Troy Deeney made it five goals in two games and ensured Sir Elton John’s return to Vicarage Road was a winning one as the Hornets completed back-to-back victories by beating Wigan Athletic 2-1 this afternoon.

The Hornets had looked comfortable and confident for two-thirds of the opening period, deservedly taking the lead through their captain.

But the home side relinquished their grip on the contest in the last ten minutes of the first half and were pegged back on the stroke of half-time when Chris McCann headed in a Roger Espinoza corner.

Watford Observer:

The downturn in the Hornets’ display continued after the break and Malky Mackay’s Latics were looking increasingly like heading back north with at least a point. But with eight minutes remaining, Watford sealed the win when Deeney headed in his second – following his hat-trick at Fulham – from an Ikechi Anya cross from the right.

Slavisa Jokanovic had said in the build-up to the game that he did not feel it was “necessary” to make changes and he was true to his word, naming the same starting line-up that won so impressively at Craven Cottage.

Wigan came into the game without a win in six games and Mackay made three changes to the side that was beaten 1-0 at home by Norwich City last time out, starting without a recognised striker.

In came Emmerson Boyce, Espinoza and Hornets old boy Don Cowie, as Shaun Maloney, Maynor Figueroa and Marc-Antoine Fortune dropped to the bench.

The Latics opened with a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Cowie supporting lone front man James McClean, and it was the visitors who had the first attempt in the fourth minute when Espinoza fired wide of Heurelho Gomes’ left-hand post with a strike from the left angle of the penalty area.

The home side started patiently, but an early lofted pass from Almen Abdi and a run in behind from Gianni Munari offered early promise. And it was the Italian who had the Hornets’ first effort in the eighth minute, hitting a right-footed shot that goalkeeper Scott Carson held at the second attempt.

McClean sliced an effort wide at the other end after coming inside on his left foot from the right side of the 18-yard box, before Abdi seemingly didn’t spot the chance to try and put Matej Vydra in, opting instead to pass out to Anya. The Scotland international then came inside but saw his shot blocked.

Daniel Tozser tested Carson again with a 30-yard free-kick in the 16th minute, which was awarded after Vydra was taken out and referee Mark Haywood played an advantage that failed to yield anything for the home side.

Callum McManaman could have no complaints about the yellow card he received in the 19th minute for bringing down Anya as he sought to break from halfway. And from the resultant free-kick, the Hornets made the breakthrough.

The ball was played to Anya on the left side of the area and he slipped it to his blind side where Deeney stole in behind the Wigan defence and slipped the ball beneath Carson from the left side of the six-yard box to net his eighth of the campaign.

Tozser struck an ambitious half-volley wide as Watford sought to capitalise further on taking the upper hand, stroking the ball around purposefully and confidently.

Anya was continuing to be a positive outlet for the hosts and on the half-hour he took on and beat James Perch yet again before playing the ball into the near post where Munari was outnumbered two to one as the ball ricocheted off him and behind for a goal kick.

Mackay’s men had rarely threatened since the opening stages but they did win a couple of corners around the 35th minute mark, forcing their opponents onto the back foot for a brief spell. They then won a free-kick wide on the right, which McManaman took and Leon Barnett rose unchallenged, but his header was straight at Gomes.

That offered the visitors encouragement though, and after McCann had seen a shot blocked, Watford failed to clear their lines and Gomes had to save a McClean shot with his legs.

Watford Observer:

The Hornets had gone off the boil in the latter stages of the first half and they were to pay the price in the last minute of normal time when they failed to deal with Espinoza’s corner from the right and McCann nodded home the equaliser.

Jokanovic opted to make a change at the start of the second half, bringing on Lloyd Dyer for Juan Carlos Paredes, meaning Anya switched to the right flank.

The Hornets needed to up their game again after the break and they started positively, with Deeney hitting an angled shot into the side netting in the 48th minute.

They had another promising opportunity soon after when Vydra was fouled on the edge of the area but Abdi was unable to get his set piece over the wall on this occasion.

However, the Hornets then gave away a number of free-kicks in their own half, one of which resulted in Abdi seeing yellow for pulling back McManaman, before the Latics went close from another corner as Ben Watson flashed a near-post header narrowly over.

McClean then tested Gomes with an angled shot, which the keeper shovelled behind, and from the resultant corner he then had to get down to deal with Watson’s inswinging delivery.

Mackay made his first change in the 61st minute, bringing on Maloney for McManaman, as his side now looked the more composed of the two.

Watford did threaten with a couple of deliveries into the box, first from Dyer and then Anya, but the quality of their final ball was too often letting them down and, not for the first time this season, they were looking over-anxious at times.

There were also worrying signs for the Hornets when Deeney was clattered into by Carson as he sought to capitalise on a poor defensive header after a Tozser ball over the top had threaten to release the home side’s captain. Deeney was able to come back on after treatment, although he continued to walk around a little gingerly.

Watford Observer:

Odion Ighalo came on for Vydra with 14 minutes remaining as Jokanovic sought to inject some life into his lacklustre attack, before Gabriele Angella was booked for a foul on McClean.

Sebastien Bassong did have an on-target attempt blocked following a long free-kick into the Latics area before the moment of quality the Hornets had craved arrived with eight minutes remaining.

Tozser slipped in Anya around 12 yards from the goalline on the right and he got to the byline and he sent over a fine cross on the run that went over Munari but Deeney arrived at the back post to head down and in and make it 2-1.

Abdi hit dipping half-volley a few feet over before he was replaced by Adlene Guedioura with six minutes remaining and then Andy Delort replaced Espinoza for the visitors.

Deeney and Guedioura fired ambitious efforts off target as the Hornets sought to kill the game but they were able to see it the four minutes of injury time without undue alarm as they cut the gap to the top of the table to four points.

Watford: Gomes; Cathcart, Angella, Bassong; Paredes (Dyer 46), Munari, Tozser, Abdi (Guedioura 84), Anya; Deeney, Vydra (Igahlo 76). Not used: Gilmartin, Forestieri, Doyley, Pudil.

Wigan Athletic: Carson; Perch, Boyce, Barnett, Taylor; McManaman (Maloney 61), Watson, McCann, Espinoza (Delort 85); Cowie; McClean. Not used: Al Habsi, Tavernier, Forshaw, Figueroa, Fortune.

Bookings: McManaman for a foul on Anya (19); Abdi for a foul on McManaman (52); Angella for a foul on McClean (77).

Attendance: 15,287 (252 away).

Referee: Mark Haywood.