A Watford Under-21 team containing four new signings was handed a proper whipping at Bramall Lane as they were hammered 8-2 by Sheffield United.

Less than 24 hours after the first-team had lost 1-0 at the same venue, this was an altogether different experience as the young Hornets were soundly beaten by a rampant Blades side.

The home side are top of the Northern section of the Premier League Development League, and handed out a 6-0 beating to Brentford a couple of weeks ago.

The Watford line-up was like a transfer window beauty parade, with Pierre Dwomoh and Keiky Almeida making their first appearances in the club’s colours since their moves from Toulouse and Fluminense respectively.

Meanwhile, Antonio Tikvic and Mamadou Doumbia both added to minutes they have played for the first team.

Tikvic has moved on a season-long loan from Udinese while Doumbia was signed from Black Stars in his home country of Mali.

But it was a truly painful experience for the four new boys and their teammates, as they could easily have been on the wrong end of double figures.

Striker Tyrese Campbell, recently signed by the Blades from Stoke City, helped himself to a hat-trick and it was only some fine saves from Alfie Marriott and missed chances that stopped this from becoming a double-figure total humiliation.

Watford just could not cope with United when they surged forward, particularly down the flanks, and the home side created and exposed large gaps in the Hornets rearguard.

If there was a bright spot for the visitors it was an accomplished and confident display from Kwomoh in midfield.

Tom Cleverley has already said the Belgian could be ready for the first team earlier than expected, and certainly his showing on a day when pretty much everything else around him crumbled added weight to that point of view.

The home side’s Welsh international defender Rhys Norrington-Davies also achieved the rare feat of scoring at both ends in the space of two minutes.

Here’s how the action unfolded:

4 – Campbell broke, waited and slid in Buyabu who forced smart stop from Mariott

11 – Sheff Utd 1 (Boyes) Watford 0

Watford didn’t clear their lines, and Boyes thumped a 20-yard effort past Marriott

16 – Boyes crossed and Campbell glanced his header wide

18 – Sheff Utd 2 (Norrington-Davies) Watford 0#

Mariott came for a corner, reached it but dropped the ball, and Norrington-Davies smacked it into the net after a scramble

20 – Sheff Utd 2 Watford 1 (Norrington-Davies og)

 Adu-Poku showed determination down the right, sent a low cross towards Adeyemo and the sliding Norrington-Davies slid in poked the ball into own net

22 – Sheff Utd 3 (Oné) Watford 1

Cross from the left wasn’t cleared cleared and Oné swept the ball home

30 – Sheff Utd 4 (Campbell) Watford 1

Oné stole the ball out on the right and then played in Campbell, who slid shot past Marriott

36 – Sheff Utd 5 (Campbell) Watford 1

The striker nodded home his second in six minutes from a free-kick on the right

40 – Adeyemo broke down the left, overcame one tackle, and shot across face of goal

42 – Campbell close his hat-trick when he headed just wide from cross from the right

44 – Sheff Utd 5 Watford 2 (Adeyemo pen)

Adeyemo upended in the box, and then scored the penalty

45+2 – Good move down left, Adeyemo angled shot, keeper saved with legs

Half-time – Sheff Utd 5 Watford 2

46 – Sheff Utd 6 (Buyabu) Watford 2

Only 26 seconds on the clock when Blacker broke and then teed up Buyabu for an angled finish from the left of the box

48 – Dwomoh wins the ball and feeds Lawson, but his 20-yard effort is saved

51 – Ramirez-Espain corner knocked up in the air, Lawson volleyed wide

53 – Sheff Utd 7 (Campbell) Watford 2

Oné lost the ball on the right but when won it back and squared for Campbell to complete his-hat-trick

60 – Lawson drove forward, played a ball into Doumbia whose curling shot was held

67 – Doumbia released Adeyemo on the right, his cross was perfectly placed but Massiah-Edwards sliced his shot over from inside the six-yard box

72 – Oné got away down the left but lost control of the ball as he neared goal. It ran to Buyabu but his shot was deflected wide.

75 – Marriott made a fine save to keep out Sachdev’s 25-yard piledriver

78 – Sheff Utd 8 (Atherton) Watford 2

Marriott did well to parry a half-volley from Hampson but was powerless to stop substitute Atherton knocking home the rebound.

82 – More heroics from Marriott to keep out a close-ranger Atherton header

Watford: Marriott; Clarridge, Watkiss, Dwomoh (Coyne 58), Tikvic, Almeida (Abbott 58), Adu-Poku, Ramirez-Espain, Adeyemo (Torres 76), Lawson (Massiah-Edwards 65), Doumbia. Unused sub: Browne