The first-half signs were encouraging but the outcome was all too grimly familiar as Watford’s Vicarage Road misery continued with a 2-1 defeat against Coventry City.

It is now more than 100 days – three very long months – since the Hornets came from behind to beat Norwich City 3-2 at the end of November. This was Watford’s ninth home league game since and like five of the previous fixtures it ended with the visitors leaving south-west Hertfordshire with maximum points.

Unlike many of those matches though, the home side produced a first-half performance that wasn’t characterised by passiveness, countless square and back passes and a lack of attacking ambition.

There was a refreshing energy and vigour about the Hornets in the opening period as, attacking the Rookery, they took the game to their opponents and showed a willingness to shoot.

The Rookery responded to this positive approach and were rewarded when Ryan Porteous headed the home side deservedly in front with a fine, looping header.

Such are the Hornets’ home fortunes and their brittle confidence though, there was a sense they needed more to show for what proved to be their best period of the contest.

That was underlined when Daniel Bachmann brought down Josh Eccles five minutes before the break and Haji Wright emphatically dispatched the resultant penalty.

Their problems were further compounded when Giorgi Chakvetadze, who had been at the heart of many of his side’s better attacking moments in the first half, was forced off at the break with injury.

The home side tried to maintain their attacking threat in the second half, but it was not at the same level and Coventry looked relatively comfortable.

The home side’s fate was to be ultimately sealed 18 minutes from the end of normal time when Eccles was allowed to advance unhindered before switching the ball infield to Wright, who had time to bring the ball under control in the D and pick his spot before sweeping the ball past Bachmann.

The home side tried to get back into the contest but their attacks felt more in hope than any sense of real of conviction that an equaliser would be forthcoming as their depressing home form continued.

Valerien Ismael made three changes to the starting XI that drew 1-1 against Swansea City on Wednesday night, two of which were enforced.

The injured Ken Sema was already ruled out and he was joined on the sidelines by the unwell Jake Livermore, while Vakoun Bayo dropped to the bench. Their places were taken by Ismael Kone, Chakvetadze and Edo Kayembe.

Play-off-chasing Coventry thrashed Rotherham 5-0 in their last outing and it was no surprise that Mark Robins named an unchanged line-up with no fresh injury worries.

It was Dele-Bashiru who took over the deep-lying Livermore role, with Kayembe and Kone operating in front of him and Chakvetadze and Yaser Asprilla offering the support from out wide to central front man Emmanuel Dennis.

However, it was the visitors who had the first chance after two minutes when Jake Bidwell shot across goal and wide of Bachmann’s left-hand post from the left side of the penalty area after Ryan Andrews had initially done well to intercept a dangerous low Wright delivery from the right side of the area.

Encouragingly though, the Hornets responded in kind with Kayembe hitting a low drive through a crowd of legs from the edge of the 18-yard box, forcing Coventry keeper Bradley Cooper to dive low to his left to keep it out.

The early positive signs continued with Chakvetadze embarking on a jinking run down the left before playing in a dangerous cross which Asprilla tried to finish on the run at the back post, but his attempt went wide.

Unlike the largely passive, lethargic nature of many first-half displays at Vicarage Road this season, there was energy, desire and positive intent about the opening stages of this contest – and it resulted in more attempts on goal.

Kayembe had a shot blocked and Kone saw an effort from the edge of area deflected not too far wide of the far post before Andrews came inside off the right flank and flashed a drive high and wide.

Sky Blues skipper Liam Kelly received the game’s first yellow card in the 18th minute for a late challenge on Dennis in the centre circle, but the caution was only issued by referee Bobby Madley after he had played an advantage to the Hornets which ended with Chakvetadze – who had started very well – being eased off the ball in the area.

But Watford didn’t have long to wait for their positive start to be deservedly rewarded.

It arrived in the 20th minute when Andrews took a throw-in from the right and Porteous pulled off into space in front of the near post and flicked a fine header which looped over Collins and dropped inside the far post to score for the second game running.

Wes Hoedt levelled up the card count in the 25th minute for a tug on the shirt of Ellis Simms before Wright hit a shot from the edge of the area straight down the throat of Bachmann.

The Hornets hadn’t been troubled too much defensively but in the 39th minute Coventry were handed a route back into the game.

