Watford are out of the Championship top six after table-topping Derby County condemned the Hornets to a third consecutive defeat following a 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road.

The Rams bossed the majority of the first half and but for three fine saves from Jonathan Bond, could have more than the one goal up given to them by Jordan Ibe’s superb curling shot in the 39th minute.

Jack Butland was only extended once in the opening period when he had to dive smartly to keep out a Troy Deeney snap-shot, although Fernando Forestieri should have done much better when he was picked out unmarked in the penalty area by a pass from his captain.

Watford improved markedly after the break following the introduction of Matej Vydra and, later, Gianni Munari and it was the second of those substitutes who equalised midway through the second period following a fine move down the left.

Vydra went very close to turning a deficit into a lead within a matter of minutes, but Derby clinched the points thanks to their second superb goal of the afternoon, this time scored by substitute Craig Bryson.

Munari and Ikechi Anya were both denied by Butland as the Hornets tried to get back on terms for a second time, but ultimately they saw their unbeaten home league record ended by one of the favourites for promotion.

Slavisa Jokanovic made four changes to the side that lost 1-0 at Ipswich Town before the international break and lined up with a 4-2-3-1 formation.

There was a change in goal as Bond came in for Heuelho Gomes, who was suffering with tendonitis, while Lloyd Doyley, Lloyd Dyer and Odion Ighalo also came into the starting line-up. Daniel Pudil was not involved, while Munari and Vydra dropped to a bench that also included the fit-again Gabriele Angella.

Steve McClaren made just the one change for the table-topping Rams following their 5-0 victory over Wolves last time out, with Ibe coming in for Simon Dawkins, who was among the replacements.

Contrary to pre-match expectations though, the Hornets started in a 4-4-2 formation, with Forestieri and Dyer offering the width to the front pairing of Troy Deeney and Ighalo.

Derby started positively by winning a couple of corners after Sebastien Bassong had put Bond under unnecessary pressure with an over-hit and wayward back pass. The Hornets saw off that danger but in the fifth minute Bond was forced to make a superb reflex save to tip a low Jeff Hendrick shot onto his right-hand post after the ball had cannoned back to the Rams midfielder.

The visitors continued to boss the early exchanges in terms of possession, although Richard Keogh received the game’s first yellow card in the 13th minute for clearly holding back Deeney as the Watford skipper tried to break away in the centre circle.

The Hornets’ first opening of note came three minutes later when Ighalo let an Andrews pass run through to Dyer in the penalty area after a patient build-up but the winger didn’t get enough on his shot to really test Butland.

Ibe had a shot blocked at the other end before a Johnny Russell corner from the right caused problems as it flashed across the six-yard box but nobody was able to get a touch before it went out for a goal kick.

Still the Rams kept probing, with Ibe seeing another effort – this time from outside the 18-yard area – blocked, before Omar Mascarell’s off-target follow-up was cleared.

The Hornets did gain an attacking foothold in the 25th minute when, after the visitors had failed to clear following a Doyley throw from the right, Deeney hit a right-footed snap-shot which forced Butland into a fine stop. The on-loan Stoke City stopper was forced into another save soon after to deal with a Forestieri shot from outside the area.

But Forestieri spurned a great chance to give the hosts the lead shortly before the half-hour when he was picked out unmarked in the area by a Deeney pass, but wanted too much time to get his shot away and allowed Watford old boy Craig Forsyth the chance to get back and win the ball.

The next opening fell Derby’s way and it was all down to a superb piece of skill from Chris Martin, who pulled the ball out of the area and burst away from Joel Ekstrand almost in one movement before hitting a low, left-footed shot which Bond managed to push behind.

But the goal Derby had been threatening arrived in the 39th minute when Forestieri was left isolated by Juan Carlos Paredes in the right-back area and dived in as Ibe stepped inside him before hitting a stunning right-footed curling shot across Bond and into the far corner.

But the Rams’ lead could have been shortlived as Doyley slipped the ball to Dyer in the right side of the penalty area. But instead of looking for the cross with options in the middle, he chose to go for the shot and blasted over.

Bond was having a very good game in Gomes’ absence and he made another fine save in the 42nd minute, acrobatically tipping over a Martin header after he had been picked out by Mascarell’s well-flighted free-kick.

Jokanovic opted to make a change at the start of the second half as Ighalo was replaced by Vydra.

But it was Derby who again started the better and four minutes after the restart Russell got to the by-line to the right of goal but his cut back to the near post was behind Martin.

Watford’s first attacking moments after the break came when some neat football saw Forestieri have a shot blocked, before Deeney had an effort saved.

Russell fired over at the other end after Derby had once again threatened, but then Forestieri showed some neat close control on the edge of the Rams area before curling a right-footed shot narrowly wide of Butland’s left-hand post.

There was some concern around ten minutes after the restart when Bond was injured after going to ground to bravely snatch the ball away from Martin’s feet, but after receiving some treatment the England Under-21 keeper was able to continue.

The home side’s second change came in the 62nd minute as Andrews made way for Munari and then Forestieri hit a low cross-shot from the right side of the area that fizzed across the six-yard area before going behind.

Derby made their first substitution four minutes later as Will Hughes made way for Bryson. But their opponents were having much more of the game in the second half and their efforts were to be rewarded with a lovely move in the 68th minute that ended with Munari being played in on the left side of the penalty area and he struck a rasping finish beyond Butland to equalise.

No sooner had they levelled, then the Hornets came very close to taking the lead as the ball was worked to Vydra around 20 yards and he hit a cracking left-footed shot that was only just wide.

The momentum appeared to have shifted and next, Forestieri put Deeney in with a lofted pass but the striker’s attempted placed finish was blocked.

Both sides made a change in the 74th minute, as Dawkins came on for Ibe while Dyer was replaced by Ikechi Anya. But the visitors remained a threat going forward and their next chance came when a Forsyth cross picked out Russell, but his diving header wide high and wide.

The Hornets needed Bond to come to their rescue again in the 80th minute when he once again did superbly to thwart Martin from close range after the striker had been played in by Russell.

But there was nothing the home side’s keeper could do less than 60 seconds later as Bryson let fly with a superb right-footed curling strike that flew into the top corner to put Derby back in front.

After Doyley had been booked for a foul on Russell, Watford were so close to equalising when Derby failed to deal with Vydra’s ball in from a short corner and Munari’s angled snap-shot was instinctively helped over his own bar by Butland.

The Derby keeper was called into action again soon after, helping an Anya shot over the bar with his legs after the Scotland international had been played in by some link-up play between Vydra and Foresteri.

After Paul Coutts had replaced Russell, the Hornets became increasingly frustrated as time ran out, with Deeney and Tozser both receiving bookings before the final whistle signalled a third straight defeat.

Watford: Bond; Paredes, Ekstrand, Bassong, Doyley; Forestieri, Tozser, Andrews (Munari 62), Dyer (Anya 74); Deeney, Ighalo (Vydra 46). Not used: Gilmartin, Angella, Cathcart, Murray.

Derby County: Butland; Christie, Keogh, Shotton, Forsyth; Hendrick, Mascarell, Hughes (Bryson 66); Russell (Coutts 90), Martin, Ibe (Dawkins 66). Not used: Roos, Buxton, Eustace, Best.

Bookings: Keogh for a foul on Deeney (13); Doyley for a foul on Russell (84); Deeney for dissent (90); Tozser for a foul on Hendrick (90).

Attendance: 17,421 (2,004 away).

Referee: Keith Stroud.