WATFORD won at Vicarage Road for the first time since February with a hard-fought - and controversial - 3-1 victory against Burnley in the Coca-Cola Championship this afternoon.

Marlon King scored his fourth of the campaign to put Watford ahead early on, but, after Garreth O'Connor levelled from the spot following a highly debatable penalty award and Gavin Mahon had put the Hornets back in the driving seat, tempers flared, culminating in an alleged tunnel fracas at half-time.

Watford then made the game safe when Matthew Spring, on as a substitute, scored on his debut. But, again the goal was shrouded in controversy as Burnley keeper Brian Jensen was injured early on in the build-and Burnley had to defend their goal with no keeper.

Adrian Boothroyd made one change from the side that won at Cardiff, and it was a slightly surprising one with new signing Malky Mackay coming straight into the heart of the defence for the unfortunate Jay DeMerit, who was left out of the 16 altogether. Fellow new arrival Spring was on the bench, alongside the fit-again Lloyd Doyley.

In the build-up to the game Steve Cotterill revealed he had three injury worries, but declined to say which players were affected. But the team-sheet showed the Burnley boss was without both his first choice centre-halves, Wayne Thomas and John McGreal, as well as Wade Elliott. In came fit-again skipper Frank Sinclair, Chris McCann and on-loan Manchester City striker Karl Bermingham. Thomas and McGreal were both on the bench but, presumably, that was because Cotterill has such a small squad to choose from.

Watford were first to threaten when, five minutes in, Paul Devlin cleverly turned Chris McCann on the Hornets' right and whipped in a cross but King did not get enough on the header and glanced it past Jensen's right-hand post.

Burnley's response was immediate though and although Garreth O'Connor's free-kick attemptwas charged down, James O'Connor pounced on the rebound and, from 20 yards drove low but Ben Foster gor down well to his left to smother the ball.

It was the Hornets who took the lead on the ten-minute mark though. Mackay did well to turn Noel-Williams ten yards inside his own half and float the ball forward down the left-hand channel. King and Henderson almost seemed to battle with each other to get on the end of the ball as the Burnley defence posted missing and it was the on-loan Forest striker King who won the race and continued forward before calmly driving low across Jensen.

But Burnley levelled in controversial circumstances five minutes later. The Hornets defence was caught square trying to play off-side and AdeAkinbiyi was put clean through. However, the former Leicester striker took a heavy touch and Foster looked to have done well to race from his line and dive at Akinbiyi's feet to clear the danger. Referee Matt Messias pointed to the penalty spot, even though he did not even book Foster, and Garreth O'Conner sent the ball straight down the middle from 12 yards.

Watford's defence was again torn apart on 22 minutes when Akinbiyi raced onto another innocuous-looking through ball but Foster did well to palm his powerfully struck shot away.

Burnley's makeshift defence suffered another blow when Sinclair was stretchered off with a suspected hamstring problem on 24 minutes and Kyle Lafferty replaced the Burnley captain with McCann slotting into the centre-half berth.

Perhaps Watford - after the dubious penalty award - got their fair share of luck on 29 minutes though when Gavin Mahon re-established the Hornets' lead. Mahon had been instrumental in a flowing move which saw Young receive the ball on the left-hand side. Young played the ball back into the centre and Mahon took a touch and drove the ball from 18 yards just right of centre but it took a wicked deflection off Graham Branch and looped over the helpless Jensen.

The goal seemed to settle Watford nerves and they went on to dominate the remainder of the half. And they came close again three minutes from the break when Clarke Carlisle beat Jensen to a Young corner but Lafferty cleared off the line.

Half-time: Watford 2 Burnley 1 Watford continued to enjoy the territorial advantage after the break and Henderson was unlucky not to get on the end of Devlin's clever flighted ball forward.

Young was then unceremoniously dumped on the turf by former Hornet Micah Hyde wide on the Watford left but got up to deliver the free-kick which Jensen did well to clutch under pressure on his line.

Hyde almost made amends for his misdemeanour in spectacular style moments later though with a right-footed effort from 18 yards but Foster tipped his fizzing effort over the bar.

Young then made a claim for a penalty after being bundled off the ball but referee Messias turned the appeal down and booked for the Watford midfielder for diving.

Burnley continued to have their moments though and there was a scare for Watford on 55 minutes when Carlisle miscontrolled his clearance and Akinbiyi looked clear but Chambers rescued the situation with a well-timed sliding header.

And, as the game became more open, Young hit the outside of Jensen's right-hand post after latching onto a deep Devlin cross before, at the other end, Foster did well to beat away Akinbiyi's half-volley.

Watford continued to look the more likely though and Young did well to retrieve Devlin's looping cross - which had evaded Jensen - and head back across the goal but Hyde cleared over his own bar.

Spring was handed his Hornets debut shortly after the hour, replacing Young on the left while Jordan Stewart made way for Lloyd Doyley, who switched flanks with Chambers.

As the match neared its conclusion Watford lost all momentum, handing the visitors the initiative. Foster, after twice flapping at crosses, superbly tipped over Noel-Williams' 25-yard effort.

But Watford made the game safe in 82 minutes, again in controversial circumstances. Henderson chased a long ball forward and clashed with Jensen - while challenging fairly for the ball - leaving the Burnley keeper motionless on the floor after an awkward fall. With the keeper out of action, and the referee opting to play on, Henderson rolled the ball across the open goal, evading strike partner King. Devlin collected on the right and chipped the ball back into the middle, where King challenged for the ball but it was half-cleared off the line by Hyde to Spring who fired low with his left foot from ten yards. Burnley's woe was compounded when Jensen was stretchered off with what looked like a serious injury.

Watford: Foster; Chambers, Carlisle, Mackay, Stewart; Devlin, Blizzard, Mahon, Young; Henderson, King. Substitutes: Spring for Young and Doyley for Stewart after 66 mins. Bouazza, McNamee, Chamberlain not used.

Burnley: Jensen; Hyde, Duff, Sinclair, Branch; Bermingham, J O'Connor, Mcann, G O'Connor; Akinbiyi, Noel-Williams. Subs: Lafferty for Sincalir after 24 mins; Coyne for Jensen after 87 mins. Thomas, McGreal, Yates not used.

Bookings: G O'Connor for a foul on Devlin after 16 mins; Mahon for a foul on Noel-Williams after 25 mins; Akinbiyi for persistent fouling after 45 mins; Hyde for a foul on Young after 50 mins; Young for diving after 53 mins; Spring for a foul on Lafferty after 77 mins; Referee: Matt Messias (South Yorks).