Eccles exchanged passes with Kasey Palmer on the right angle of the area, burst away from Porteous and tried to go around Bachmann, only to have his legs clearly taken away by the Hornets keeper. Wright took the penalty and dispatched it emphatically high to Bachmann’s left to make it 1-1.

Madley was again keen to play advantage when Bidwell went in late on Asprilla, earning Coventry’s second yellow card as the opening period ticked into five minutes of added time.

Buoyed by getting back on terms, the visitors then had probably their best sustained period, with Simms seeing an attempted hooked half-volley deflected over.

But the hosts deserved the warm applause they received as they made their way down the tunnel for the break after their best first-half display in the league at Vicarage Road for some time.

Both sides made a change at the start of the second half, with Milan Van Ewijk replacing Kelly while Bayo entered the fray in place of the injured Chakvetadze.

Bachmann was forced into his first save of the second half within 40 seconds of the restart, blocking a Wright effort from the right side of his area with his legs after the forward had burst away from Porteous. But the opportunity originated from Andrews, Kone and Asprilla losing the ball after trying to play too intricately in a tight area on halfway.

Watford remained positive in the early stages of the second period but the next incident of note came when Porteous went down holding his face after clashing with Simms. Madley took no action against the players other than a lecture, but did issue a yellow card to Hornets coach Omer Riza and Coventry assistant boss Adi Viveash after the pair had exchanged more than a few angry words on the touchline.

Robins made a double change in the 58th minute, bringing on Ben Sheaf and Callum O’Hare for Victor Torp and Palmer, before Kone curled a left-footed shot a yard or so wide of Collins’ right-hand post from the edge of the 18-yard box after linking up with Bayo.

Ismael made the next change in the 64th minute, bringing on Matheus Martins for Dennis, who looked to be struggling, and the Brazilian arrived on the pitch in time to see Hoedt meet an Asprilla free-kick from the left with a flicked header but it was unable to really trouble Collins.

Martins’ next involvement ended rather more painfully when he was chopped down by Bobby Thomas after beating him for pace, the Coventry defender rightfully receiving a yellow card as a result.

Watford’s next effort came in the 69th minute when Asprilla forced Collins into a save at his near post after the Colombian youngster had cut inside off the right, having been fed by Kone.

Two minutes later though, the Hornets were behind.

Eccles was allowed to advance unhindered down the Coventry right before playing the ball across and into the D where Wright had the time to bring the ball under control before sweeping a left-footed shot beyond Bachmann for his second of the afternoon.

Eccles hit a rising drive wide and Porteous was forced into some sharp defensive work to prevent Wright having another opportunity as the visitors looked for a third, before Ismael made his third change after 75 minutes as Tom Ince replaced Kone.

Watford were seeing plenty of the ball as the game entered the final ten minutes of normal time but were not really threatening to hurt their opponents, although in the 85th minute they did win a free-kick in a promising position outside the left angle of the area. However, Martins’ effort couldn’t beat the wall.

Mileta Rajovic replaced Asprilla while Matt Godden came on for Simms before the game entered five minutes of injury time.

Watford tried to create one last opportunity but it was done more in hope than any real conviction as the Sky Blues fans taunted the Hornets with chants of ‘Watford get battered…’ The final whistle was met with some boos from the Vicarage Road faithful, many of whom may be wishing the season could end now.

Watford: Bachmann; R Andrews, Porteous, Hoedt, Lewis; Kone (Ince 75), Dele-Bashiru, Kayembe; Asprilla (Rajovic 86), Dennis (Martins 64), Chakvetadze (Bayo 46). Subs not used: Hamer, Sierralta, Pollock, Morris, Grieves.

Coventry City: Collins; Thomas, Latibeaudiere, Kitching; Eccles, Kelly (Van Ewijk 46), Torp (Sheaf 58), Bidwell; Wright, Simms (Godden 87), Palmer (O’Hare 58). Subs not used: Wilson, Binks, DaSilva, Tavares, K Andrews.

Bookings: Kelly for a foul on Dennis (18); Hoedt for pulling back Simms (25); Bidwell for a foul on Asprilla (45); Thomas for a foul on Martins (66); Wright for time wasting (88).

Attendance: 18,907.

Referee: Bobby Madley.