CHRIS EAGLES showed just why Adrian Boothroyd was so keen to secure the Manchester United midfielders services for the remainder of the season after the Hemel-born youngster scored a priceless winner as Watford beat Stoke City 1-0 at Vicarage Road in the Coca-Cola Championship today.

The win firmly maintains Watford's play-off challenge and was well deserved for, despite a brief spell of Stoke pressure early in the second half, the Hornets controlled proceedings without creating two many clear-cut chances.

Boothroyd made two changes from the team which lost against Bolton. Jay DeMerit, as expected, came in for the suspended Clarke Carlisle, while Matthew Spring, following his one-match ban, replaced Toumani Diagouraga. James Chambers, who was also back from suspension, had to be content with a place on the bench alongside the fit again Al Bangura.

Following their failure to beat Tamworth in the FA Cup, Stoke boss Johan Boskamp made three changes with Michael Duberry, Kevin Harper and Junior replacing Lewis Buxton, Junior and Peter Kopteff.

With the underfoot conditions treacherous, both sides were looking to release the ball as early as possible. And Watford carved out the first decent chance on five minutes when Anthony McNamee played Marlon King in on the left channel and he squared for on-loan Eagles who may have been fouled just inside the area by Carl Hoefkens but referee Phil Crossley waved away Hornets claims.

McNamee then tried his luck from 22 yards and Simonsen failed to grab the slippery ball at the first attempt although luckily for the visiting keeper it was Hoefkens and not King who reached the rebound.

Junior produced the first effort for Stoke on 14 minutes but blazed well over before Sidibe headed tamely at Foster following a looping Chadwick cross from the right.

Foster had to look sharp to clear his lines after Luke Chadwick looked to have been set free on 27 minutes.

But King came closest to breaking the deadlock 13 minutes from the break when he held off his marker and turned well 25 yards and his dipping, swerving shot was powerfully palmed around his left-hand post by Simonsen.

Watford did force a couple of corners as the half came to a close but the set pieces came to nothing.

Half-time 0-0 Stoke were quickly out of their blocks at the start of the second half and Broomes hit a half-volley wide of goal after Chadwick's corner had been half-cleared. Jordan Stewart then did well to nick the ball away from Sidibe after the Stoke forward had raced clear.

Simonsen did well to cleanly hold a vicious Mahon shot from the left-hand angle of the penalty box after the Watford skipper had played a clever one-two with McNamee.

But Watford had a real scare on 41 minutes when Harper was allowed time and space to pull down a long throw in the Watford box and turn. However, from 12 yards out, just wide to the right of goal, he miscued badly.

However, it was the Hornets who took the lead on 54 minutes. Malky Mackay's chip forward was glanced by King into the path of Henderson on the edge of the penalty area. The ball ran past Henderson into the path of Hoelkens, who made a real hash of his clearance and Henderson was able to toepoke a pass into the path of Eagles who planted a low right-footed shot across Simonsen into the Stoke keeper's bottom right-hand corner from just inside the penalty area.

Paul Gallagher almost came up with the perfect response four minutes later but his fierce drive from 22 yards drifted a foot wide of Foster's left-hand post. Foster then produced a terrific left-hand block to deny Chadwick from ten-yards after the former West Ham winger had cleverly turned Mahon to make space for the shot.

Stoke were looking far more threatening by the three-quarter mark and only a poor first touch prevented Harper from racing in one-on-one with Foster after a lofted ball forward.

But substitute Bangura almost announced his presence in style after winning a tackle on the edge of the box and sending a floated effort just over the bar.

Mahon nearly made it two in unorthodox style seven minutes from the end when he tackled Broomes five yards from the touchline down the Watford right and the rebound hit the outside of the stantion. And the Watford skipper then tried his luck from 20 yards but did not connect properly and the ball trundled wide.

Stoke brought on Watford old boy Bruce Dyer in an effort to salvage a point but it was the home side which looked the more lively and Eagles toe-poked over from eight yards after some terrific work from substitute Hameur Bouazza on the left.

Spring forced Simonsen into a decent save three minutes from time with a curling shot from the edge of the area.

Watford: Foster; Doyley, DeMerit, Mackay, Stewart; Eagles, Spring, Mahon, McNamee; King, Henderson. Substitutes: Bangura for McNamee after 69 mins; Bouazza for Henderson after 80 mins. Chamberlain, Chambers, Mariappa not used.

Stoke City: Simonsen; Henry, Hoefkens, Duberry, Broomes; Chadwick. Junior, Brammer, Gallagher; Harper, Sidibe. Substitutes: Dyer for Harper after 77 mins. Sweeney, Kopteff. Dickinson, Duggan not used.

Bookings: None.

Attendance: 12,247.

Referee: Phil Crossley (Bromley, Kent).