Only one point separates the top three, with fourth-placed West Bromwich Albion three points further back with a game in hand.

And with Stoke City holding pole position by the narrowest of
margins – a solitary goal – Boothroyd has told his players to
prepare for a neck-and-neck sprint to the finish line.

After watching the Hornets rally to claim a 2-2 at Charlton last weekend, he said: "I told them fighting back from 2-0 down was what
winning leagues was all about.

"Stoke were 2-0 down against Scunthorpe, but fought back to win 3-2.
"They are top of the table because they have scored just one goal more than us.

"Promotion will be decided by such fine margins. It will be about those inches.

"I said to the players that someone would have to make the difference."

Boothroyd feels things are so tight that the promotion sprint will go to the wire.

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Preston provide the opposition at Vicarage Road tomorrow and Boothroyd will be looking for three points and nothing less.

Leaders Stoke are also at home to poor travellers Ipswich, Bristol City are on the road at Colchester and Albion play hosts to Hull.

With none of the top four able to afford a slip-up, North End can
expect a hot reception at a ground where Watford have strangely not been at their best this season.

Only seven wins in 16 games on home turf have damaged what could have been a runaway season at the top – their three chief rivals have all won 10 apiece.

But seven points from their last three league games at Vicarage Road suggest they might just be turning the corner in front of their own fans.

Home and away, Boothroyd's men have not been beaten in six since they lost at Preston to a Neil Mellor goal on January 12.

Marlon King has since joined Premier League Wigan for £5m after scoring 11 goals in 25 Championship starts.

But his place has been taken by former Latics and West Bromwich
striker Nathan Ellington and 'The Duke' has netted three in the last seven to give valuable support to 11-goal man Darius Henderson.

Henderson remains the big threat to North End, the team he turned down in August before signing a new contract at Watford.

Boothroyd has been hailing him as "fantastic" in recent games.

"There had to be a new darling when Marlon left and Nathan and Darius have been fighting for who is going to be the next cult hero.

"Henderson's hold-up play has improved and he has benefited from that experience of not being able to hit a barn door last season.

"He's thriving and playing with Nathan has helped him a lot.

"Nathan is a different sort of player, a more all-round player who is
capable of giving oppositions different problems."

The manager feels the departure of King and the emergence of a new
Henderson-Ellington partnership has been "seamless".

"We've gone back to the top so that justifies the decision to sell him really," he said.