Watford carried their push for automatic promotion into the final nine matches of the season with a comprehensive 4-1 victory away at Rotherham United.

Goals from Francisco Sierraltas, Ismaila Sarr and Ken Sema had the Hornets cruising at half-time after a sluggish start, before Freddie Ladapo and Dan Gosling added further goals during a frantic second half in which the hosts also had a penalty saved by Daniel Bachmann.

It was an imperious performance from Xisco Munoz’s men, who are developing as a team and growing in confidence with each win they register, with the number of games standing between them and an instant return to the Premier League now into single fingers.

This was their eighth victory from their last nine matches which also shows how much they have improved away from Vicarage Road, where earlier in the season they struggled to create chances and in turn pick up points.

Watford went into the game unchanged from the side that snatched a dramatic win away at Cardiff City in their previous game, although Gosling was restored to the bench after passing a late fitness test while Christian Kabasele missed out, despite returning to full-team training on Sunday

Rotherham meanwhile were beset with personnel problems, with manager Paul Warne unable to attend following a positive Covid-19 test and several first team players out due in part to the same coronavirus issues affecting their manager, while others were injured.

As a result of those circumstances, expectation was heavily in favour of a Hornets’ victory ahead of kick off, but it was the hosts who started the brightest, putting their visitors under pressure and forcing them to defend.

A hopeful shot from Richard Wood and a dangerous cross from the right from Ladapo gave Watford cause for concern in the opening stages, but in truth they had little difficulty eradicating the threat.

They then took the lead with practically their first meaningful venture forward.

Sarr’s shot from the right of the penalty area was parried by Jamal Blackman in the Rotherham net, but went behind for a corner. After some passing between Philip Zinckernagel, Will Hughes and Sarr, the ball was finally whipped in from the left by the Danish midfielder and Sierralta climbed highest to nod into the net.

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The Millers threw bodies forward in search of an immediate response and they almost got one when Kiko Femenia tripped Ben Wiles on the corner of the 18-yard-box. Dan Barlaser’s delivery was met in the box by Michael Smith, but he could only head wide of the mark.

While Watford weren’t attacking with great regularity, they did make their chances count and they doubled their lead in the 26th minute from yet another set piece.

Sema's corner from the right was deflected over to the far side of the box where Zinckernagel wrestled the ball away from Matt Crooks. His cross was flicked goalward by Nathaniel Chalobah, forcing an excellent save from Blackman, but Sarr was on hand to turn in the rebound.

The second goal completely shifted the dynamic of the match, with Watford taking full control of proceedings.

They almost had a third ten minutes before half time when Pedro slipped Sarr in behind the Rotherham defence, only for the winger to clip his shot wide of the far post. The referee’s assistant raised his flag anyway, so it would not have counted, had it found the net.

Chalobah then went close with a shot from the edge of the box that Blackman had to react well to to keep out, but it was clear the Hornets were in the mood for more.

They extended their lead further two minutes later when the home side failed to deal with yet another corner and Sema drilled the scuffed clearance into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

At the other end, Barlaser slipped Matt Olosunde in behind on the right for a rare sight of goal for the Millers just moments after they had conceded the third, but he drove his shot straight into Bachmann’s arms and the sides remained three goals apart at the break.

A positive start to the second half almost produced goal number four, with Sarr picking out Pedro on the edge of the area only for Wood to get across and smother the shot.

Rotherham then had the perfect chance to pull a goal back on the hour mark when referee Jeremy Simpson awarded a penalty for William Troost-Ekong’s challenge on Smith, but Bachmann pulled off a terrific save away to his right to prevent the forward from converting.

Sierralta was denied in similarly dramatic circumstances soon after when substitute Andre Gray guided a Masina delivery into his path, but a brave block on the line kept his shot out.

Two goals in quick succession then added further excitement to the game with Bachmann first left stranded by Ladapo's swerving strike from range, only for Watford to produce an immediate response with substitute Gosling prodding home on the rebound with more or less his first touch, after Gray was denied by Blackman.

Both keepers were involved in yet more drama shortly after as the game continued to flow from end to end. First Blackman was called upon to deny Sierralta once again as he met Sema's cross in the box, while Bachmann was clattered by Crooks who inadvertendly crashed into the Austrian as he headed a corner over the bar. Fortunately no real harm was done.

Gray had two chances to put a final nail in Rotherham's coffin before the full time whistle, but he squandered both, first firing over from a tight angle after after Isaac Success found him in space in the area, before heading straight at Blackman from close range.

Kieran Sadlier fired a free kick just over the bar in added on time, but Watford were out of sight by then and picked up an important three points that maintains their form in the push for automatic promotion.