Watford make it four wins in a row at Blackburn Rovers

Joao Pedro and Ismaila Sarr put the Hornets two up before Harvey Elliott halved the deficit right on the stroke of half time.

Ken Sema restored the advantage midway through the second half, before Ben Brereton added some late drama, but the Hornets were able to see the game through to claim a fourth consecutive win.

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It was the start of an important week for Watford who were looking to continue their improvement away from home. Prior to this match they had won just four times on the road this season and face another tricky tie at fellow promotion candidates Bournemouth at the weekend.

With that in mind, Nathaniel Chalobah was rested as one of two changes after his illness last week, with Dan Gosling making his first start for the club in his place. Elsewhere Craig Cathcart dropped to the bench with Francisco Sierralta returning to the fold.

The visitors got the better of a frantic first half with plenty of opportunities for both sides, taking a slim lead in at the break.

A tough second half scrap followed in which Sema added a third, from where the Hornets were able to see the game out, despite Brereton's strike five minutes from time.

Watford looked sharp right from the off with Pedro using his perhaps unexpected strength to create an opportunity. The Brazilian held off a challenge from Lewis Travis in the centre of the Blackburn half before releasing Ismaila Sarr down the wing. The Senegalese tried to cross for Sema in the centre, but his delivery was cut out in the nick of time by Barry Douglas.

The resulting corner was fumbled into the six-yard box with Adam Masina lurking on the corner, but Thomas Kaminski was quick off his line to hack the danger away.

Rovers then fashioned an opportunity of their own at the other end, but Joe Rothwell’s guided effort from outside the box was comfortable for Daniel Bachmann.

Possession continued to flow from box-to-box in a similar fashion throughout the half, with both teams initially eschewing the use of their midfielders for creative purposes.

William Troost-Ekong began sending long balls forward for the Hornets, with little success. However, a Bachmann delivery created half a chance with Sarr getting away from Douglas on the right, only to have his cross deflected into Kaminski’s gloves with Pedro waiting in the middle.

While the rhythm of the game prevented the midfielders from making much in the way of a creative contribution, Will Hughes was required defensively when Ryan Nyambe burst away from Sema on the right before cutting back to Adam Armstrong in the centre of the penalty area.

Hughes flung himself at the feet of the Rovers skipper to prevent the effort from threatening Bachmann’s goal.

The long ball tactics were clearly not paying off and Watford almost opened the scoring with their midfielders’ first attacking contributions of the match.

First Tom Cleverley sent a free kick just inches over the Blackburn crossbar, before Hughes carved out a clear sight of goal.

The midfielder threaded the ball into Sarr in the box but his first time shot on the turn was parried away by Kaminski down to his left.

However, the first goal of the contest was just around the corner and it was the result of sheer hard work rather than any moment of great creativity.

Pedro chased down a loose ball that looked destined for Kaminski and, with the goalkeeper fully committed, lifted the ball high into the air from where it plummeted just beneath the crossbar and into the vacant net to give the Hornets a lead they probably just about deserved on the balance of play.

It was a lead that was almost erased within two minutes of the game restarting however, with Armstrong finding space on the edge of the Watford area, but his blistering effort flashed wide of Bachmann’s far post.

The Hornets then went close to doubling their advantage with the game’s intensity refusing to let up. Cleverley showed his tenacity to wrestle the ball away from Bradley Dack in the centre of the pitch before driving to the edge of the penalty area and feeding Sarr on the right, whose shot was saved by Kaminski at his near post.

Gosling almost found the net with a shot from the edge of the box after the resulting corner was cleared away as Watford looked to really turn the screw with half time approaching but fired just over the bar.

The added pressure paid off five minutes before the break when Kiko Femenia’s cross from the right ended up at the feet of Pedro, who found some room for a shot with some clever footwork. Kaminski denied the 19-year-old a second, but Sarr was on hand to prod the rebound in from close range.

Watford looked to be in complete control at this point, but there was still plenty of time for drama at the end of the half with Elliott making the most of some indecision in the box from Adam Masina to collect a loose ball and smash past Bachmann at his near post to halve the deficit.

The hosts looked positive at the beginning of the second half, creating a couple of half-chances that Watford defended not entirely convincingly.

Yet it was the visitors who weaved the first opening, with Sarr’s cross from the right of the penalty area finding Sema on the opposite side, only for Kaminski to get across in time to stop the shot.

The introduction of Stewart Downing looked to have given Blackburn a new method of attack, with the veteran firing at Bachmann with his first involvement in the match. 

But the Hornets soon restored their two goal advantage with Pedro laying off to Sema on a counter attack and the Swedish winger darting into the box before stroking the ball across Kaminski into the far corner.

The scoreline again looked commanding, but on the pitch nerves were still causing unnecessary mistakes. 

Cleverley's slack backpass allowed Armstrong to run at Ekong and unleash a shot at goal that Bachmann had to deal with at his near post.

The home side were also guilty of dropping the odd clanger as well. Kaminski almost gifted Sierralta a goal when he flapped at at Hughes corner, but the defender's improvised effort was headed away on the line.

Blackburn set up an anxious end to the game when substitute Brereton snuck in at the back post to turn a corner in with five minutes of normal time remaining.

However Rovers were unable to find the equaliser late on and Watford celebrated a win that keeps them level on points with second place Brentford and in the hunt for automatic promotion.