Hornets ease past Gills

Goals from Tamas Priskin, Douglas Rinaldi and Alex Campana - the latter two with their debut first-team goals for the club - did the job, although the Hornets did survive an early scare when Richard Lee saved a penalty But some of the gloss was taken off a pretty impressive work-out by a second string line-up by a facial wound suffered by Matt Jackson in the first-half and, more worryingly, a leg injury sustained by Jordan Parkes after the break that meant he had to leave the pitch on a stretcher.

Aidy Boothroyd vowed to make changes following the last-gasp 2-1 win over Wolves and he was true to his word, naming a starting line-up that showed ten alterations in personnel. Priskin was the one exception, while newcomer Jackson was Watford's captain.

Gillingham boss Ronnie Jepson, meanwhile, made three changes to the side that lost their league opener to Cheltenham Town, two of which were enforced following the dismissals of Ian Cox and Steve Lomas. In came new £200,000 signing Simon King and Craig Stone, while another new capture, David Graham, replaced Delroy Facey up front.

The Hornets sought to make a lively start and had the first attempt in the third minute when Steve Kabba headed an Anthony McNamee free-kick from the left comfortably over. The visitors responded with Andrew Crofts driving high and wide from around 22 yards.

The game then became fairly even, with both teams looking to attack but neither able to make much headway until the 11th minute when Gillingham really should have taken the lead. Watford, or more specifically Priskin, were the architects of their own downfall when the striker got caught on the wrong side of King from a Nicky Southall corner and clearly hauled the centre-half down in the penalty area. But the Hungarian international was soon breathing a huge sigh of relief after Lee guessed the right way and blocked away Gary Mulligan's abject effort from 12 yards with his legs, diving to his left.

But while Jackson was off the pitch receiving treatment to a facial wound, Priskin atoned for his error in the 22nd minute. Rinaldi was given a second bite at a cross after his initial corner from the right had been cleared back to him, and his outswinging effort was met by a deft flick by the Hungarian, who glanced the ball down and beyond Simon Royce to make it 1-0.

Within seconds though, the visitors were nearly level. Something of a scramble ensued in the Hornets area after Aaron Brown's ball in from the left touchline had been blocked and Mulligan managed to work an opening from an acute angle, only to see what looked like a great opportunity blocked on the line by Cedric Avinel.

However, Jackson had still not reappeared and in the 29th minute he was replaced by Junior Osborne. But the Gills also suffered a blow of their own moments later when Facey replaced the injured Mulligan.

Having set up one, Rinaldi put daylight between Watford and the League One side nine minutes before the interval, striking a powerful free-kick from the left of centre edge of the area that Royce appeared to misjudge the pace of as it flew over his head.

The Brazilian's eventful evening continued on 39 minutes when he was booked for illegally curtailing Facey's attempted run through the heart of the defence, and he was soon joined in the notebook by Kabba for diving.

Will Hoskins almost made it three in the last normal minute of the first-half when he opted to fizz a low drive across the six-yard box instead of trying to tee up Kabba or Priskin, but the Hornets went into the break comfortably in command after a game of pinball in the Gills area nearly could have seen them score another as well.

McNamee stood up a dinked lob to the near post as Watford started the second period in the right fashion, but it then took a fine defensive header from Avinel to prevent Facey from connecting with a Crofts cross soon after.

But Gillingham's night took another turn for the worse after 51 minutes when Efe Sodje appeared to block Rinaldi off the ball, but referee Kevin Friend adjudged an elbow had been used and showed the Gills centre-half a straight red card.

Kabba was only a fraction away from converting a McNamee right-footed cross on the hour before Watford made their second change, bringing on Campana for Priskin. They were forced into another, and more worrying, substitution six minutes later when Parkes was stretchered off after being caught late by Facey and he had to be replaced by Kieron Forbes.

But things soon got better again for the Hornets after 71 minutes with a moment Campana won't forget in a hurry. McNamee was afforded time down the left to send over a measured right-footed cross to the back post where the young winger got up to thump a header past Royce to make it 3-0.

Al Bangura then drove over after McNamee had left Nicky Southall looking completely foolish by beating him with a give-and-go to himself, before the excellent Hoskins worked a second shooting chance for himself after seeing his first effort blocked. Forbes then wasn't too far away with an ambitious curled attempt from around 30 yards.

The acrobatics of Royce and an offside flag denied Kabba what would have been a lovely weighted lob, before Lee, who had largely been a spectator all evening, did well to thwart Andy Pugh and Barry Colgan after the two Gillingham substitutes had combined.

The closing stages were almost exclusively McNamee's as he tormented Gillingham down their right - and delighted the Vicarage Road faithful - with his trickery and crossing ability, although Adrian Mariappa came closest to adding a fourth with a header from a corner.

Watford: Lee; Mariappa, Avinel, Jackson (Osborne, 29), Parkes (Forbes, 67); Hoskins, Rinaldi, Bangura, McNamee; Kabba, Priskin (Campana, 60). Not used: Clarke and Loach.

Gillingham: Royce; Southall, Sodje, King, Armstrong; Crofts, Stone, Bentley, Brown (Colgan, 84); Graham (Pugh, 84), Mulligan (Facey, 30). Not used: Clohessy and Stillie.

Bookings: Rinaldi for a foul on Facey after 39 mins; Kabba for simulation after 43 mins; Sodje sent off for serious foul play after 51 mins; Crofts for a foul on Avinel after 70 mins; Southall for a foul on McNamee after 85 mins.

Attendance: 8,166.

Referee: Kevin Friend