Darren a byword for play-off success

Darren Byfield will spend the remainder of the week reminding manager Gary Johnson of his play-off final pedigree ahead of Bristol City's Wembley showdown against Hull.

Striker Byfield has experienced promotion via the play-off final having scored the winning goal for Walsall in a 3-2 extra-time victory over Reading at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in 2001.

And the 31-year-old has been doing his utmost to ensure the fact has not escaped the attention of his manager saying: "All week I have been asking him if he knew I had scored a winning goal in a play-off final and I think he knows all about that now."

He added: "Although, I might continue to remind him ahead of Saturday just in case it slips his mind.

"I remember everything about that day. It is the greatest achievement in my football career, but hopefully I can surpass that on Saturday.

"That was promotion from League One to the Championship but this is on a whole much bigger scale. Hopefully, Saturday will be an even better day to remember.

"I didn't start that game in Cardiff, but hopefully I will start the game at Wembley. If I am on the bench I'm sure that in the second half I will be leaning over and reminding the manager about my goal again.

"But winning is more important to me than whether I am in the XI. It would still be great if I was coming on late in the game when we are 2-0 up just to waste a bit of time."

Byfield joined City from Millwall at the end of August and claims he knew instantly promotion was a realistic target for his new club.

"The day I signed we played Manchester City in the Carling Cup at Ashton Gate," he said. "I sat in the stand and watched the game and I said to my agent, 'Listen, this is a team that can get promoted'."