Watford’s players had been discussing the need to keep a clean sheet before Saturday’s 1-0 win at Rotherham said defender Jamal Lewis.

It was the first time the Hornets had won a game ‘to nil’ since they beat the Millers 5-0 at Vicarage Road on November 11 – in the intervening 19 matches there had only been one clean sheet, and that was in the 0-0 draw at Sheffield Wednesday on January 31.

To find Watford’s last away win with a clean sheet you have to go all the way back to October 24 when Ken Sema’s screamer secured a 1-0 win at Swansea.

“Me and Wes Hoedt had been talking about a clean sheet,” said Lewis.

“It has been too long for us. At least if you keep clean sheets like earlier in the season, October, November, where we turned our form, at first we kept clean sheets, and you can build from that, whether you nick games 1-0, 2-0, whatever it is.

“We wanted to go back to that, and we are happy to start again today and hopefully we grab some more before the end of the season.”

Although Rotherham mustered 19 goal attempts, only one of them was on target – and seven of them were blocked.

And it’s worth noting that despite their lowly league status, the Miller had scored in 13 of their 16 home league games before Saturday – holding both Leeds and Ipswich to score draws.

“I think there was especially one that was close in the second half where Francisco Sierralta put his body on the line to stop Morrison from getting a shot on target,” said Lewis.

“It was top defending from the centre backs, from the six, from the full-backs, from everyone, from the midfield getting back in, we knew they had a great throw-in, that was almost a corner each set-piece.

“So we're really glad with how the team defended well, we got first contacts, second contacts, and that is how we need to move forward.”

The Hornets had to adopt a slightly different approach to counter the direct Rotherham style, as well as their need to get a result having not won in seven before Saturday.

“Based on our recent results and where we were coming, we knew we were going to have to put in a gritty and determined performance, and be all together,” said Lewis.

“We knew it was going to be a very direct game from them, they play five at the back and kick it long any opportunity they can so we knew we had to be compact and defend well, and the boys did.

“It has been disappointing for us recently and we’re well aware that our results haven’t been good enough as a collective.

“We really wanted to use this game as a turning point, and just push, and just keep the pressure on the teams above – don’t look below, always look above in this league.

“So hopefully it is three points in the right direction, and we can build on it until the end of the season.”

It was the one moment of class on a pretty dreary afternoon that won the game - though the winning scorer had an equally easier chance in the first half.

“That little moment of quality from Yaser Asprilla helped to get us over the line,” said Lewis.

“We’ve been talking about being clinical in front of goal, defenders helping attackers, and attackers helping defenders, giving us a foothold in the game, something for us to defend and vice versa.

“So it was disappointing for him not to convert the chance in the first half, but he took something on board at half-time and it was a great strike from him to help us win the game.

“Yaser has got a lot of ability, we just need to get hold of him, make sure he does the simple things well because like you’ve seen in the last couple of games, he can do magical things, and help us get some points so it was really good from him.”

Much has been made of the schedule the Watford squad have faced over the last three weeks, so what has it been like from a player’s perspective?

“The schedule has been difficult, but no matter where you are, the Championship or the Champions League, this is the schedule that is put upon the modern footballer,” Lewis said.

“You have to deal with it, whether the manager chooses the same team week in, week out, or each game day, or chooses to rotate, if you are the players that are starting or on the bench you have to be able to keep your body in tip-top shape, and perform as much as you can.

“As a modern-day footballer you have to be able to deal with that schedule, and put as many wins together as you can.

“I think in the Championship you always have a block of games, whether it is the Christmas period, start of the season, or the end of the season, where you pick up wins and pick up points and the table looks different for you.

“Now we have stopped the midweek games, we can look to build, train, get some training under our belts and look to get some points and move up the table hopefully.”

And as Lewis said, he believes you have to look above and not below in the league table.

“From the start of the season, from when I joined, the play-offs was always an aim for us.

“It never changes until it is unrealistic, and it still is realistic at this point.

“We are not naive to the fact that we have to put some good results together, the run of form we have had the last month or so has not been good enough, we need to pick up some steam to now pick up the wins to allow us to put us back in the mix.

“We want to be in the mix, and create a gap from the teams below us, so like I said a clean sheet and three points always helps, and now we can look forward to the next game.”