WATFORD's near four-month reign as Championship leaders is over after Plymouth Argyle became the fourth side in five to visit Vicarage Road and return home with three points following a last-gasp 1-0 victory this afternoon (Saturday).

Following West Bromwich Albion's victory over Charlton Athletic earlier, the Hornets knew they had to win to return to top spot given the Baggies' superior goal difference. However, shots from Tommy Smith and Damien Francis apart, they rarely looked like scoring, let alone winning their first home game in five, and Paul Sturrock's men could already have been in front before David Norris netted a minute from the end of normal time.

In truth though, it was another woefully inadequate display by the Hornets in front of the faithful, who played their part by giving their complete backing to Al Bngura's fight against deportation during an emotional half-time.

Aidy Boothroyd made just the one change from the side that drew with Stoke City, but it was interesting one, with Lionel Ainsworth coming in for his first start in place of Jobi McAnuff. Dan Shittu recovered from the knock that kept out of the trip to the Britannia Stadium, but had to settle for a place on the bench as Matt Jackson retained his place in the starting XI.

Paul Sturrock, now in his second spell in charge at Home Park, made three changes from the line-up that held Bristol City to a 1-1 draw last time out, two of which were enforced. Gary Sawyer and Danny Gosling came in for the suspended pair of Paul Connolly and Lilian Nalis, while Barry Hayles replaced Sylvain Ebanks-Blake up front.

Watford started positively amid supportive chants for Bangura, forcing their first corner inside the opening minute. Interestingly though, Smith had begun on the left side of midfield, with full debutant Ainsworth on the opposite flank.

But it was the visitors who had the first attempt of the match after five minutes when David Norris played the ball inside and square to Lee Hodges. He let fly left-footed from 25 yards but Richard Lee calmly watched the ball sail wide of his right-hand post.

Ainsworth saw plenty of the ball in the early stages, but his crossing lacked consistency as the majority of the game continued to be played on the Argyle half. However, there was a worrying moment for the home side after 12 minutes when Lee came to claim a cross, got it, but clattered into Jay DeMerit's head with his knee in the process. Thankfully, the new Hornets captain was soon back on his feet, apparently none the worse for the collision.

Within 60 seconds though, Watford could have gone in front. Smith clipped in a measured cross from the left and John-Joe O'Toole got up well, but headed over the target.

The Hornets midfielder was involved in another incident at the other end moments later and some may feel he was a lucky man after getting away with appearing to pull back Jermaine Easter in the area as the Argyle striker sought to get on the end of a free-kick.

It was from another set-piece that forced the watchful Lee to tip over his own bar on 22 minutes. Peter Halmosi's in-swinging free-kick from the right appeared to be over-hit, but the Hornets keeper could not afford to take any risks as the ball may well have gone beneath his bar.

After an indifferent period of play, Watford began to build up a head of attacking steam which ended with an unsuccessful penalty appeal after Lee Williamson's on-target shot had been blocked by a sea of bodies.

But Plymouth were soon back on the front foot themselves, with Easter blasting a decent-looking angled opportunity high and wide after Hayles had managed to wriggle away from Jackson on the edge of the area.

O'Toole then had a shot deflected behind after some good wing play and an intelligent pull-back by Smith, and then the wide-man nodded a header straight at Romain Larrieu following a short corner routine on the right.

Tamas Priskin forced the Plymouth keeper to go to ground to save an angled daisy-cutter after referee Darren Deadman had played a good advantage when Gosling took out Smith with a late challenge. The Plymouth right-back was subsequently, and correctly, booked when the ball went out of play following another shot from the Hungarian.

Boothroyd did leave his seat in the stands to come down to the touchline for the closing stages of the first-half, but neither side was able to produce another chance as the opening 45 minutes finished goalless.

The Watford boss decided a change was needed at the interval, but it raised a few eyebrows with Francis coming on for Ainsworth, who had been one of the better Hornets performers in the opening period.

After a quiet opening 45 minutes, Marlon King had a shot blocked behind and, from the resultant set-piece, Watford worked the corner short again to Williamson, who cut in from the right but sliced a left-footed shot wide.

The Hornets then came within inches of taking the lead after 49 minutes when Smith also cut in from the right and tried a left-footed curler which beat Larrieu but rebounded out to Priskin, who was in an offside position, off the keeper's right-hand post.

The Hornets continued to turn the screw and it took a fine parrying save from Larrieu to keep out a Francis shot on 53 minutes after the impressive Smith had cut the ball back to him.

However, Watford were breathing a huge sigh of relief moments later when David Norris' cross from the right looked to have given Nadjim Abdou a formality header but, although he put the ball back in the direction it came, it went wide of the static Lee's left-hand post.

Krisztian Timar became the second Argyle player to be booked on the hour for a foul on Smith as the home side continued to force the pace, but it then took a good save from Lee, diving low to his right, to keep out another header from Abdou after the ball had been clipped into the box.

With the home faithful becoming increasingly restless, Boothroyd made his second change after 65 minutes, bringing on Nathan Ellington for the largely ineffective Priskin. Jackson was then cautioned for pulling back Hayles, and from the resultant free-kick Timar bundled the ball into the net, but the goal' was rightly disallowed for a foul on Lee.

The Watford boss played his final card after 71 minutes, bringing on Adrian Mariappa for O'Toole, but only after watching Norris stab the ball narrowly wide of a near open goal after the Hornets rearguard had struggled to deal with a header back across the box.

Lee came to Watford's rescue again four minutes later when none of his team-mates dealt with Halmosi's in-swinging free-kick from all of 45 yards out on the right, and the Watford keeper sprung to his right to push away the bouncing ball.

Halmosi's impressive left foot was it again soon after, striking a sweet set-piece from a more central position 30 yards out that Lee watched anxiously as it just cleared his bar.

But just as it looked as if the Hornets would escape with a point from another unacceptable home display, Plymouth struck in the last minute. Hayles went scampering away down the right, his cross eluded Halmosi at the near post but the unmarked Norris slid in behind him to send thousands of Hornets fans heading for the exits.

Watford: Lee; Doyley, DeMerit, Jackson, Stewart; Ainsworth (Francis, 45), Williamson, O'Toole (Mariappa, 71), Smith; King, Priskin (Ellington, 65). Not used: Shittu and Loach.

Plymouth Argyle: Larrieu; Gosling, Timar, Seip, Sawyer; Norris, Hodges, Abdou, Halmosi; Hayles, Easter. Not used: Ebanks-Blake, Chadwick, Doumbe, Sommerfield and McCormick.

Bookings: Gosling for a foul on Smith after 37 mins; Timar for a foul on Smith after 60 mins; Jackson for a foul on Hayles after 68 mins.

Attendance: 18,532.

Referee: Darren Deadman.