Watford striker Tommy Smith believes their recent form will count for nothing as they prepare to host Hull in the first leg of the Championship play-offs.
After a season in which they were favourites to claim one of the automatic promotion spots, an end-of-season run which saw them win just one of their last 14 games saw Aidy Boothroyd's Hornets scrape into the play-offs - by just one goal - at the expense of Wolves.
But the former Sunderland and Derby man told the club's official website: "That's the good thing about the play-offs. It's always great to have form, but in these situations it counts for nothing, everything goes out of the window and thankfully that will suit us right now.
"We didn't prove ourselves up there at Hull a few weeks ago, so it will be cathartic to put things right and there won't be any bigger stage to do it on than in the play-off semi-final."
Smith - named the club's player of the season - scored the equaliser at Blackpool last Sunday which sealed a place in the top six on goal difference from Wolves.
He added: "It would have been terrible not to have made it into the play-offs on the last day, but we always felt we would be capable of achieving that.
"The margin with which we secured our place just goes to show how important the little things are and how vital everyone's contribution is."
Of the four clubs contesting the play-offs, Watford go into the semi-finals with the worst home record - having won just eight of their matches at Vicarage Road while also losing eight.
So in a bid to turn their fortunes, the squad will train on the Vicarage Road ground on the days leading up to clash.
Smith added: "Training at the ground will do us good and we'll be able to acclimatise ourselves with Vicarage Road given our home form, we don't often train at the ground so it will be good to run through a few things there.
"Hopefully this will help change our fortunes a bit, plus it will give us the opportunity to get used to the ground underfoot as it will have started to dry out a bit this week."
Smith turns 28 later this month - just two days before the Championship play-off final at Wembley and he is hoping not only for a late birthday present but to add to his seven-goal tally for the season.
Having scored the crucial goal against Blackpool last weekend to secure their play-off spot, he added: "Some more goals would be great, even though the goal that I scored on Sunday was probably the most important goal of my career.
"But at this stage the important factor is the team and performing as a whole and getting the result."
