Joao Pedro’s 86th-miuntre header gave Watford back-to-back wins for the first time since April 2021 as the Hornets ground out a 1-0 victory at the DW Stadium.

Wigan have bene in poor form of late but they made life hard for the Hornets and although they didn’t create a great deal, they ensured Watford didn’t either.

When the visitors got the ball down and played they looked dangerous, but too often nice approach play didn’t end with a goal attempt.

At the other end the defence looked solid and what openings the hosts had were mainly half chances at best.

It was looking like Watford were to be frustrated but then Pedro rose so well four minutes from time to head home a Yaser Asprilla cross and they had three points – earned far more with grit than skill than last week’s romp – to add to the victory over Luton.

Watford were without Craig Cathcart, whose thigh strain flared up again during the win last Sunday. Francisco Sierralta came in to replace him for his first appearance since the defeat at Blackpool.

Hamza Choudhury was fit enough to start, and as expected Vakoun Bayo replaced the injured Keinan Davis in attack.

Kortney Hause was on the bench for his first involvement since the draw with Sunderland, while Tom Dele-Bashiru was also among the subs.

After five minutes, Will Keane unleashed a shot from long range that Daniel Bachmann fielded comfortably, and the same player then headed a James McClean free-kick wide at the back stick.

Watford’s first chance came in the ninth minute as Bayo looped a header over from Dan Gosling’s cross.

The Hornets then had a purple patch with some very impressive link-up play and passing. First Pedro started a move on halfway which involved Bayo and Hassane Kamara before the young Brazilian had a shot blocked.

Then on 20 minutes a great move that deserved a goal. Kamara and Pedro combined to send Ismaila Sarr racing away down the left. He cut in and passed to Bayo, whose first-time lay off put Sarr through, but Jamie Jones was quickly off his line to save with his legs.

Ken Sema then fired wide from distance before Nathan Broadhead shot well over at the other end.

Bachmann was smartly off his line in the 34th minute to smother at the feet of Keane, and the striker then fired over after Max Power had nodded down McClean’s free-kick.

Three minutes after the restart Pedro made it to the left by-line but his cross to the back post was headed down into the ground by Sema.

After a very tame period, Watford replaced Sema and Bayo with Samuel Kalu and Asprilla, and the latter almost broke the deadlock as he jinked into the box and was tackled. Watford claimed a penalty but referee Matt Donohue was unmoved.

In the 80th minute a superb diagonal pass from Kamara released Kalu on the right. He burst forward and then slid a pass inside to Sarr, but his shot was blocked by Jones.

Finally, in the 86th minute, Watford broke through. Asprilla’s corner from the right was cleared back to him and when he curled the ball over again Pedro rose well to head inside the back post.

Right at the end of seven minutes of stoppage time there was a proper scare as Wigan won a corner and sent everyone, including keeper Jones, into the Watford box. The ball was swung in and a crowd of players jumped – someone got a head on it and it looped up and onto the bar before bouncing over.

Watford: Bachmann; Gosling (Gaspar 77), Troost-Ekong, Sierralta, Kamara; Choudhury, Kayembe; Sema (Kalu 67), Pedro, Sarr; Bayo (Asprilla 73). Subs: Okoye, Dele-Bashiru, Hause, Morris