Odion Ighalo scores to give Watford first Premier League win of season against Swansea City

The game’s decisive moment arrived just before the hour when the Hornets, who had gone into the game under threat of setting a club record fifth successive league and cup game without scoring, made the breakthrough when Odion Ighalo finished off a classic route one move to net his second of the camapign fresh from signing a new five-year deal.

Within five minutes, the home side were reduced to ten men when Valon Behrami was sent off for a stamp on Andre Ayew, but apart from the occasional moment the Hornets rarely looked like conceding. Indeed they should have made the game safe on two occasions on the counter attack but spurned both of them.

Quique Sanchez Flores said he had been working on Watford’s attacking play during the international break and it was evident during a goalless first half. The Hornets were on the front foot from the outset, played at a higher tempo and the formation was tweaked as Ighalo pushed up more alongside Troy Deeney.

The result was the home side created more chances; Sebastian Prodl sent a half-volley from outside the area not too far over the crossbar before Almen Abdi and Deeney saw shots from the edge of the 18-yard box go narrowly wide of the target.

That offered optimism going into the second half and that promise was underlined by Ighalo’s goal as the Hornets continued to be cheered from the rafters by their fans, who enjoyed some memorable celebrations when the final whistle eventually blew after seven minutes of injury time.

Flores made just the one change as Watford’s search for a first league win continued, with Ikechi Anya replacing Jose Holebas. But the main pre-match talking points were among a substitutes bench not lacking in midfield options.

Having received international clearance yesterday, Victor Ibarbo was among the replacements as, surprisingly, was Lloyd Dyer, who was in a Hornets matchday 18 in the league for the first time since Boxing Day.

Swansea came into the game unbeaten off the back of a 2-1 victory over Manchester United so with no fresh injury concerns manager Garry Monk opted to name an unchanged side. Winger Jefferson Montero, who had made an excellent start to the season, had recovered from a thigh injury and was on the bench.

The Hornets showed signs of positive intent from the outset, with Ighalo pushing up a lot more in support of Deeney as the formation resembled more of a 4-4-2 at times. Indeed, the former almost had Lukasz Fabianski in trouble early on when he closed him down but the Swans goalkeeper was just able to clear to touch.

Anya threatened with a good run 40-yard-plus run in the eighth minute and although Jose Manuel Jurado’s subsequent cross was cut out, the Scotland international then won a free-kick in a dangerous position outside the left side of the penalty area when he was tripped by Kyle Naughton. However, Jurado’s set piece disappointingly failed to clear the first defender.

The Hornets kept the pressure on though, and in the 11th minute they were awarded another free-kick when Naughton pulled back Anya. This time Jurado’s delivery did threaten and the ball was only cleared to Prodl, who struck a first-time right-footed half-volley not too far from over from around 22 yards.

Swansea had a moment of promise in the 16th minute when Naughton lifted a nice ball into the path of Bafetimbi Gomis but Heurelho Gomes was already alive to the danger and moved quickly to claim.

The action soon switched to the other end with Allan Nyom showing good strength to win a foot race as he shouldered Neil Taylor before laying the ball inside to Deeney, who took a touch to get the ball out of his feet on the edge of his area before seeing his shot blocked.

The home side went closer still when Almen Abdi latched onto a loose ball in midfield and exchanged passes as he moved forward before hitting a shot that was deflected narrowly wide of Fabianski’s left-hand post.

But the game’s first effort on target came the way of the visitors in the 21st minute when Ayew stepped away from his man before feeding Gomis, who turned before hitting a right-footed effort from the edge of the 18-yard box that was well saved by Gomes.

Abdi tried his luck with an enterprising half-volley from all of 30 yards that went wide before Deeney came within inches of giving the Hornets the lead. The captain drove infield from the left, exchanged passes with Etienne Capoue on the edge of the area before striking a low right-footed effort just the wrong side of Fabianski’s left-hand upright.

Having been on the back foot for large parts of the game so far, Swansea then enjoyed a reasonable spell of possession. However, the Hornets back four kept their shape and discipline, catching Gomis offside on a couple of occasions.

But the home side were almost undone seven minutes before the break when Ayew got away from Anya and advanced along the byline in the area before laying the ball across to Gomis, who was on the ground but managed to turn the ball goalwards from inside the six-yard box. Thankfully for Watford though, the effort lacked power and Gomes was able to claim it with relative ease.

Back came Flores’ men with Ighalo, who had been excellent so far and a persistent pest for the visiting backline, showing his strength to get away from Federico Fernandez before squeezing in an on-target effort from the left side of the 18-yard box which Fabianski had to save at the foot of his near post.

Moments later Jurado drove in a cross from the left which Deeney flung himself out and wasn’t too far away from reaching with a flying higher.

