Bristol City moved into the Championship play-off places with a 1-0 victory over depleted Watford.

Dominic Ballard’s first-half header was enough for all three points for the Robins at Ashton Gate, steering a backwards header in from Rio Cardines’ ball into the box.

It was a much-needed win for Michael Skubala’s side after back-to-back defeats leading into this clash on Friday night.

Bristol City now rise to fifth in the table ahead of the rest of the weekend’s action and then the extended upcoming international break.

Watford, meanwhile, who have an injury-ravaged squad under Alessio Dionisi, remain in the bottom half of the table. They have picked up just a point on the road all season.

The key moments from Ashton Gate

3: BIG CHANCE! Bristol City should be ahead. Lovely work from Ballard to jink in down the left and cross into the middle. Knight arrives unmarked but he heads wide!

8: CHANCE! Now a good opening for Watford. Nabizada slinks inside and sees his shot blocked into the path of Kjerrumgaard. He then prods over from 12 yards.

11: PENALTY SHOUT! Atkinson then goes down in the box and wants a penalty after a challenge from Doumbia, but the referee is not interested. Hard to track in real time, but on replays it was clear that Doumbia got Atkinson before the ball.

31: GOAL! Bristol City have the lead that their dominance has earned! Cardines with another assist! His sixth of the season as he whips in a lovely inswinging cross and Dominic Ballard rises with his back to goal to steer a header into the corner!

80: CHANCE! Tolaj could seal it! A long ball forward from Tanner finds the run of the striker. He gets in between two Watford defenders, but then lashes over.

87: PENALTY SHOUT! Boadu feels he’s having his shirt pulled in the box as he goes down! But the referee is not interested in the Watford man’s protests!

The managers

Bristol City’s Michael Skubala:

“Dom’s got great movement in and around the box and I thought he could get down the sides of the two centre-halves. I thought he could link quite well. [Lorent] Tolaj does it well as well, but Dom’s a really good mover without the ball and he creates little moments for himself.

“I think the goal is just a typical Dom Ballard goal that I’ve seen over the last few years.

“I was really pleased. It’s not easy to come back off a couple of results that we lost, but it really showed some resilience to bounce back. A win’s a win and a good clean sheet.

“I thought we showed, especially in the first half, some really good intensity with the ball. We moved it really well, shifted the play and looked really threatening. In the second half, naturally, we were a little bit lower, but we had some fast transition moments to go and get the second.

“We challenged the group with a clean sheet and making sure we defended our box solidly, and I thought the lads were great. The other thing was that I made seven changes, which is showing the squad depth. Not many people make seven changes and some of the lads put in great performances.”

Watford’s Alessio Dionisi:

“For a lot of matches we played with all the same players, the same line-up. Today it was difficult to ask other players.

“It’s not easy because, for example, today on the bench there weren’t midfielders, there weren’t defenders. It was difficult.

“I’m not happy sometimes with the situation in the last 20 metres because we arrived near the box and then played back. It’s not good, but we have a lot of young players.

“Today there were six young players in the line-up. Two 19-year-olds and two 20-year-olds. It’s not easy, but I believe in our future because it’s important.

“I speak every day with my director, with my owner, with the club. The club knows this situation well because at the start I wasn’t happy. It’s difficult to start when we had a few players.

“I know a lot of players arrived at the end of the [window], but now it’s important to recover a lot of players.

“I spoke in the dressing room with my team. Now it’s important to believe, to work together, because I believe in this team, I believe in our job.”

What the result means and next fixtures…

Nigel Chiu

Sports Journalist @NigelCJourno

Keely Hodgkinson ended an injury-affected season with victory at Athlos in London; Hodgkinson ran in a new black speed suit and will now take some time off before resuming her epic battle in the women’s 800m next year with Switzerland’s Audrey Werro and Netherlands’ Femke Broeders-Bol

Keely Hodgkinson dominated the 800m at Athlos in London (PA Images)

Keely Hodgkinson dominated the final race of her 2026 season by winning the 800m at Athlos in London as she debuted a new full-length, hooded speed suit.

Hodgkinson has been troubled by illness and injury over the last two months, revealing this week that an MRI scan has uncovered an “abnormality” in her hamstring.

The 24-year-old has been usurped by Switzerland’s Audrey Werro in the women’s 800m this year – an event which has become unmissable as Werro, Hodkinson and Netherlands’ Femke Broeders-Bol are all pushing each other towards the world record of 1:53.28 which has stood for 43 years.

