Heurelho Gomes is the toast of Watford this evening after he produced not one, but two penalty saves to help the Hornets secure a 1-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion and take them past the 40-point mark.

After Ben Watson had volleyed Quique Sanchez Flores’ men into a first-half lead, the drama came after the break when the Brazilian twice thwarted Saido Berahino from 12 yards after Michael Oliver had ruled the keeper himself and Etienne Capoue had been guilty of fouling the Baggies striker in the 18-yard box.

The visitors defended well in the first half but were disappointing in most other aspects of the play. However, that didn’t stop them from leading at half-time after Watson had turned in an Adlene Guedioura corner with a crisp volley across goal and into the net via the far post.

Watford’s resolve and character was tested further after the break but they dug in and with Gomes’ heroics and some fortune, they were able to secure a first Premier League win in two months and a first league victory over Albion in 16 attempts dating back 21 years.

Flores made four changes from the starting line-up that drew 1-1 with Everton last weekend, two of which were enforced as Craig Cathcart and Jose Holebas were left out as a precaution after picking up what the Hornets described as ‘knocks’. Mario Suarez and Juan Carlos Paredes dropped to the bench.

The stand-out inclusion was Guedioura for his first Premier League start with Watford, Allan Nyom and Nathan Ake returned at full-back and Sebastian Prodl partnered Miguel Britos in the heart of the defence.

Tony Pulis made just the one change from the team that lost 2-1 at Manchester City last time out, with Claudio Yacob coming in for Sandro, who was among the substitutes.

The Hornets initially started encouragingly in what was a relatively low-key opening, seeing plenty of the ball and looking to be progressive when possible.

The rather sedate nature of the match continued until the Baggies won the first corner of the contest in the ninth minute. Watson dealt with James McClean’s initial delivery into the near post, but the visitors failed to clean their lines and Britos and Guedioura were forced into blocks after McClean was able to get around the back of the defence to knock the ball back towards the danger zone.

West Brom won two further corners as their opponents rather invited pressure on themselves and it happened again when a poor pass gave Salomon Rondon the first shooting opportunity of the afternoon, but his right-footed effort went harmlessly high and wide.

Watford’s first effort came in the 17th minute when Guedioura pulled a low right-footed strike the wrong side of Ben Foster’s right-hand post after Jose Manuel Jurado had advanced down the left having been found by Capoue’s cross-field pass.

In general though, the opening 20 minutes from the visitors was disappointing. A tendency to go long was proving meat and drink for the Baggies defenders while there was a lack of urgency about Watford’s play.

Gomes had to be alert to punch away a whipped-in Satephane Sessegnon free-kick at his near post after Craig Dawson appeared to get the slightest touches on the ball as it travelled through the six-yard box.

But in the 27th minute, and rather unexpectedly given the way they had been playing, the Hornets took the lead.

Guedioura appeared to mis-hit a corner towards the edge of the six-yard box from the right, but Watson met it with a crisp half-volley which went right across Foster’s goal before rebounding in off the far post for the midfielder’s second of the campaign.

The home side sought an instant response, with McClean skipping past Prodl’s attempted challenge before dragging a shot across the face of goal and wide from left of centre in the penalty area.

Britos then picked up the game’s first yellow card for illegally halting Rondon’s threatening run towards the Watford box to concede a free-kick in a dangerous area, but the wall did its job to block Sessegnon’s resultant set piece.

Ake sent a cross-cum-shot harmlessly wide before Jurado almost played his team into real trouble, knocking the ball back to Ake in the six-yard area where Sessegnon stole in and pulled it back to Rondon, but he hit a left-footed shot on the turn high and wide.

The Baggies kept pressing as the opening half drew to a close, with Gomes forced into a fingertip save to divert Sessegnon’s well-struck cross-shot from the right side of the area wide of the far post, but the Hornets were able to take their lead into the break, despite not playing that well.

The home side continued their search for the equaliser into the second half and had the first chance after the restart when McClean dragged a shot wide of the near post after turning away from Nyom to latch onto a throw-in.

However, the Baggies got closer to a leveller when Gomes was forced to tip over a Gareth McAuley header following as whipped in free-kick from McClean on the left.

That could have been 1-1 but in the 57th minute it needed a fine Foster save to prevent the Hornets from opening up a 2-0 lead.

The danger originated from a poor McAuley pass out of defence which Capoue instantly returned to Troy Deeney, who was onside just inside the penalty area but his rising right-footed drive was tipped away by the former Vicarage Road loanee.

Two corners in quick succession followed for the Hornets, as they enjoyed a decent little spell, the second of which saw Deeney head Guedioura’s deep delivery from the right back into the six-yard box, but Albion were able to clear.

Most of the play was still with the home side though, and Flores decided a change was in the 65th minute as Suarez replaced Guedioura in a move that was greeted by some booing from the visiting support.

Within a minute though, West Brom were presented with a superb chance to level when the ball was slipped down the right side of the Hornets defence, Berahino ran in behind and was upended by Gomes and referee Oliver had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

The Hornets keeper also picked up a booking for his troubles but having been the villain, he was soon to be the hero again as he dropped to his right to block Berahino’s tame spot-kick that was too central and the follow-up was blasted over.

Pulis immediately made a double change, sending on Callum McManaman and Victor Anichebe for Rondon and James Chester. A third was to follow as Yacob made way for Craig Gardner after Jurado’s attempted curler had been safely held by Foster.

The Baggies were continuing to plug away, without creating anything clear-cut, although Gomes had to make sure and push over a Berahino effort on the turn following a cross from the left that had looped into the air.

But with four minutes remaining came another twist as Gomes’ hero status went through the roof among the visiting fans.

Once again it came from a penalty, this time awarded after Oliver had deemed Capoue had tripped Berahino in the area, although the contact looked to be minimal.

After Deeney had been booked for protesting, Berahino once again stepped up and struck a far better effort from 12 yards, this time directing it to the bottom right-hand corner of the Watford net. But Gomes, incredibly, once again proved equal to it, diving superbly to his left to push it away to ensure his side stayed a goal to the good.

Watford could have made the result safe when Odion Ighalo broke on the counter and after toying with the Baggies defender and laid it back to Suarez, but he fired over.

But it mattered not as loud renditions of ‘Heurelho Gomes baby’ and ‘we are staying up’ were to ring out from the Hornets faithful as they celebrated getting past the 40-point mark.

West Bromwich Albion: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Chester (McManaman 75); Yacob (Gardner 75), Fletcher; Sessegnon, Berahino, McClean; Rondon (Anichebe 75). Not used: Myhill, Olsson, Sandro, Leko.

Watford: Gomes; Nyom, Prodl, Britos, Ake; Guedioura (Suarez 65), Capoue, Watson, Jurado (Behrami 90); Deeney, Ighalo. Not used: Pantilimon, Amrabat, Paredes, Beghuis, Anya.

Bookings: Britos for a foul on Rondon (32); Gomes for a foul on Berahino (67); Deeney for dissent (90).

Referee: Michael Oliver.