Gomes had to make another good save to push an acrobatic half-volley from Gomis over, but the flag was already up for offside as an entertaining opening period ended goalless. However, the attacking signs from the Hornets gave cause for optimism going into the second period.

The visitors made the better start to the second half, winning a couple of early corners, but it was the hosts who had the first shot after the break in the 54th minute when Jurado fed Abdi. His strike lacked power though, and Fabianski was never likely to be troubled by it.

Watford were knocking at the door again when Capoue and Abdi combined to set Nyom away on the right. He left Taylor on his backside before pulling the ball across to Deeney, who connected without making a clean contact but the ball wouldn’t fall for Ighalo.

The Nigerian striker did have a chance moments later though, when he was fed by Deeney on the edge of the area and got half a yard on his man but Ighalo was unable to keep his balance and screwed his shot wide of the near post.

But in the 59th minute Watford’s 426-minute wait for a goal in any competition came to an end to send Vicarage Road delirious.

For all that the Hornets have become a footballing side, the goal was classic route-one stuff. Gomes hit a towering clearance downfield, Deeney did very well to not only win the header when he was outnumbered but also knock it inside where Ighalo didn’t have to break stride as he swept the ball past Fabianski to make it 1-0.

Garry Monk had already been readying Montero to come on and he made the change before the game restarted as Wayne Routledge made way.

Within five minutes of taking the lead though, Watford were reduced to ten men as Behrami, who had been enjoying another effective game in the engine room, was red carded by referee Bobby Madley following a stamp on Ayew. Beharmi trudged off the pitch and after applauding the Rookery he held his arms out wide as he approached Flores, seemingly baffled by the decision.

Monk then made his second change, bringing on Ki Sung-Yeung for Jack Cork, while Flores moved to shore up his midfield in the wake of the red card as Ben Watson replaced Abdi.

Within two minutes of entering the fray, Ki had been yellow carded for a foul on Ighalo. But the home side then threatened again as Deeney set Abdi into space on the left side of the area. His shot from a tight angle was saved by Fabianski, but the ball spun up and back across the area for Capoue, who brought it under control but dragged wide of the far post.

Monk completed his changes in the 70th minute as Eder came on for Gylfi Sigurdsson, while’s Ighalo’s fine afternoon was ended as he made way for Steven Berghuis.

Swansea tried to rouse themselves but a couple of wayward shots aside, Watford were untroubled. Indeed, the home side looked like they could add to their tally on the counter, with Capoue forcing Fabianski to go to ground to hold an angled drive.

Montero fired another chance over but with eight minutes remaining came the chance for the Hornets to seal it as some superb footwork from Capoue enabled him to break clear from halfway. With only one defender back and Berghuis in space infield, the Frenchman tried to pick out his teammate but only succeeded in finding the opponent.

Alessando Diamanti replaced Deeney with seven minutes to go but despite being down to ten men, there were few signs of the Hornets letting their advantage slip as the clock continued to tick down.

There was a brief moment of alarm with two minutes of normal time remaining when Jonjo Shelvey let fly from 25 yards. Gomes was always behind it but briefly let the ball squirm from his grasp only to quickly recovered as Gomis prepared to pounce.

The home side could have done without the fourth official signalling seven minutes of stoppage time but two minutes after that they should really have sewn the points up.

The opportunity arose when Berghuis dispossessed Shelvey in the D and the Hornets countered at pace and in numbers. The Belgian slipped in Jurado to his left as he advanced over halfway, the Spaniard in turn fed Anya in the area and he squared for Berghuis, who only had Fabianski to beat but his attempted left-footed finish was saved by the keeper, as was the follow up.

Swansea tried to up the ante in the closing stages and they should have done better deep into injury time when Montero played in a cross from the left and it picked out an unmarked Taylor, but he put his header over the top.

It may have been a slightly fortunate escape but Watford deserved that on what they had served up in the previous 90 minutes as the first Premier League victory of the season was greeted with joyous scenes of celebration scenes by the vast majority inside Vicarage Road.

Watford: Gomes; Nyom, Prodl, Cathcart, Anya; Abdi (Watson 64), Behrami, Capoue, Jurado; Ighalo (Berghuis 70), Deeney (Diamanti 83). Not used: Arlauskis, Holebas, Dyer, Ibarbo.

Swansea City: Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Williams, Taylor; Cork (Ki 64), Shelvey; Ayew, Sigurdsson (Eder 70), Routledge (Montero 59); Gomis. Not used: Nordfeldt, Bartley, Rangel, Emnes.

Bookings: Behrami sent off for a foul on Williams (64); Ki for a foul on Ighalo (66); Capoue for a foul on Fabianski (90).

Attendance: 20,057 (2,219 away fans).

Referee: Bobby Madley.