"We have a funny way" - Tom Cleverley reacts as Watford FC's play-off dream continues | OneFootball

The Hornets beat Bristol City 1-0 at Vicarage Road on Tuesday evening in a tight affair.

Tom Cleverley has praised his Watford FC players for finding a way to beat Bristol City in a tight contest at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night.

Ryan Andrews' stunning strike in the 53rd minute was the difference between the two sides in Hertfordshire, pushing the Hornets up to 5th in the table after West Bromwich Albion drew once again, this time with Sunderland.

Middlesbrough play later on Wednesday, meaning that for 24 hours at least, Cleverley's side will be burrowed in the middle of the play-off positions - a place where not many expected them to be at the start of the season.

It has been a superb campaign so far for Watford, and they are defying all expectations. Their home form is a huge reason behind their rise up the Championship table, much to the relief of their manager, with away victories a lot more difficult to come by.

Cleverley reacts to another Vicarage Road win

Only four clubs in the second tier are still unbeaten at home, and they are all currently in the top six places. Burnley, Sheffield United, Sunderland and Watford are yet to taste defeat on their own patch in 2024/25, and it is this form that is allowing the Hornets to keep pace with the league leaders.

It is a saving grace for them considering they have the 15th best away record, winning only twice on the road in nine matches, and they will need to keep up this form at Vicarage Road if they are to keep their play-off dream alive.

Cleverley has heaped praise on his team for finding a way to keep up their fantastic run at home, despite not being at their best against Bristol City on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media after the game, the 35-year-old said: "I’d love a win like this to come away from home, but over the balance of the last five days I think four points is a fair return,” said Cleverley.

"On Friday you’d expect the three points to have come our way, tonight it was a performance probably more worthy of a draw. It was a game that reminded me of the Blackburn performance, and it wasn’t as dominant as the Oxford performance, but the last 20 minutes reminded me of that.

"It wasn’t our finest, at all, but I was really pleased with the last 15 minutes and saw it out in a much better way than in those games where we’ve been ahead: Plymouth, Oxford, Blackburn."

The Watford boss continued: "I thought the players showed a good mindset and good organisation to see the game out, and sometimes you have to win like that. I thought even though we weren’t technically at our best, even in transition we looked very dangerous.

"We can still be even more clinical in those moments, and that is my challenge to the players. But we do feel like there will always be a goal in us from somewhere, even on our not-so-good nights.”

"We have a funny way of being able to find a way to win here at home, and it is certainly serving us well."

Watford have Bristol City's wastefulness to thank

It can be said that there was not much to split the sides at Vicarage Road, but Bristol City had plenty of chances to take at least a point with them back to the south-west on Tuesday.

The Robins had 14 shots on goal, finding the target with five of those. Daniel Bachmann produced a fine save to deny the visitors the opener after Luke McNally got on the end of an in-swinging cross from Annis Mehmeti, the closest they would go to scoring in the first-half.

Andrews scored what would prove to be the winner just after the break, smashing in off the post with a low effort from the right side of the box. It was a tremendous effort from the 20-year-old who now has three for the season.

Scott Twine came extremely close to levelling the game late on, firing a knuckling shot from distance before it crashed off the bar and was cleared for a corner. However, Liam Manning will be frustrated with the relatively tame efforts from his side that allowed Watford to take all three points from the game.

The Hornets, while not at their best, yet again found a way to win at home, and it is this form that will keep supporters dreaming of a play-off campaign.

If they can find a way to turn defeats into victories on the road, then there is no doubt that they will be firmly in the hunt for promotion.