The Tigers are preparing for a two-legged play-off semi-final against Watford with the prize for the winners being a trip to Wembley to take on either Bristol City or Crystal Palace.

Whether City can earn a first trip in their history to the national stadium remains to be seen but one sobering thought for fans ahead of Sunday's first leg at Vicarage Road is that history is not necessarily on their side.

Phil Brown's men finished the regular season in third place, a position that has not proved to be the best from which to launch a successful play-off challenge.

In the 21 years since the play-offs were introduced, only eight of the clubs who ended the campaign immediately below the automatic promotion places in the second tier went on to win a place in the top flight.

And of the 13 who missed out, only three – Reading (1995), Sunderland (1998) and Sheffield United (2003) – managed to battle through to the final.

Many put this down to the psychological blow of just failing to win automatic promotion on the final day, as happened to City last Sunday when Stoke City clinched second place behind champions West Bromwich with a goalless draw at home to Leicester.

Despite that, Tigers chairman Duffen insists Brown's men can finish the job.

He said: "I know people talk about there being a curse of finishing third but this only really applies when the team who claim sixth place do so on the back of a tremendous late run of results.

"This does not apply to Watford, who have won just once in 14 games. Of course we know Watford are a quality side, they showed that earlier in the season when they opened up quite a gap at the top of the Championship. But we can take confidence from having soundly beaten Watford just a few weeks ago at the KC Stadium. And when looking at the other sides in the play-offs, I would imagine Crystal Palace are many people's favourites.

"But, again, from our perspective, it is nice that we beat Palace just a couple of weeks ago. It is why I do not listen to these who say finishing third means a team will not win the play-offs.

"I also think the manner in which we missed out on the final day will not affect the players at all. It would have been very disappointing indeed if we had won (at Ipswich) and Stoke had drawn.

"Or if Leicester had beaten Stoke but we had drawn or lost at Ipswich. That may have left people deflated.

"But, in the end, whatever happened at Ipswich did not matter because Stoke got the point they needed.

"Now, our destiny is back in our own hands. We are no longer reliant on anyone else. The bottom line is we have to beat two football clubs to claim a place in the Premier League.

"It is enormously exciting and another plus in our favour is that playing on Sunday as oppose to the Saturday means we have an extra day to get the likes of Jay-Jay (Okocha), Henrik (Pedersen) and Richard Garcia fit.

"I have been saying for quite some time that maybe our destiny is to achieve the two things that this club has never achieved before in one day – a trip to Wembley and promotion to the top division."

Wayne Brown echoed the words of Duffen in the aftermath of the final day defeat at Portman Road with the City defender insisting: "The season is not over yet and we have, hopefully, got three more games.

"There were a few faces that were a little bit down but it is up to us experienced lads to get around them and give them a lot of encouragement.

"It has been a very good season so far and now it's all about finishing the job off at Vicarage Road the KC and, hopefully, Wembley.

"We have still got a hell of a chance of winning promotion. I know Watford won't fancy us in the play-offs and it is now up to us to achieve the type of form that we have produced over the last two-and-a-half months.

"It is up to us to carry this one through."

City have received an allocation of 2,257 tickets for the first leg at Watford.

WHO PLAYS WHO IN THE PLAY-OFFS

Championship

Saturday May 10
C Palace v Bristol City (12.15)

Sunday May 11
Watford v Hull City (12.00)

Tuesday May 13
Bristol City v C Palace (7.45)

Wednesday May 14
Hull City v Watford (7.45)


League One

Friday May 9
Southend v Doncaster R (7.45)

Monday May 12
Leeds Utd v Carlisle Utd (7.45)

Thursday May 15
Carlisle Utd v Leeds Utd (7.45)

Friday May 16
Doncaster R v Southend (7.45)


League Two

Saturday May 10
Darlington v Rochdale (5.35)

Sunday May 11
Wycombe v Stockport (6.00)

Saturday May 17
Rochdale v Darlington (12.00)
Stockport v Wycombe (6.00)