Watford 2-0 Portsmouth

Watford eased to a third consecutive victory over a lacklustre Portsmouth side who are still yet to record an away win this season.

Watford manager Sean Dyche made one change from the side that lost at Middlesbrough two weeks ago with Michael Kightly replacing Troy Deeney in midfield. The hornets boss resisting the temptation of bringing captain John Eustace straight back into the starting XI after his injury.

It was the one change, Kightly, that made an immediate impact on the game giving Watford the lead just 75 seconds. After he had an initial cross cleared away by Tal Ben-Haim, Kightly picked up the ball again and shot from 20 yards with the ball taking a deflection and going in at the near post.

Watford continued to dominate the early proceedings and Prince Buaben fired over from inside the area after exchanging passes with Marvin Sordell. Sordell also fired over moments later from a similar position after being set up by Mark Yeates.

Portsmouth looked occasionally dangerous on the break and after Adrian Mariappa was caught out of position Nyron Nosworthy made a terrific interception to stop Portsmouth breaking through.

Watford doubled the lead on the stroke of half time through Marvin Sordell. A deep Yeates corner was met at the back post by Sordell who volleyed the ball through the crowd of players and into the net.

Half Time: 2-0

Second Half

The second half turned into a scrappy affair with Watford happy to sit on their two goal lead and Portsmouth unable to find a way through the Hornet's defence.

Marvin Sordell should have added a third mid-way through the second half when he headed over unmarked from 6 yards after Lee Hodson had returned the ball after a Yeates corner had been cleared.

Portsmouth called Scott Loach into action for the first time when Luke Varney flicked on a corner at the near post but his header was straight at Scott Loach. Loach made a better save as the game entered stoppage time when he beat out Erik Huseklepp's well taken free kick.

Watford were denied a penalty in the final moments of the game when a Mark Yeates free kick looked to be heading towards the goal until a player in Portsmouth wall blocked the ball with his hand, but the referee gave only a corner.

Watford saw out their third consecutive home win and now move 6 points clear of the bottom three level on points with visitors Portsmouth, and next up for the Hornets are two of the bottom three sides.

Watford: Loach, Hodson, Nosworthy, Mariappa, Dickinson, Yeates, Buaben, Hogg, Kightly (Deeney), Iwelumo, Sordell

Portsmouth: Henderson, Halford, Pearce, Rocha, Ben-Haim (Benjani), Ward, Norris (Razzak), Mullins, Huseklepp, Varney, Kitson

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