Werro and Bol were not at the StoneX Stadium in London on Friday, so Hodgkinson cruised to victory in a time of 1:56.40 to defend her Athlos crown.

Athlos is an all-women’s event which was launched last year by Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, who is the husband of 23-time tennis Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.

“I’m honoured they let me put this on show. I was a little nervous, walking out. The shades helped me just block out the noise, but it was really fun and it’s something I’ll remember forever,” said Hodgkinson.

“Honestly this has been like a year in the making with all the adjustments and fittings. It was a really fun process with the Nike innovation team. I think it’s a mixture of fashion, speed and science all coming together, for maybe the future of athletics potentially.

“It was a real honour for them to choose me to put this out first. We weren’t sure when we were going to wear it, but in hindsight an all-women’s event, which is all about the glitz and glamour and putting eyes on women, a bit of a moment was the perfect way to finish the season. So it’s really exciting.”

Keely Hodgkinson ran in a special new Nike speed suit (PA Images)

Hodgkinson’s outfit reminded people of Australian Cathy Freeman who won the women’s 400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

She believes the suit is legal and revealed she trained in it in South Africa where the temperatures approached 40C.

“The science was like technically with the air drag you’re slower with your hair out, but I was like, ‘that’s a non-negotiable. My hair is staying out’. I’m very much ‘look good, feel good’ [and that] mental and physical balance,” she said.

Asked if she would wear the suit at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Hodgkinson said: “We might know some things that people don’t!

“It was a test out there. This is not something we haven’t seen before. Like Cathy Freeman and some other athletes from a while ago did something like this, and this is the updated new version, with the new technology.

Cathy Freeman is remembered for winning the women’s 400m at the 2000 Olympics in a special aerodynamic suit (Associated Press)

“She [Freeman] was before I was born, but I have seen the race and photos. It was really cool to draw inspiration from the past and make it your own as well. The style was a big thing for me.

“I wanted to be comfortable but I wanted to feel a little bit sexy, the back’s open and that makes it feel really cool so I’m not hot at all. It feels like I’m wearing nothing to be honest.”

Hodgkinson reveals hamstring abnormality

Having broken the women’s 800m indoor world record in February, Hodgkinson was hoping to break the outdoor record set by Czechoslovakia’s Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983. The record is controversial as it came at a time when there were claims the country had a doping regime, something Kratochvilova has denied.

Hodgkinson has been overtaken in the pecking order this year by Swiss star Werro who beat Hodgkinson at the European Championships and Ultimate Championships.

She missed the last two Diamond League events and revealed she suffered a hamstring tear at the European Championships in Birmingham, but continued to run.

Keely Hodgkinson has now won the 800m at Athlos for two years in a row (PA Images)

“My body is quite literally built differently. Where most people have one tendon, mine is split – I have two – and we’re trying to figure out if it’s a strength or a weakness,” said Hodgkinson.

“So when one of them tore, I still had another one because it’s split. In Birmingham, it didn’t affect me during the race, but I could feel something wasn’t quite right.

“It’s a weird one. You can still run on them. I haven’t missed any training the last three weeks. But I’ve just had to alter my approach. I’ve had to take my foot off the speed [training], because that’s when it’s most risky.”

Wakefield Trinity reached their first ever Super League semi-final with a 26-16 victory over Leigh Leopards in the Eliminators.

Trinity were thrown a spanner in the works in the second half when Emre Guler was shown a red card for what appeared to be a punch in a tackle with Owen Trout, reducing the home team to 12 players.

However, Wakefield had done enough prior to that to see them over the line and continue their incredible rise since returning back to the top flight in 2024.

Wakefield had a narrow half-time lead thanks to a Max Jowitt penalty, plus tries from Tyson Smoothy and Tom Johnstone, with Jowitt converting one of the two for their 12 points.

Leigh hit back just before the half-time hooter through David Armstrong and a conversion from Adam Cook to bring the score to 12-6.

However, early in the second half, Wakefield took charge through their forward pack, with converted tries from Isaiah Vagan and Caius Faatili moving them way ahead.

Guler’s card then halted their control and Leigh hit back through Lachlan Lam and, later on, Innes Senior.

Despite Leigh giving it their all, a Jowitt penalty kept the visitors at arm’s length and secured their biggest win to date.

