windass put the ball in. “Dean and Nicky have been outstanding and their experience will ensure we guard against complacency,” Brown said.

In the absence of the suspended Darius Henderson, Watford changed formation and tactics from their direct approach. The lively Jobi McAnuff frequently spun Sam Ricketts, before curling shots that forced several good saves from Boaz Myhill. Yet, for all the grit and determination, there was little quality from a midfield that too often rushed into sloppy, aimless passes.

The home team were left to reflect that the momentum of the match might have been different had Shittu’s header not been chalked off before Hull took the lead. Kevin Friend, the referee, judged that Leigh Bromby had blocked Myhill from coming for a corner, although it appeared that the Hull goalkeeper had adopted a poor position to jump for the ball. “It was a goal,” Boothroyd said. “Only the Hull keeper was doing the pushing.”

Boothroyd was also angered by Friend sending off John Eustace, the midfield player, who challenged Richard Garcia and then squared up to Ian Ashbee. Hull representatives claimed that the fourth official saw a head-butt. Watford will appeal the red card.

Watford’s season has turned sour after promising so much. They were top for 99 days and with a nine-point advantage after 12 matches, but they squeezed into the play-offs on goal difference. “We are alive and if we can score, you never know how it could change,” Boothroyd said. “If we don’t believe then we are dead. There is a passion and belief. We played very well with the ball, but defensive lapses cost us.”

Watford (4-4-1-1): R Lee – L Doyley (sub: J-J O’Toole, 74min), L Bromby, D Shittu (sub: J DeMerit, 61), M Sadler – L Ainsworth (sub: T Priskin, 74), J Eustace, L Williamson, J McAnuff – T Smith – N Ellington. Substitutes not used: M Poom, A Mariappa. Booked: Priskin. Sent off: Eustace.

Hull City (4-4-2): B Myhill – S Ricketts, M Turner, W Brown, A Dawson – R Garcia (sub: N Doyle, 74), B Hughes, I Ashbee, N Barmby (sub: C Fagan, 64) – D Windass (sub: C Folan, 69), F Campbell. Substitutes not used: M Duke, S Walton. Booked: Campbell.

Referee: K Friend
Attendance: 14,713