The winning start to the season came to an end as Watford lost 1-0 at Sheffield United in a game they rarely looked like taking anything away from.

There was barely more than a minute on the clock when United scored the only goal, aided by some very sloppy and slow defending.

Watford didn’t settle and looked edgy, though they should have changed the course of the game but Vakoun Bayo totally missed the target when given the chance to lob the stranded Cooper.

After that, the home side looked more dangerous and it would have been worse had Dan Bachmann not pushed Moore’s penalty round the post after Arblaster was brought down by Yasser Larouci, who had a pretty torrid afternoon back at his former club.

The Hornets tried to alter things by changing shape in the second half but rarely got in behind the home defence, and the closest they came was when Ryan Andrews hit the post.

However, they mustered just two goal attempts as the home side restricted them in the final third, and the game ended up becoming bad-tempered with some late challenges and several scuffles involving crowds of players.

Tom Cleverley went with the same starting XI as that which kicked off against Derby County last Saturday.

Both deadline day signings, Festy Ebosele and Daniel Jebbison, were on the bench.

The game started in disastrous fashion for Watford as they allowed O’Hare to get into the box and then run down the by-line before prodding the ball, which hit Dan Bachmann and went into the net.

Bayo fluffed a great chance to level when he lobbed the ball wide of goal with Cooper off his line, and he was saved from that being punished further when Bachmann saved a Moore penalty after Yasser Larouci had conceded a very obvious penalty for a foul on Arblaster.

It was the worst 45 minutes of the season as Watford just couldn’t settle, particularly in defence where they struggled to cope with Rak-Sakyi.

In the second half Watford huffed and puffed without ever really looking able to pick a way through the home defence.

Andrews struck the post from 20 yards, but chances were at a premium and the home side saw the game out quite comfortably.

Here’s how the action unfolded:

1 – Sheff Utd 1 (Bachmann og) Watford 0

Nightmare start. O'Hare got the ball on the corner of the box, went past Sierralta and then along the by-line, prodding the ball under Bachmann and it hit the keeper and went into the net.

10 - Pollock ball forward, Chakvetadze flicked on, and Larouci cut in but saw his cross deflected wide.

13 - That should be 1-1. Pollock measures a ball over the top perfectly and Bayo is in behind the defence. Cooper is off his line but the striker sends a really poor lobbed effort well wide from just inside the box.

16 – Sheff Utd miss a penalty. Larouci brings down Arblaster, but Moore goes for placement rather than power and Bachmann dives low to his left and tips it round the post.

40 - Hamer drives into the box and hits a shot that Bachmann does well to block.

Half-time – Sheff Utd 1 Watford 0

62 - Andrews comes in from the flank and releases a low shot from 20 yards that thumps the base of the post.

70 - Shackleton nutmegs Sema and gets to the by-line, but his ball driven across the box is deflected wide by Bachmann's legs.

81 - Moore gets in behind Pollock, sits Sierralta down but with teammates in support decides to shoot and Bachmann deflects it wide.

Final score – Sheff Utd 1 Watford 0

Watford: Bachmann; Pollock, Sierralta, Morris (Baah 68); Andrews, Dele-Bashiru, Sissoko, Larouci (Sema 51); Kayembe, Chakvetadze (Ince 76); Bayo (Jebbison 68). Subs: Bond, Porteous, Ebosele, Vata, Rajovic