WATFORD regained some much-needed momentum ahead of the Championship play-offs with a 2-1 win over Ipswich Town at Vicarage Road today.

Manager Adrian Boothroyd is already planning ahead for any play-off possibilities. After the match, he appealed to fans to stay behind and boo his own players in a specially-arranged penalty shoot-out, just in case the dreaded spotkicks are needed in May.

Of more importance to Boothroyd will be if Darius Henderson can continue his goalscoring run into the play-offs. The former Gillingham striker score two headers to see off Ipswich, who had levelled through a Nicky Forster header.

Boothroyd made two changes from the team that drew at Wolves, one of which was enforced with Marlon King serving the first of his two-game ban. This meant Ashley Young move up front to partner Henderson, with Anthony McNamee returning on the left flank. Elsewhere, Al Bangura came in for Matthew Spring, who was left out of the 16. Alec Chamberlain recovered from the illness that ruled him out of the trip to Molineux and alongside him on the bench was young Academy striker Theo Robinson.

Joe Royle clearly decided wholesale changes were needed after seeing his side go a seventh game without a win on Saturday and made six alterations to the side that lost 2-1 at home to Brighton. Out went keeper Shane Supple, Fabian Wilnis, Darren Currie and Danny Haynes, who all dropped to the bench, while Owen Garvan and Scott Barron were left out altogether. Into the team came Lewis Price, James McEveley, Sito Castro, Vermund Brekke-Skard, Dean Bowditch and Nicky Foster.

Watford started strongly, forcing two early corners but both Ashley Young setpieces were comfortably cleared.

Eagles then forced a third corner on six minutes and this time McNamee swung it over from the right, Young hit the bar with a header, Lewis Price parried Clarke Carlise's follow-up from ten yards and Jason De Vos charged down Malky Mackay's drive from a similar position.

Young then curled a 22-yard free-kick a foot over the same area of crossbar he had struck moments earlier.

Bowditch offered the first threat for the visitors on 17 minutes when he latched onto a Matt Richards flick-on and cut in from the left only to toe-poke his effort across Ben Foster and well wide.

Foster then had to tip an Alan Lee shot from 20 yards around his right-hand post. Watford cleared the corner though and Young led the charge on the break, teeing up McNamee who, from 22 yards, whipped a low-left-footed shot just a yard past Price's right-hand post.

Naylor then deflected an Eagles shot out for a corner and, at the second attempt, McNamee found Henderson 15 yards out and he controlled before sending an overhead effort just over the bar.

But Foster had to be at his very best to stop the visitors taking the lead on 25 minutes. Lee slipped in Forster and he headed into the Watford box, shimmied past Carlise and shot low left-footed from 12 yards only for the on-loan Manchester United keeper to get down quickly and block.

And the save proved crucial as the Hornets took the lead on 32 minutes. Eagles broke forward and made his way to the edge of the Ipswich box. He slipped the ball out wide to McNamee and his measured cross found Henderson at the back post and he powerfully planted a firm header past Price from six yards.

A wonderful piece of skill from McNamee almost played in Henderson for the second in injury time but the cross drifted just over the striker and then Young found himself clear seconds later but his low shot struck Price's legs and slid just past the keeper's right-hand post.

Half-time: Watford 1 Ipswich 0.

Ipswich were denied what looked a decent penalty shout on 56 minutes when Lee appeared to be tripped in the box by Mackay but referee Colin Webster signalled only for a corner much to the fury of Joe Royle.

However, perhaps justice was done two minutes later when Darren Currie slung over a free-kick from the right touchline and Forster rose to head home his second goal in as many games following a return from a four-month injury lay-off to level matters.

Henderson though he had regained the lead for the home side on the hour but his close range header was ruled off-side.

Neither side were able to take the initiative as the match became a scrappy affair. If anything, Ipswich were looking the more likely to score a second.

But it was Watford who were to score the second on 77 minutes with a near-replica of their first. Young picked the ball up in space wide on the right, floated over a cross to the back post and Henderson drifted in between the Ipswich centre-halves to head home unchallenged from four yards out.

James McEvely just managed to flick a Henderson cross away from James Chambers two minutes later as Watford pressed for a third. Carlisle also came close, glancing a Young free-kick over the bar from close range.

Watford: Foster; Doyley, Carlisle, Mackay, DeMerit; Eagles, Bangura, Mahon, McNamee; Young, Henderson. Substitutes: Chambers for Eagles after 70 mins; Stewart for McNamee after 82 mins; Chamberlain, Mariappa and Robinson not used.

Ipswich Town: Price; Castro, Naylor. De Vos.McEvely; Brelle-Skard, Juan, Richards; Lee, Bowditch; Forster. Haynes and Currie for Bowditch and Brekke-Skard after 45 mins; Peters for Lee after 89 mins; Supple and Wilnis not used.

Bookings: Lee for a foul on Mackay after 63 mins; Attendance: 16,721.

Referee: Colin Webster (Tyne & Wear).