Team news

Sno blow for Robins Bristol City will be without Evander Sno for the clash with Watford.

Sno was named on the bench in the Boxing Day defeat at QPR despite a recent family bereavement but the midfielder will now fly home to Holland for the funeral and is therefore unavailable.

Boss Gary Johnson almost missed the trip to Loftus Road with a chest infection and a similar illness kept his son Lee out of the squad on Saturday.

Midfielder Johnson is unlikely to be involved again as he continues to struggle, although Marvin Elliott could be in contention for a start after he was deemed fit enough to be on the bench at the weekend.

The Robins find themselves on a poor run of form having won just one game in the last nine and without a home win since October.

Henri Lansbury and Heidar Helguson will play the final game of their loan spells for Watford.

Arsenal youngster Lansbury and QPR striker Helguson are due back at their parent clubs after the trip.

Boss Malky Mackay hopes to extend midfielder Lansbury's stint from the Gunners until the end of the season but the club are unlikely to be able to afford the wages of Helguson, who has scored five goals since rejoining the Hornets.

Another loanee, Manchester United defender Craig Cathcart, has returned to Old Trafford for knee surgery and faces a spell on the sidelines.

Teenage midfielder Ross Jenkins is Mackay's only other injury absentee, having been been sidelined since October following a back operation.

Bristol City vs Watford

Last modified 17:17 28/12/09

Hornets leave it late for a point John Eustace bundled home in stoppage-time to deny 10-man Bristol City and secure Watford a 2-2 draw at Ashton Gate.

The experienced midfielder used his hip to convert Heidar Helguson's knock back for a goal that ensured both sides have now gone four games without a win.

Watford had trailed twice, with Danny Haynes and Paul Hartley scoring either side of Tom Cleverley's equaliser, while City had Lewin Nyatanga sent off midway through the second half.

Despite Eustace's goal coming in the 93rd minute, it was no more than Watford deserved as they had already had two Helguson goals wiped out by the officials.

Having fallen to defeat at QPR on Boxing Day, City were keen to impress early on and should have led after three minutes.

Watford defenders Adrian Mariappa and Jay DeMerit both went for the same ball and their error allowed Nicky Maynard to race free. From there he squared for David Clarkson, but the Scotland striker, without a goal since the opening day of the season, could only slice wide.

Maynard then saw a fizzing drive blocked, while at the other end, Henri Lansbury, whose loan from Arsenal has now expired, drew a smart save out of Dean Gerken.

Helguson, another whose loan spell with the Hornets is now over, then saw a low strike well blocked by Jamie McAllister.

Watford's influence on the game was growing and Helguson had a close-range goal from a free-kick into the box chalked off for offside.

That let off proved to be the catalyst for City to open the scoring 38 minutes in.

Clarkson was again involved as he cut the ball back for Maynard, but, after Lansbury took the ball off the striker's boot, Haynes was on hand to lash home his fourth of the season.

Their lead was shortlived, though, as Cleverley levelled five minutes later.

The midfielder gave Gerken no chance with a clinical drive from just inside the area after a poor clearing header from McAllister.

But again, the scoreline changed within minutes, as right on the stroke of half-time Hartley lashed home a 30-yard free-kick that went in off the underside of the bar.

Clarkson joined Helguson in having a goal ruled out by the linesman after the interval following another slip by DeMerit, but Gerken was the busier of the two goalkeepers at this stage.

He had to produce a stunning one-handed save to deny Danny Graham as Watford probed for a second equaliser, while Scott Loach had to be at his best to keep out Maynard's strike.

Graham continued to forge ahead and was unlucky to see his long-range effort hacked away by Gerken, while the keeper saved again from Helguson after another hashed clearance by McAllister.

Watford's pursuit of a goal was aided by Nyatanga's dismissal for a second yellow card issued for a foul on Lansbury but they were again denied by the officials when Helguson was deemed to have fouled Gerken on his way to scoring with 10 minutes remaining.