THERE were signs that Watford were already starting to concentrate on next week's Carling Cup Semi-Final second leg against Liverpool after their involvement in the FA Cup came to an end with a 2-0 Third Round replay defeat at Fulham on Wednesday, January 19.

Goals from Moritz Volz and Tomasz Radzinski were enough to give the Cottagers what was a comfortable win as the Hornets, who perhaps understandably appeared to have their minds elsewhere, offered little threat, despite seeing plenty of the ball.

Beginning his policy of resting players ahead of the second leg Ray Lewington made three changes to the side which beat Crewe, although one was enforced with Alec Chamberlain coming in for Paul Jones. Elsewhere though, Dominic Blizzard and Danny Webber started, with Neal Ardley and Bryn Gunnarsson dropping to the bench.

Chris Coleman also made three changes to the team which scraped a 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion in the Premiership on Sunday. Following his suspension Andy Cole returned to replace Collins John, while in midfield Lee Clark and Sylvain Legwinski came in for Mark Pembridge and the injured Steed Malbranque.

After an even opening Fulham had the first shot after four minutes when Papa Bouba Diop broke forward from midfield, but dragged his effort well wide. Soon after though, Watford had an escape when Clark drilled in a free-kick from the left flank and Chamberlain came, but got nowhere near the ball as Zat Knight headed over the top.

Neil Cox had Watford's first attempt with a blocked shot following a short Gavin Mahon free-kick, but after 12 minutes the home side took the lead. Bouba Diop slid a measured pass out to the right side of the area where Volz took full advantage of a mistake by Jermaine Darlington, who had the ball but let it run through his legs, and advanced before firing a low right-footed shot across Chamberlain and into the far corner.

Webber forced Edwin van der Sar into his first save of the night with a low drive from 20 yards on 19 minutes following an enterprising run that had initially seen him break away from the challenge of Legwinski.

The next opening arrived when Luis Boa Morte drove a curling free-kick wide of Chamberlain's near post after Darlington had been penalised for handball near the right edge of the Hornets' area, and then at the other end Mahon curled a shot well over following a short corner routine which didn't come off.

Cox then almost had to pay the price for a mis-placed header square across the face of his own goal but Chamberlain was quickly enough off his line to force Radzinski to lift the ball wide. Soon after Legwinski had a shot deflected wide of the far post for a corner with what was to be the last chance of the opening half.

The Hornets had the better of the opening stages of the second-half and had the first attempt after 52 minutes when Jay DeMerit stabbed wide of the near post after Hameur Bouazza had played in a low cross from the left, and soon after Blizzard snatched a long-range attempt well wide of the target.

Knight tried a speculative attempt from all of 40 yards on 62 minutes, but two minutes later the Hornets were opened up as the Cottagers doubled their lead. A ball forward was misjudged in the air by Cox, who may have been fouled by Cole, giving the striker the opportunity to play a pass left to Radzinski, and the striker stepped outside James Chambers before calmly placing a shot around Chamberlain and into the far corner from just inside the area.

Lewington immediately played his hand, making a triple change, before DeMerit did manage an on-target header from an Ardley free-kick, but van der Sar held easily. A better chance then followed when the unmarked Heidar Helguson headed an Ardley corner from the right over.

Substitute Bruce Dyer fired over from the right side of the area after being found by fellow replacement Ardley as the visitors kept looking for a goal until the end of the game, without ever really threatening.

Ardley had the last two attempts; first with a left-footed half-volley from the edge of the area that went over, and then with a powerfully struck free-kick from a similar range that was straight at van der Sar, and the keeper duly punched it away.

Fulham: van der Sar; Volz, Knight, Rehman, Bocanegra; Clark, Bouba Diop, Legwinski; Radzinski, Cole, Boa Morte. Substitutes: Pembridge for Clark after 62 mins; McBride for Cole after 71 mins; John for Boa Morte after 84 mins; Rosenior and Crossley not used.

Watford: Chamberlain; Chambers, Cox, DeMerit, Darlington; Devlin, Blizzard, Mahon, Bouazza; Webber; Helguson. Substitutes: Gunnarsson, Ardley and Dyer for Devlin, Bouazza and Blizzard after 67 mins; Doyley and Young not used.

Bookings: Rehman for a foul on Helguson after 87 mins; Bouba Diop for encroachment after 88 mins.

Attendance: 11,306.

Referee: Andy D'Urso (Billericay, Essex).