Hello and welcome to this afternoon's live blog from Ashton Gate, where Bristol City Under-18s face Watford Under-18s in the Professional Development League play-off final.
For Liam Manning's first team, the season is over following their Championship play-off defeat to Sheffield United. While the Robins put in a spirited performance in the second leg at Bramall Lane on Monday evening, goals from Kieffer Moore, Gustavo Hamer and Callum O'Hare saw the Reds sink to a record 6-0 aggregate defeat.
However, the Young Robins have a play-off clash of their own. City topped their division in the regular season before beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 last weekend in the play-off semi-final to set up the Ashton Gate final against Watford.
The winner of this afternoon's game will be named the Under-18 Professional Development League National Champions. Should the Reds come away with a win, it will cap off what has been an impressive week for the Robins' youth teams after the Under-15s won the AFCA Cup with a penalty shootout victory against Aston Villa on Thursday evening.
Follow along here for live updates from BS3...
KEY EVENT
The trophy lift
— Dan Carter (@DanCarterJourno) May 16, 2025
Daniel Carter
Full-time scenes!
The moment the full-time whistle went at Ashton Gate #BristolCity pic.twitter.com/Um5FI7wQ47
— Dan Carter (@DanCarterJourno) May 16, 2025
KEY EVENT
Full-time: BRISTOLCITY 2-1 Watford
City win their play-off final!!!!
120+3Daniel Carter
Late City change
The Reds waste a little bit more time as Isaac Finch comes on for the last seconds.
120+2Daniel Carter
Huge tackle from Gibbs
Wow, that is some effort. Shevchenko brings the ball down inside the area and as he turns to shape and shoot, Gibbs flies into tacklle him at the expense of a corner.
That corner is then fizzed towards the Watford keeper who has come up to help and he nearly gets on the end of it.
120+1Daniel Carter
Another player down
This time it is a City man on the deck. He doesn't need treatment but we have now entered three minutes of added time.
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Back underway once more
Ramirez-Espain is fine to continue after getting some treatment and we have got back underway once more at the HPC.
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Another stoppage
Another Watford player needs treatment on what looks to be a head injury and we will stop once more.
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Shevchenko fires over the bar
Not words I thouht I'd ever write as a Bristol City supporter in 2025. The forward turns on the edge of the area and tries his luck with a right-footed long range shot, but it is well over the bar.
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Foxwell hacks clear
Watford work the ball down the right and curl a cross into the box. Before it can find anyone in a purple shirt, Foxwell hacks into the Dolman Stand.
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Watford change
Massiah-Edwards, who has been excellent this afternoon is unable to continue and in his place Watford introduce Hayden Barrett.
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Another break in play
A Watford player is down here and he looks to be in some discomfort. He needs treatment and we will have yet another stoppage, not that City will mind too much.
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City free-kick
Walker does incredibly well to battle away down the right wing and win his side a free-kick. That has got those inside Ashton Gate up and out their seats.
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Foul against Ikpeama
The City forward battles for the ball down near the corner flag but pushes his man a bit too much.
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Back underway... again
We have kicked off for the seventh time at Ashton Gate...
Daniel Carter
Half-time in extra-time: Bristol City 2-1 Watford
That goal means City go into the break in extra time in the lead. It hasn't been one way traffic by any means and the Robins still have plenty of work to do.
103KEY EVENT
GOAL! BRISTOL CITY 2-1 Watford [Jackson]
They have the lead again! Watford keeper Morris does well to keep out the initial effort from the edge of the box but can only push it into the path of Jackson who taps in from close range.
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City throw
The Robins are trying to get the ball into the danger zone and they do that on this occasion but have to settle for a throw which is taken short.
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Over the bar
The corner misses everyone in the centre of the box and drops to Scriven. The Watford sub tries his luck from the edge of the area with a shot but it is well over the bar and flies into the South Stand.
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Watford corner
Hooper tackles his man down by the flag but concedes a corner in the process.
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Another coming together
Foxwell and a Watford player have ended up in a bit of a shoving match in the City technical area here. They're seperated but there is more than a bit of needle out there at the moment.
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Hogg forces a save
Some smart feet from Ikpeama gets him around his man on the edge of the area. He plays the ball to Harry Hogg who tries his luck with a right-footed shot.
It ends up down the middle of the goal and straight into the hands of the Watford 'keeper.
91Daniel Carter
Extra-time is underway
Here we go then, we've got another 30 minutes to play here. A reminder that Watford are down to 10-men... if that makes any difference we shall see.
KEY EVENT
Full-time: Bristol City 1-1 Watford
We are headed to extra-time after that late goal.
90+8Daniel Carter
Another break in play
Gibbs is down after a coming together in the Watford half. He doesn't need treatment but we do have another stoppage.
90+4KEY EVENT
Goal: Bristol City 1-1 Watford [Smith-Daley]
The away side level late on. A cross is pumped towards the back post and Witchard gets caught between coming to collect and leaving it. That allows Smith-Daley to convert into an empty net.
90+3Daniel Carter
Watford throwing bodies forward
The away side have nothing to lose here and are lumping the ball forward trying to get something to stick. So far, City have been equal to it.
90+1Daniel Carter
Eight minutes added
We've got a lot of injury time to play here...
87Daniel Carter
Witchard claims again
Watford break down the left and put a low cross into the City box. It looks dangerous for a second but the Robins' keeper steps out, gathers and kills a bit of time in the process.
86Daniel Carter
Good tackle from Hooper
The defender sprints across to steal the ball of his opposite number and conmcede a throw in the process.