Victorious Hornets go third

The fit-again Paul Devlin set the Hornets on their way to their third straight away win by connecting with a wonderful Anthony McNamee cross, but Adrian Boothroyd's men then had to withstand a barrage as Stoke did everything but score before half-time.

The game was still in the balance until an Ashley Young free-kick deceived everyone and found its way into the back of the net, before Stoke were reduced to ten men when Steve Simonsen was dismissed for preventing Young from scoring a third; something Marlon King duly achieved from the resultant penalty.

Boothroyd made two changes from the side that beat Derby County last time out, but stuck with the second-half 4-4-2 formation that saw the Hornets come from behind to take the points. In came Jordan Stewart and Devlin, with Lloyd Doyley and Al Bangura dropping to the bench. However, Gavin Mahon and Darius Henderson were still not deemed fit enough to return.

Stoke, meanwhile, kept faith with the same starting line-up that was victorious against Norwich City, meaning former Hornet Bruce Dyer was again on the bench.

Both sides were keen to get forward from the opening whistle but it was the visitors who enjoyed the early ascendancy and had the first opportunity five minutes in when King's shot was blocked after James Chambers had been put clear on the overlap down the right flank.

Watford kept the pressure on and two minutes later it took some desperate defending to prevent Malky Mackay from getting his boot to an Young free-kick from the left, although from the resultant corner Stoke threatened to break but Stewart tidied up well.

But the Hornets were nearly undone after 11 minutes when Martin Kolar got the better of Chambers down the left and his pass bisected Clarke Carlisle and Mackay, leaving Sidibe with an almost clear route to the Watford goal but the striker rather scuffed his eventual shot at Ben Foster.

Dave Brammer was the next to try his luck, pulling a 20-yard shot wide of the target after a neat build-up involving Kolar and Luke Chadwick, before Devlin dragged a shot miles wide after King had knocked down a Foster clearance.

But after 23 minutes McNamee showed just why Boothroyd rewarded him with an extended deal in the week, latching onto a knock down from King wide on the left and swinging over a quite magnificent cross that was impossible to defend against, and the on-rushing Devlin didn't need a second invitation, attacking the far post to head past Simosen from inside the six-yard box to put Watford 1-0 up.

Three minutes later though, Watford's goal led a very charmed life as Lewis Buxton blasted a ten-yard effort against the woodwork after Matthew Spring had made a hash of clearing from inside his own six-yard box; the situation arising after a Brammer free-kick had hit the Hornets' wall.

But the visitors immediately counter-attacked and Chambers should have done better than find the side netting after being put clear on the right. Then Devlin saw a shot hit Young and rebound to King, who fired straight at Simonsen, before the Potters came on strong again, with Sidibe forcing Foster to dive to his right to hold onto a low shot and Kolar flashing an angled drive from the left side of the area across the target and wide.

Watford had Chambers to thank for preserving their lead after 35 minutes when the right-back produced a fine block to keep out a Kolar shot after Chadwick had got round the back of the defence to square the ball across the penalty area. Then Foster had to tip an angled Junior drive around his near post and from the resultant corner Michael Duberry glanced a header beyond the far post that just eluded Kolar.

Kolar again went close a minute before the interval with a shot from the edge of the area after a Junior pass had played Sidibe the wrong side of Carlisle, but Watford managed to hold onto their one-goal lead until half-time.

Stoke had the first opening of the second period when Kolar swung over a cross from the left and Sidibe sent a looping header over the top, and then Foster showed strong hands to keep out a stinging drive from Kolar after he had twisted and turned his way past Devlin and Chambers.

But on 52 minutes Watford came so close to doubling their lead when a marvellous move started with some superb inter-play between Young and Devlin and led to King spreading the ball out to the left where McNamee swung a dangerous ball into the near post and Simonsen just managed to scramble it away from Young.

Then it took an excellent saving tackle from Duberry to prevent Dominic Blizzard having a clear shot on goal after Young had dummied a King ball in from the left, but back came the home side with Brammer having a shot blocked before Kolar fizzed a low centre across the six-yard box.

Goalscorer Devlin was replaced by Doyley after 64 minutes, shortly after Duberry had been booked for pulling back Young, and from the resultant free-kick Watford doubled their lead. He may have intended it as cross but Young's whipped in set-piece from the left eluded everyone as it beat the dive of Simonsen before nestling in the bottom right-hand corner.

The home faithful were annoyed at the referee for his part in that goal but that paled into insignificance in comparison to what happened five minutes later. First, the Stoke fans thought their side should have had a penalty but when Watford cleared their lines they immediately counter-attacked, with the ball being worked to King wide on the right and he put Young clean through on goal. The winger outstripped the defence but as he went to round Simonsen he was clearly brought down. The referee had no option but to dismiss the keeper and after Ed De Goey had replaced Kolar, King firmly erased the memory of his miss at Derby by calmly converting the spot-kick to make it 3-0.

King might have made it four with time running out, but he pulled his shot wide of the far post after being picked out by substitute Hameur Bouazza, and then Chambers saw a stinging drive deflected past the far post following a short Young corner. From McNamee's resultant set-piece from the right, Bouazza turned in the area but shot straight at de Goey.

Stoke City: Simonsen; Buxton, Hoefkens, Duberry, Broomes; Harper, Junior, Brammer, Kolar; Chadwick; Sidibie. Substitutes: Gallagher for Harper after 59 mins; de Goey for Kolar after 69 mins; Dyer for Chadwick for 84 mins; Henry and Taggart not used.

Watford: Foster; Chambers, Carlisle, Mackay, Stewart; Devlin, Spring, Blizzard, McNamee; King, Young. Substitutes: Doyley for Devlin after 64 mins; Bouazza for Stewart after 76 mins; Bangura for Blizzard after 82 mins; DeMerit and Chamberlain not used.

Bookings: Stewart for a foul on Chadwick after 40 mins; Hoefkens for a foul on King after 57 mins; Duberry for a foul on Young after 64 mins; Simonsen sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity after 69 mins; Attendance: 14,565.

Referee: Nigel Miller.