A SPIRITED second-half fightback was not quite enough to make up for a disappointing performance in the opening 45 minutes as Watford slipped to a 3-1 defeat against Coventry City at a wet Ricoh Arena on Wednesday, September 28.

The Hornets were chasing the game after only two minutes when a Ben Foster error presented Dele Adebola with the Sky Blues' opener, and the home side doubled their advantage through Willo Flood.

However, the latest entry into Ashley Young's catalogue of special strikes early in the second period gave Watford hope, and the visitors went on to have by far the better of the rest of the game, only to be caught out by a late Gary McSheffrey sucker punch.

Adrian Boothroyd made three changes to the team that was held by Crewe on Saturday, and one was a big surprise. Striker Joel Grant came in for his first senior start, but on the right side of midfield, with Paul Devlin dropping to the bench. Matthew Spring was also among the substitutes, as Dominic Blizzard returned to the starting line-up, while Jordan Stewart replaced Junior Osborne

Coventry showed three changes to the side that lost at home to Hull, primarily in defence where the fit-again Marcus Hall and Andrew Whing returned at the expense of Andy Impey and Paul Watson, both of whom dropped to the bench alongside Claus Jorgensen, who was replaced by Flood.

The Hornets could have got off to the ideal start inside the opening 30 seconds when Anthony McNamee set Trevor Benjamin free down the left, but his cross was too deep for Young But instead it was the Sky Blues who went in front after two minutes when, after Jordan Stewart was booked for a body-check, the free-kick was knocked into the Hornets' area. Foster appeared to have claimed the ball, only to let it break loose and, following a scramble, Adebola knocked it into the open net.

The Hornets though, gradually began to settle after that early setback, and Blizzard had their first attempt on 12 minutes, striking a dipping shot over from 25 yards. But three minutes later there was a momentary stop in play when the floodlights temporarily failed.

But it got worse for the visitors after 19 minutes when Coventry doubled their advantage. A Hall diagonal ball from the left was flicked on by James Scowcroft to the right side of the area where Flood let the ball drop before striking a low cross-shot beyond Foster and into the far corner.

The home side had another reasonable opening on 24 minutes when Stephen Hughes drifted in a free-kick from the left and Scowcroft pulled clear in the area, but headed wide of the far post.

Stewart and Benjamin tried a couple of speculative efforts that went well wide, but at least Watford started to enjoy more controlled possession near the Coventry area around the half-hour mark.

But they survived a massive scare after 35 minutes when a Hughes corner from the right was headed goalwards by Richard Duffy and his looping effort comprehensively beat Foster, but struck the underside of the bar before bouncing clear.

The Hornets did have a reasonable sight of goal two minutes before the interval when Young retrieved a ball on the left and crossed and Blizzard came flying in at the near post but headed over. Carl Fletcher then picked up Watford's second booking for a foul on Hughes.

The last action of the half saw Young fire straight at Stephen Bywater from 25 yards after a long clearance had put former Hornet Robert Page under pressure, but Watford finished the half with plenty of work to do in the second period.

Not surprisingly, Boothroyd made changes at the interval, with Gavin Mahon and Gabriel Agbonlahor coming on for Blizzard and Benjamin, while Coventry brought on Andy Morrell for Adebola.

It took some excellent defending to prevent Clarke Carlisle possibly reducing the deficit within three minutes of the restart, when Page got behind the Hornets' central defender as he sought to head Grant's cross goal-bound following a set-piece.

But Watford did cut Coventry's advantage in stunning fashion on 51 minutes. A long Foster clearance was chested down by Young on the edge of the Coventry area and, finding himself in space, he turned and cracked a superb right-footed drive inside Bywater's near post.

Agbonlahor had another opening almost immediately afterwards, but he fired straight at the Sky Blues' stopper from the left side of the area, but then Coventry had a chance when Stewart's attempted clearance from just outside his six-yard area cannoned back off Morrell and went wide of Foster's left-hand post.

The match then threatened to boil over on the hour when, following a horrible late challenge on Young by Page, a mass melee ensued. Page was fortunate to escape with a yellow card, and James Chambers, McSheffrey and Foster who rather stupidly charged upfield to join in the fracas were also booked for their part in the skirmish.

When the resultant free-kick was eventually taken Watford managed to keep the pressure on, forcing two corners in quick succession, the second of which saw a Fletcher goal-bound header blocked.

Coventry made their second change after 72 minutes, bringing on Jorgensen for Flood, and soon after Devlin joined the fray as a replacement for McNamee.

The Hornets were inches away from drawing level on 78 minutes when Grant swung over a teasing cross from the left and Fletcher and then Carlisle, by now playing up front, just failed to connect with the ball as it went across the six-yard box.

Still the visitors kept pressing and when a Fletcher sliced effort fell for Young his low drive looked to be heading for the bottom corner until Whing flung himself in the way of the ball and blocked it behind.

On 85 minutes though, the Hornets were caught out by a route one sucker-punch when a ball downfield was flicked on to McSheffrey, who broke clear of Chambers and Doyley before calmly sliding the ball underneath Foster to make it 3-1.

Watford didn't let their heads drop as they continued to try and look for a way back, but Bywater was largely untroubled as his team-mates saw out the closing minutes.

Coventry City: Bywater; Duffy, Page, Whing; Hall; Flood, Hughes, Doyle, McSheffrey; Adebola, Scowcroft. Substitutes: Morrell for Adebola after 45 mins; Jorgensen for Flood after 72 mins; Impey for McSheffrey after 90 mins; Watson and Ince not used.

Watford: Foster; Chambers, Doyley, Carlisle, Stewart; Grant, Blizzard, Fletcher, McNamee; Benjamin, Young. Substitutes: Mahon and Agbonlahor for Blizzard and Benjamin after 45 mins; Devlin for McNamee after 74 mins; Spring and Chamberlain not used.

Bookings: Stewart for a foul after one min; Fletcher for a foul on Hughes after 44 mins; Page for a foul on Young after 60 mins; Chambers for unsporting conduct after 60 mins; McSheffrey for unsporting conduct after 60 mins; Foster for unsporting conduct after 60 mins; Doyle for a foul on Young after 81 mins.

Attendance: 16,978.

Referee: Phil Joslin.