Watford have slumped to their third consecutive home defeat and have now gone five matches without a victory after a horrible mistake by Manuel Almunia allowed Bolton Wanderers to claim a 1-0 victory.

The decisive moment came in the 26th minute when the Hornets’ keeper dropped a routine cross from Neil Danns and Jermaine Beckford gratefully capitalised from close range.

Therefore, the home side enjoyed the bulk of possession and territory but the absence of a cutting edge was starkly apparent as they often resorted to shooting from distance, with the majority of efforts either being blocked or going wide.

One alteration to the Watford line-up was inevitable after Lewis McGugan received his fifth yellow card of the season in the 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough last time out but a number of injuries forced Gianfranco Zola into six changes in total.

Out went Lloyd Doyley (hamstring), Gabriele Angella (thigh), Sean Murray (back) and Troy Deeney (dead leg), while Iriney dropped to the bench.

Joel Ekstrand returned from the injury that forced him out of the trip to the Riverside Stadium to feature in a back three which also included the fit-again Nyron Nosworthy, who had also been a pre-match doubt, but was able to make his first appearance since March 16.

West Bromwich Albion loanee George Thorne came in for his debut in midfield alongside the recalled Cristian Battocchio, while Javier Acuna took Deeney’s place in attack.

With the likes of Essaid Belkalem (ankle) and Ikechi Anya (calf) joining longer-term casualties such as Almen Abdi and Tommie Hoban on the sidelines, the extent of the Hornets’ problems were perhaps best illustrated by the substitutes’ bench with new Arsenal loan signing Hector Bellerin included alongside fellow youngsters Bernard Mensah and Luke O’Nien.

The registration of Fitz Hall, who re-signed on a one-month deal yesterday to help cover the injury problems, was not received in time to allow him to feature in the match-day 18.

Bolton, who came into the game seeking a third successive win, made just the one change from their 3-1 victory over Millwall last time out, with Darren Pratley replacing Robert Hall, who was among the substitutes.

The Hornets were almost presented with an opening inside the opening 90 seconds when Matt Mills was caught in possession by Fernando Forestieri but the Bolton centre-half was just able to recover at the expense of a corner.

The first free-kick of the afternoon was awarded after the first yellow card had been shown by referee Brendan Malone but Acuna could have few complaints at the decision after catching Kevin McNaughton late.

Watford were making most of the early running though, without threatening too much in the opposition third, but their card count was doubled in the tenth minute when Marco Cassetti joined Acuna on a yellow card for a foul on Chung-Yong Lee.

The first opportunity went to the visitors two minutes later when Danns was able to get away down the right and cross but his centre was a little too high and Beckford was unable to direct his header on target at the back post.

The Hornets’ first semblance of a chance came soon after when, following a Josh McEachran corner from the left, Nosworthy’s flicked header was blocked and the ball was eventually worked back to Ekstrand on the edge of the area, but he fired over.

Beckford became the third player to be booked in the 15th minute after sliding in late on Almunia, who already had a Chung-Yong delivery from the left safely within his grasp.

Danns was given the chance to send an acrobatic effort wide of Almunia’s right-hand post after Ekstrand had let the ball bounce in the area. Soon after though, Mills produced a fine block to repel a McEachran goal-bound shot after a Davide Faraoni cross had been headed back by Acuna.

The striker then dragged an effort wide from the edge of the area before a Danns strike was blocked by Thorne after Alex Baptiste had crossed from the right.

With their next chance though, Bolton made the breakthrough and there was only one person to blame.

Any danger seemed to have been dealt with when Almunia bent down to gather a Danns cross from the right but having got the ball within his grasp, the Hornets’ keeper let it squirm loose through his legs and Beckford didn’t need a second invitation to smash the ball into the net from close range to make it 1-0.

Watford might have had an opportunity to get back on terms almost immediately when Faraoni’s ball in from the right fell invitingly for McEachran but the midfielder delayed too long and his eventual effort was blocked.

Thorne fired over from 20 yards and Nosworthy sent an acrobatic half-volley from a corner over the top as the hosts continued to push. They got closer still when Forestieri curled an effort narrowly wide of the far post from the edge of the area after playing a neat give-and-go with Daniel Pudil as he came inside off the left.

The Hornets were presented with another chance five minutes before the break when Acuna was fouled around 22 yards out to the left of centre. The forward took the set-piece himself but got it all wrong as his shot cleared the target by some distance.

The start to the second half was delayed while everyone waited for Watford’s goalkeeper to appear but it was not Almunia who finally emerged from the tunnel but Jonathan Bond as the hosts made a change.

Despite that disruption, Watford were soon back on the front foot as Forestieri became the latest player to see an effort blocked. However, the visitors’ first effort of the second period soon followed as Jay Spearing whipped in a free-kick at pace from the left and Beckford was unable to control a header as he put it over as he was caught by Bond.

The Hornets almost had a chance when a superb slide-rule pass from Faraoni almost put Acuna in before they made their second change in the 55th minute as Diego Fabbrini replaced Nosworthy and they switched to a 4-3-3 formation.

Watford’s next chance came five minutes later when Forestieri let fly right-footed from 20 yards and Andy Lonergan made a good save to his right. But the home side then survived a scare when Chung-Yong broke was played in onside and went for the lob over Bond, only to miss the target.

A jinking run from Fabbrini ended with a blocked effort, as was Pudil’s follow-up, before the Italian saw another effort deflected wide.

Dougie Freedman made his first change in the 74th minute as Andre Moritz came on for Pratley and they had the next opening when Danns capitalised on a slip from Pudil and came back inside but Bond was able to save his shot with his legs.

Zola played his final hand with 11 minutes to go as Bernard Mensah came on for his debut in place of Acuna as the hosts tried to find some penetration in the final third to go on the end of their possession and territorial supremacy.

Daniel N’Gog replaced Beckford with five minutes remaining but the Hornets then had another late half chance when Thorne clipped in a free-kick but Pudil was unable to keep his header beneath the bar.

Pudil tried his luck from the left before the end but the sight of his shot flying wide in some ways summed up much of what had come before.

Watford: Almunia (Bond 46); Cassetti, Nosworthy (Fabbrini 55), Ekstrand; Faraoni, Battocchio, Thorne, McEachran, Pudil; Forestieri, Acuna (Mensah 79). Not used: Bellerin, Iriney, Smith and O’Nien.

Bolton Wanderers: Lonergan; McNaughton, Mills, Ream, Baptiste; Spearing, Medo; Danns (Hall 90), Pratley (Moritz 74), Chung-Yong; Beckford (N’Gog 85). Not used: Lee-Barrett, Eagles, Knight and Wheater.

Bookings: Acuna for a foul on McNaughton (5); Cassetti for a foul on Chung-Young (10); Beckford for a foul on Almunia (15).

Attendance: 15,247 (884 away).

Referee: Brendan Malone.