Watford defender Craig Cathcart believes the Hornets’ failure to weather an early Crystal Palace storm cost them dearly in their 2-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat.

The Eagles started brightly at Wembley and were ahead after just six minutes against a Watford side who came out of the traps slowly.

Alan Pardew’s men played with an early swagger which was in stark contrast to Watford, but Cathcart insisted Quique Sanchez Flores’ side were not overawed by the occasion.

“I wouldn’t say that [Palace coped better with the occasion]. We were 100 per cent focused on doing our jobs and it is just the way the game goes sometimes,” Cathcart said.

“They came out and had a little bit of a better start and that happens sometimes. If we saw out the first 10 or 15 minutes maybe it would have been a completely different game.

“Conceding the goal so early means it is always going to be an uphill battle.”

“The goals were disappointing and the first one is a corner, you never want to concede off a corner, so early and it settled them more than it did us.”

Watford rallied somewhat after the half-time break and were level in the 55th minute as Troy Deeney headed home from Jose Manuel Jurado’s corner.

The goal drew a rapturous response form the Watford fans and the Hornets were briefly imbued with renewed confidence.

Again though, defensive frailties let them down as Conor Wickham headed the winner six minutes later. Both the manner and timing of the goal clearly left Cathcart frustrated.

“We fought back in the game and got a good goal from a set piece through Troy [Deeney]. We were right back in the game,” Cathcart said.

“I am not too sure how long it was before they scored again, but it wasn’t too long. Maybe if we had kept it 1-1 for a bit longer we would have gone on to win the game, but it wasn’t to be.

“You are uplifted, the fans are uplifted and to concede not too long after scoring is disappointing, but we tried to rally and fight back.”

In truth, Watford’s late rally amounted to little more than the odd half chance and one clear opening for Odion Ighalo.

The Nigeria international fired over from six yards after latching onto Deeney’s header, but the Hornets never looked likely to find a leveller.

In many ways it was a restrained fight-back and Cathcart admitted the need to contain Palace’s flying counter attacks made it hard for Watford to throw caution to the wind late on.

He said: “When there is only one goal in it you don’t want to get too stretched because you know they have the pace and power to hit you on the break.

“We tried to just stay in the game and not give them those chances. We had enough chances to maybe get the second goal.”