While not winning hasn’t applied the final nail, failure to beat bottom side Wigan at home is certainly akin to watching the lid being lowered on the coffin of Watford’s play-off hopes.

They played well enough, although at times they tended to over-elaborate or moved the ball square in the final third rather than pressing forward.

They had possession, they had chances and they had enough time in the Wigan half. But as so often before this season, there just wasn’t enough end product.

They hit the post at 1-1 and forced a couple of saves, but Wigan managed to survive the closing stages including six minutes of stoppage time without too many problems.

Watford had so much of the ball in the first half it was surprising it took them until the 44th minute to go ahead.

But having been caught cold early in the second half by a good header from chief crowd-baiter McClean, Watford then experienced more frustration than clear chances in the remaining half an hour.

Yes the visitors deployed every timewasting tactic and ‘game management’ method known to man, and Watford didn’t get much help from referee Mr Scott – particularly shouts for a penalty late on when Asprilla appeared to be body-checked as he raced into the box.

Nonetheless, they simply didn’t get in behind the Wigan defence enough with most of their best passages of play coming 25 yards out. They moved the ball around so well, but it was often sideways or only marginally forward.

Four points from Wilder’s first three games doesn’t feel like enough, especially given the league positions of the opponents.

The eight games left to play after the international break will decide if it was, but as each match goes by the opportunities to take points decreases – and when you don’t beat the basement boys on your own patch, a trip to your arch rivals next up looks less appealing than it did before kick-off.

The Hornets were unchanged from the team that beat Birmingham in midweek, and even the subs’ bench had the same seven players.

They should have been ahead in the sixth minute. Nyambe ducked under a through-ball and clearly had no idea Pedro was behind him. The forward ran into the box, steered a path wide of Amos but the angle was too tight and he hit the side netting.

Six minutes later Louza hit a corner deep to Bacuna, who sent his first-time volley wide

Then Ngakia laid the ball off to Pedro whose shot was blocked. The ball was worked out to Sema on the left and his low cross ran right across the face of goal.

The same thing happened again shortly after as another Sema low cross flashed right across goal

In the 37th minute Louza floated a free kick that was headed clear as far as Ngakia 25 yards out. He let fly first time and beat Amos but the effort was just wide of the upright.

Three minutes later Bacuna set Pedro free in lots of space down the left. He centred and Louza sent a first-time volley wide of the back post.

There was a rare foray forward by Wigan in the 42nd minute which ended with Sinani shooting wide from distance., and brought chants of ‘we’ve had a shot’ from the away fans.

Watford finally broke the deadlock a minute before the interval.

Davis played a one-two with Pedro and surged into the box on the right. The Wigan defence were probably expecting a cross but the striker checked onto his left foot and smashed a shot past Amos.

Having bossed the first half, Watford found themselves pegged back six minutes after the restart out of nowhere.

A corner was cleared and when the ball was played back in McClean made a run and rose well to head past Bachmann via the underside of the bar.

Watford had a great chance to go back ahead five minutes later. Pedro fed Sema on the left and he cut inside past a challenge before rolling the ball to Louza. The midfielder struck his shot well but Amos blocked and then held.

Four minutes after that they went even closer. After a lovely exchange of passes down the right the ball was laid back to Louza. His drive from 20 yards had Amos beaten but hit the far post.

Watford replaced Ngakia and Bacuna with Gaspar and Assombalonga, and switched to 3-4-1-2 with Pedro in behind the two strikers.

As the game wore on, Wigan started to deploy classic timewasting tactics, not unlike what was seen at QPR – players suddenly deciding a teammate 20 yards away should take a throw and someone dropping to the ground with nobody near them holding their head in order to get the game stopped.

Frustration then boiled over in the 88th minute as Wilder and Maloney squared up in the technical area. The fourth official summoned the ref and Wilder was shown a yellow card.

Wigan managed to see out six minutes of stoppage time quite comfortably and when the final whistle went, there were boos around the ground.

Watford: Bachmann; Porteous (Asprilla 74), Cathcart, Hoedt; Ngakia (Gaspar 63), Bacuna (Assombalonga 63), Louza, Kone, Sema (Morris 86); Davis, Pedro. Subs: Hamer, Araujo, Kabasele