Wakefield will now wait to find out whether they will face Wigan Warriors or Leeds Rhinos in the semi-finals. Their opponent depends upon the winner of Warrington Wolves vs Hull KR, which is live on Sky Sports on Saturday 19 September, with kick-off at 5.30pm.

Wakefield make more history as forward pack impresses

On a maiden home play-off night at the DIY Kitchens Stadium, it was a full-throttle opening 15 minutes, both outfits going end-to-end as the Eliminators’ intensity was on full show.

The only points that came in that opening quarter were from the boot of Jowitt for an early penalty on the fourth minute.

After kicking a beautiful 40/20 just a few sets earlier, Smoothy opened the try-scoring on the 18th minute on the back of a repeat set. The experienced No 9 barrelled over and outstretched the defenders, with Jowitt converting to open up an 8-0 lead.

The Wakefield faithful then got even louder 10 minutes later when Johnstone went over in the corner. The effort was sent up as a ‘No Try’ for the video referee but it was overruled, ensuring the hosts held a 12-0 advantage.

However, just on the stroke of half-time, Lam threw a silky double pump pass, and Armstrong was there in support to race away and score with 20 seconds left on the clock. Cook converted to put six points between the two sides but it was clear with 40 minutes to go, Leigh still had a job on their hands.

Wakefield’s forward pack had been on top throughout the entire encounter prior to the break and it continued to pay dividends just five minutes into the second half when Vagana stormed through to score, with Jowitt converting for an 18-6 lead.

The heavens then opened in West Yorkshire but that did not stop the Wakefield pack rolling through. Faatili was the next to bulldoze over with half an hour still to play, and as Jowitt added the extras, they led 24-6.

Leigh thought they had hit back through Innes Senior, but Owen Trout had taken Walmsley out off the ball in the build-up, and so the effort was chalked off. Wakefield still led by three converted tries.

Despite such a positive night, Wakefield were put under pressure for the final 20 minutes after a head loss from Guler. He was shown a straight red for what appeared to be a punch to the face of Owen Trout, with the home team needing to defend their lead for 20 minutes with a player down.

Leigh breached the defence when Trout broke through, ending with Lam in support on the left to race away and score. With Cook’s conversion, the score was 24-12 with 15 minutes remaining.

With the player advantage, Leigh looked the stronger team in attack but could not extend their lead and when they were pinged for a dangerous tackle on Jazz Tevaga, Jowitt slotted over the penalty to move Wakefield more than two scores in front once again.

That lead was once again dented when Senior went over in the corner, but it was too little too late.

Wakefield were through to a maiden semi-final with a 26-16 victory and Leigh were left thinking ‘what if’ once again.

Powell: We have an unbelievable pack | Lam: Our start to second half was diabolical

Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell to Sky Sports:

“Really pleased. It was a pretty eventful game.

“I thought we did some outstanding things, and at half-time should have been well ahead.

“The game didn’t pan out like that, but the start of the second half was also outstanding.

“We’ve been stronger this year, we probably lose that game last year. An outstanding, committed effort.

“Unbelievable pack, we had to play with a man down, but the boys dug deep. Leigh are a talented team.

“I thought it was a pretty tough send-off, to be honest.

“We’ll take what comes now [Wigan or Leeds], it doesn’t matter what I think. We’ll roll into next week and see how good we can be.”

Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam to Sky Sports:

“Not ideal. It was quite frustrating to watch at times.

“Too many mistakes, and everything we tried not to do. That’s what happens.

“When you come to these grounds, you have to start well. And they’ve been good all year, Wakefield.

“But a couple of soft tries was exactly what we didn’t need. The story of the night.

“We rallied, but the first five or seven minutes of the second half was diabolical.

“Everything we’ve not done this year has all come out tonight, for some reason.

“Down to execution and individuals in big moments. We beat them at our home ground in this game last year convincingly.

“It was a completely different story tonight.”

Super League play-offs results and schedule

Eliminators

Friday September 18: Wakefield Trinity 26-26 Leigh Leopards

Saturday September 19, Warrington Wolves vs Hull KR, KO 5.30pm on Sky Sports

Semi-finals

Semi-Final 1 – Friday September 25, Leeds Rhinos vs TBC, 8pm KO on Sky Sports

Semi-Final 2 – Saturday 26 September, Wigan Warriors v TBC, 5.30pm KO on Sky Sports

The Super League play-offs are under way, live on Sky Sports, and continues all the way through until the Grand Final from Old Trafford on October 3.