Troy Deeney stepped up to the mark by scoring twice to inspire Watford to a much-needed 2-1 victory at ten-man Crystal Palace.

The captain picked himself up, after being grappled to the floor by Eagles skipper Mile Jedinak, to convert the resulting penalty before Palace, with their first chance, levelled via former Watford target Emmanuel Adebayor.

Alan Pardew’s side had the better of the second half but Deeney rammed home from close range to make sure of three points for Quique Sanchez Flores’ side eight minutes from time.

Here we run the rule over the Hornets in victory at Selhurst Park.

Heurelho Gomes – 8.5: What can be written about the Hornets’ number one that hasn’t already?

Since the turn of the year the Brazilian has been at his very best and this was another display which will add further weight to his Player of the Year claims.

Relatively untroubled until Adebayor lofted a header over his former teammate moments before half time, Gomes was at his best to beat away former Watford loanee Jordon Mutch’s strike just before the hour.

A block from point-blank range to deny Adebayor soon after had an element of luck about it but that shouldn’t detract from another fine piece of goalkeeping.

Allan Nyom – 6.5: Going up against Wilfried Zaha is enough to leave most in a cold sweat – not least after his trip on the winger handed the Eagles their penalty winner at Vicarage Road in September – but he was never embarrassed by the former Manchester United man.

There was a couple of ropey moments – for example when he managed to hook a cross-field pass into the path of Zaha or when he seemed too intimated by Adebayor to put in a challenge in the penalty area – but he got away with it on the whole.

At the risk of becoming repetitive, his crossing needs work. However, his commitment to getting forward cannot be questioned and it is a part of the job he attacks with relish.

Sebastian Prodl – 7: The strapping defender said on Thursday he preferred to play against physically imposing strikers such as Palace scorer Adebayor and he showed exactly why here.

Prodl wasn’t culpable for the Togolese striker’s goal and dealt with the threat the former Arsenal and Manchester City man posed. To the point, in fact, that Adebayor frequently shifted his operations to the right-hand flank in an attempt to bully Nathan Ake.

The Austrian has been something of an enigma in recent weeks but was quick to put his nightmarish cameo at Tottenham Hotspur behind him.

Craig Cathcart – 7: Partially at fault for the goal after allowing Adebayor to get in front of him to loop a header over Heurelho Gomes, the centre-back had otherwise stood up to the physical threat of the one-time Watford target.

He was otherwise resolute and assisted Prodl in limiting Adebayor's threat effectively. 

Nathan Ake – 6.5: Offensively the Dutchman set his stall out early by getting at Palace right-back Joel Ward and refusing to be bullied by Adebayor when he peeled out to the flank.

He was, though, fortunate not to be punished when he slipped in the first half allowing Scott Dann to ghost in at the back post and nod wide.

Ake was also in the guilty party for Palace’s goal, failing to step up with Adebayor, affording him the space to nod home.

The Chelsea loanee  had the chance to atone for those slips when the ball broke to him on the left-hand side of Palace’s penalty area but shot straight at Wayne Hennessey, squandering the chance.

Valon Behrami – 8: Another controlled and disciplined display from the Swiss enforcer who is the only member of Watford’s midfield currently convincing week in week out.

Again he had the awareness to drop into the gaps left when the Hornets’ full-backs attacked.

He was here, there and everywhere putting out fires and ensuring, for the first half at least, the Golden Boys won the midfield battle.

Etienne Capoue – 6.5: An improvement on recent weeks but you still get the nagging sense the midfielder could do with a break having started all 26 of the Hornets’ Premier League fixtures this term.

He battled down the right and showed some nice touches on occasion but was still unable to affect the game in the way he can.

Perhaps that is because he is being used on the right of a midfield three at present. Perhaps it’s because he’s completed 90 minutes 23 times already this season – far more than either of his other two seasons in England.

Replaced after 71 minutes by Mario Suarez.

Ben Watson – 7: Afforded a warm reception on his return to Selhurst Park, Watson did what he no doubt did during his Selhurst Park days, neatly keeping the ball moving without fuss.

He even brought out an exquisite pass with the outside of his foot in the first half in a rare show of flair.

It was Watson’s corner from which referee Bobby Madley awarded the Hornets a penalty for holding on Deeney and the midfielder’s set pieces were noticeably better than in recent weeks.

Nordin Amrabat – 6.5: The Moroccan was handed his first Premier League start and was at the centre of everything good for the Hornets early on with his link-up play and willingness to run the channels catching the eye.

However, after a bright first 20 minute he faded badly and it was little surprise to see his number held aloft just after the hour mark as Almen Abdi was introduced in his place.

Troy Deeney – 9: Not for the first time this season Quique Sanchez Flores was asked about his captain at his pre-match press conference on Thursday.

Again the Spaniard extoled the virtues of the Hornets’ number nine. Deeney repaid the gesture with interest at Selhurst Park with interest.

Even taking his cool first-half penalty out of the equation Deeney was the best player on the field and ran the show for the Golden Boys. His link-up play with Odion Ighalo and Nordin Amrabat was exquisite at times.

In the second half he built on that showing by stuffing the ball into the far corner to score his first goal from open play in the Premier League since the 3-2 win at Aston Villa in November.

He now has nine in 28 appearances this season and 90 in Watford colours. At a time where Ighalo is enduring a rare lean spell the skipper stepped up to the plate.

Odion Ighalo – 6.5: The Nigerian was a lot closer to the standards he has set throughout the season and linked up well with Deeney and Amrabat.

Proof of his improvement came in the selfless manner in which he played a one-two with Deeney during a second-half breakaway. Ighalo of the last few weeks would surely have snatched at the shot himself but instead he cushioned the pass back into Deeney’s path.

That said his failure to get this head up in the 37th minute and cut the ball back for Amrabat, instead shooting towards the near post, was infuriating.

Substitutes

Almen Abdi (for Nordin Amrabat 63) – 6: Introduced as a number ten alongside Deeney the Swiss added energy and was willing to show for the ball without stamping his mark on the game.

Mario Suarez (for Etienne Capoue 71) – 6: The midfielder showed exactly why he has been a regular in the referee’s notebook during his career, picking up a daft booking moments after his introduction for pushing and then tugging the shirt of Joel Ward.