Wanderers might still be quoted as outsiders in the promotion stakes but, after coming through troubled waters, they are starting to pick out landmarks that could steer them through increasingly conjested waters to the Premiership.

Gareth Farrelly, provider in chief in Saturday's 2-0 Roses victory over Barnsley that took Allardyce's Army back into third place in Division One, reckons next month's Reebok clash with second-placed Watford, who lost at Tranmere, could be one of the key fixtures of the season.

"The way it looks at the moment that's going to be a very important game," the Dubliner said, relishing the opportunity to exact quick revenge for last month's defeat at Vicarage Road.

"We've reached the stage of the season where you're looking at certain games that could make a big difference to how things go. And with Watford only six points ahead of us now, December 1 could be one of them. "It will be like a cup final. But a lot can happen between now and then. It's so close with so many teams involved, like Preston and Burnley for instance, that anything can happen. Three points on Saturday took us back into third place but things can change quickly."

Unlike in previous seasons when rivals have envied the wealth of talent at their disposal, Wanderers are not one of the more fancied teams in the promotion hunt - something that could change if Sam Allardyce is successful in making the three additional signings he has set his heart on. But they have shown a purpose and a resolve - notably in bouncing back after a spell that produced just seven points from eight games - and have managed to stabilise with a four-match unbeaten run.

"Nobody's given us a chance," acknowledged Farrelly, who set up Michael Ricketts for Saturday's opening goal and whose probing pass was only half-cleared by the Barnsley defence allowing Ricardo Gardner to pounce for a sensational second. "We don't seem to figure in any people's opinions but we don't have a problem with that.

"We sat down last week and had a chat about how disappointed we'd been with the way results had gone. We've set out to improve things over the next phase of games.

"But you can talk all you want, it's performances that win games and that's down to us as players. We made a good start on Saturday. The only thing you could pick up on, if you wanted to be critical, was that we didn't score more goals. Three or four-nil would have been a fairer reflection of how the game went."