Malky Mackay was understandably downbeat after his side's 4-2 defeat and believes failure to be clinical and terrible defending for Leicester City's second-half equaliser was what ultimately cost his side dearly.

Marvin Sordell's double, either side of Jeffrey Bruma's 39th-minute strike, meant Watford went into half time 2-1 up.

But in the second half, Leicester equalised through Yakubu after a mistake by goalkeeper Scott Loach just after the hour mark.

And the home side went on to win comfortably after another two goals for Bruma and Yakubu.

“I am disappointed considering the way we played, especially in the first half,” Mackay said.

“I am disappointed with their goal in the first half but I was delighted with the way we played going into half time.

“We were unfortunate to lose another player [Andreas Weimann] in the first half with injury and somebody just said to me now we have used the most amount of players in the Championship this year, well it certain looks like that. We lost two last week and we have lost another one this week.

“Second half we survived the initial onslaught, which we knew was coming. They started going longer and raining balls in.

“We then had a great chance to go 3-1 up. Danny Graham had a header straight at the goalkeeper and on another day that goes in and it changes the outlook and the momentum of the game.

“We then gifted them a goal, it was dreadful defending from us, and that allows good players back into a game that was beginning to slip away from them.

“That is what disappointed me most because we do have the potential to come here and play the way we played and have the win in the palm of our hand.”

Both goals from on-loan Chelsea starlet Bruma were eye-catching, long-range efforts but Mackay dismissed claims there was nothing his side could do about the strikes.

Mackay said: “I would suggest we could certainly have done something with Bruma's first goal. The one in the second half was a fantastic strike but the other three goals we can certainly do something about.”