Oscar Garcia’s reign as Watford head coach got off to a losing start after his side were beaten 1-0 at Charlton Athletic this afternoon.

The match was in many respects a tale of two penalty decisions – the Addicks were awarded one after just two minutes and scored, while their opponents appeared to have a clear-cut appeal later in the first half rejected after Troy Deeney’s heels seemed to be clipped by Tel Ben Haim.

Watford Observer:

On the balance of play and chances though, the Hornets had good cause to feel they should have rewarded their travelling army of around 3,200 fans with at least a point. But the reason they didn’t was due to not being able to find the requisite quality when it mattered.

As he suggested in his pre-match comments, Oscar opted to largely leave well alone for his first match at the Hornets helm but he did have to make three enforced changes.

Tommie Hoban returned for the suspended Gabriel Tamas, Keith Andrews replaced the injured Gianni Munari in midfield and Matej Vydra came in for Fernando Forestieri, who was also ruled out with a hamstring problem.

Bob Peeters was able to name an unchanged line-up as Charlton went into the game seeking to extend their unbeaten start to the Championship season.

However, the Hornets’ plans suffered a blow just before kick-off when Andrews was ruled out late on. His place was taken by Lewis McGugan, with Lloyd Doyley coming in on the bench.

To make matters worse for the visitors, they found themselves behind after three minutes after a Jordan Cousins through ball slipped in Igor Vetokele and referee Andrew Madley ruled he was brought down by Heurelho Gomes. The Hornets keeper escaped with a yellow card and was comfortably beaten from 12 yards, with Yoni Buyens sending him the wrong way to give the hosts an early 1-0 lead.

It almost didn’t last for long though, as some good play ended with the ball being worked up to Deeney on the left side of the Charlton box and he curled a shot narrowly wide of the far post.

The Hornets were given another sight of goal in the seventh minute when Vydra was fouled 25 yards out but McGugan curled his set-piece the wrong side of Stephen Henderson’s right-hand upright.

The game then started to settle down, with the visitors have the better of possession but being guilty of losing it cheaply too often. They didn’t create a great deal though, until Almen Abdi played a pass inside from the right flank and Vydra dummied it for Deeney, whose first-time strike from 18 yards was comfortably dealt with by the diving Henderson.

Soon after, Daniel Pudil played in McGugan on the left side of the penalty area but after taking a touch, the Hornets midfielder lashed a shot over the top. Minutes before McGugan had been on the receiving end of a late challenge from Johann Gudmundsson for which he was booked, but the Charlton midfielder then sustained an injury and had to be replaced by Lawrie Wilson in the 28th minute.

Watford had good reason to feel aggrieved at what happened around the half-an-hour mark when a ball long pass forward put Deeney in behind the defence and has he prepared to pull the trigger, his heels were clipped by Ben Haim. It looked a clear spot-kick but that view was not shared by the referee.

Watford Observer:

The Hornets continued to push for the equaliser and Henderson had to be alert to dive sharply to his left to push behind a 30-yard drive from Ikechi Anya after a corner had been half-cleared in his direction. From the resultant set-piece, Joel Ekstrand tried to head a deep secondary delivery from beyond the far post back into the danger zone but his header struck the outside of the woodwork.

But the opening period was to end with a rash of yellow cards for the Hornets as Abdi, Hoban and Ekstrand all went into Madley’s notebook for offences around the halfway line, all of which involved trying to stop an opponent from breaking away.

Hoban’s game was to end at the interval as he was replaced by Juan Carlos Paredes at the start of the second half but after Vetokele had a shot deflected behind, the yellow card-fest continued with Rhoys Wiggins the next player to be booked for a foul on Anya.

Deeney fired wide from the edge of the penalty area after being set up by Vydra before the visitors, who had now switched to a 4-4-2 formation, were awarded a free-kick in a great position on the edge of the D. But Daniel Tozser could only find the bottom of the wall with his strike, although it did nearly break invitingly for Vydra.

Watford Observer:

The Addicks made their second change in the 56th minute when Franck Moussa replaced Tucudean but they then created a fine chance when Wilson sent over an inviting cross from the right but Vetokele was unable to direct his close-range header on target.

Vydra’s afternoon ended five minutes later as he made way for Lloyd Dyer, with the Hornets changing formation again to 4-2-3-1 as they continued to plug away in search of the equaliser. It looked like one might arrive with 17 minutes remaining when Tozser’s deep delivery from the right picked out a stretching Dyer at the far post, but he was unable to turn the ball on target.

The suspicion that it might not be the Hornets’ day was compounded with 12 minutes remaining when Deeney fired in after an angled effort from Dyer had deflected off the far post, but the linesman already had his flag raised for offside.

Both sides then made their final change, as Odion Ighalo replaced McGugan while Callum Harriott came on for Johnnie Jackson, before Tozser stung Henderson’s gloves with a rasping 20-yard drive.

Watford Observer:

Another great opportunity came Watford’s way with four minutes remaining when Ekstrand, who was now up from the back, put Dyer in the clear to his left. But the substitute wanted that first touch and gave Henderson time to race from his line and block.

Callum Harriott might have added a second for the hosts when they countered in injury-time, but his effort from the edge of the area failed to extend Gomes, before Anya was fed wide at the death. However, the fact his attempted cross finished in the side netting was somewhat fitting given the nature of this loss.

Charlton Athletic: Henderson; Solly, Ben Haim, Bikey, Wiggins; Gudmundsson (Wilson 28), Jackson (Harriott 78), Buyens, Cousins; Vetokele, Tucudean (Moussa 56). Not used: Pope, Gomez, Morrison, Church.

Watford: Gomes; Hoban (Paredes 46), Angella, Ekstrand; Anya, Abdi, Tozser, McGugan (Ighalo 78), Pudil; Vydra (Dyer 61), Deeney. Not used: Bond, Doyley, Cathcart, Fabbrini.

Bookings: Gomes for a foul on Vetokele (3); Gudmundsson for a foul on McGugan (24); Abdi for a foul on Vetokele (41); Hoban for a foul on Tucudean (43); Ekstrand for a foul on Vetokele (45); Wiggins for a foul on Abdi (48); Cousins for dissent (61); Buyens for a foul on Anya (70).

Referee: Andrew Madley.