Watford boss Malky Mackay was a relieved man after Watford secured a 3-0 win over Reading to ensure they will still be playing in the Championship next season. "It starts with relief obviously and tonight it will be elation," Mackay said.

"I think a lot of what has happened at this football club this year, there has been a lot of trying and testing times that are well documented.

"And I think for us to stay in the division, which was the target all along, the group of players thoroughly deserve that."

Watford had to sell four key players in August - Jobi McAnuff, Tamas Priskin, Tommy Smith and Mike Williamson - and were then on the brink of administration in December.

But commenting on his side's performance against the Royals, Mackay remarked: "Coming into today playing against Reading, who have been a team on an incredible run and, yes, they've got nothing to play for on the face of it.

"But underneath that they've got bonuses to play for, they've got contracts to play for and they're playing in front of 20,000 people and they don't really want to be shown up, so there was no way this was going to be a walkover.

"It was always going to be a tough game. But to play the way we did at home in front of all those fans and score the goals we did is just reward for that group in there."