A limp display devoid of passion at your biggest rivals is as bad as things can get. Wrong. Watford have plunged their shambolic season to even darker depths, turning Vicarage Road toxic as fans vented their anger at the players and owner Gino Pozzo.

Huddersfield Town simply wanted the win more – and got it as they further boosted their survival hopes with a 3-2 victory – but as they celebrated joyously with their fans, their opponents largely stood motionless, shaking their heads in bewilderment as the end of a chaotic campaign continues to unravel in horrible fashion.

The game ended amid frankly embarrassing scenes as Daniel Bachmann, moments after picking up a needless yellow card for dissent, was sent off for a dangerous kick after venturing forward for a set piece in a last desperate throw of the dice. That was bad enough but the manner in which he petulantly ripped off his gloves and threw them to the ground sums up so much that is wrong at Watford.

It looked like the Hornets might draw a line under last weekend’s shambles when Yaser Asprilla put the hosts in front with his first goal for the club. But it didn’t take long for the familiar inadequacies in the Hornets’ make-up to rear their head again as Jack Rudoni capitalised on some poor defending at the end of the first half.

That resulted in some boos but the atmosphere deteriorated starkly when Huddersfield took the lead with a goal that was almost scored in slow motion as Matty Pearson’s header crept inside the far post- following a free-kick. Those boos grew in intensity.

Watford had plenty of the ball in their opponents’ half but they rarely looked like they might get back on terms, with Kian Harratt coming off the bench to head in Huddersfield's third to cue a mass outpouring of angry chanting from the Rookery while hundreds more showed their anger in another way by heading for the exits.

Britt Assombalonga did pull one back in injury time but there were already signs Watford’s frustration was threatening to spill over – and it duly did in the shape of the goalkeeper’s actions.

Four years ago to this day, fans and players were united in celebrating one of the greatest days in Watford’s history after reaching the FA Cup final. Four years later, Watford is a club divided, lacking in direction with frustration increasingly giving way to anger, acrimony and complete disenchantment.

Wembley feels like a lot longer than four years ago this evening.

Chris Wilder made two changes from the team that performed so badly in the derby defeat at Luton Town. Joao Ferreira replaced Jeremy Ngakia at right wing-back, while Asprilla came in for Keinan Davis, who was ruled out with a tight hamstring. There was also a change of captaincy with Joao Pedro taking over the armband from Craig Cathcart.

Huddersfield came into the game buoyed by victories over Middlesbrough and Millwall in their previous two matches and Neil Warnock made just the one change, with David Kasumu replacing the injured Duane Holmes.

With Pedro the only recognised striker in the Hornets’ line-up, Asprilla and Ismael Kone were the most advanced of the midfielders in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

The Terriers had the first attempt of the contest when Ferreira played himself into trouble, but Danny Ward rather scuffed his effort from just outside the area through to Bachmann.

The Hornets soon started to dominate possession and territory though, their first attempt coming in the tenth minute when Kone cut inside off the left and hit a decent right-footed effort that flew narrowly over.

Huddersfield threatened in the 14th minute with an attack down their left which was ended when Ryan Porteous brought down Rudoni just outside the area, a foul that earned the first yellow card of the afternoon, but the Hornets were able to see off the danger from the free-kick and an ensuing corner, albeit after Bachmann had unconvincingly tried to deal with the latter.

Terriers keeper Tomas Vaclik wasn’t unduly troubled with shots from outside the area from Pedro and Ferriera, who was taking every opportunity to get forward and increasingly taking up positions more centrally.

It still wasn’t particularly convincing from the Hornets but at least they were showing a willingness to shoot, their best effort so far coming in the 22nd minute when Imran Louza unleashed a well-struck left-footed effort that Vaclik was forced to push behind.

The Terriers were largely content to let their opponents and threaten on the counter when the chance arose, one such occasion coming when Josh Koroma capitalised on some loose play from Hamza Choudhury and skipped away from Wesley Hoedt’s attempted challenge on the left, but a combination of Porteous and Louza ultimately saw off the threat.

The visitors threatened again when a corner from the left picked out the largely unmarked Tom Lees and although Pedro managed to clear his header, the attack was kept alive and the ball was played back in from the right but Pearson stabbed it wide of the near post.

Despite having most of the play, the Hornets were seeking a spark – and it fell to an 18-year-old Colombian to flick the switch in the 32nd minute.

Pedro played the ball to his right where Asprilla was in space on the edge of the area and he weighed up his options before hitting a low left-footed drive inside Vaclik’s near post to put Watford in front with his first goal for the club.

Having opened his account, Asprilla wasn’t too far away from doubling it soon after when he was picked out by a low Kone cross from the left, but he sliced his right-footed attempt wide of the far post.

Huddersfield had threatened more than once from out wide though, and a minute before the break they got their reward.

Hoedt was dragged out to the left touchline as the ball was worked inside to Koroma, who took on and got the better of Cathcart before playing in a cross which Porteous slid to try and deal with, but only succeeded in knocking the ball into the path of Rudoni. His first touch wasn’t the best but he had the time and space to adjust and beat Bachmann to send his side in level at the break.

Wilder made a change at the start of the second half, bringing on Ngakia for Ferreira, and the substitute had a couple of encouraging touches down the right in the opening stages of the second half.

An opportunity looked like it might develop when Kone played in a low cross from the left, but the ball arrived at Asprilla’s feet with his back to goal and his attempted back heel to pick out a teammate was dealt with by Vaclik.

Much of Watford’s build-up play had been, like in so many other games, slow and ponderous but an injection of pace saw Sema release Hoedt on the left and the defender hit a first time cross on the run which Pedro headed over.

The Brazilian was then yellow carded for a foul on Kasumu but it was soon to get much worse from the free-kick.

The ball was clipped into the area from the left and Pearson rose highest heading the ball back across Bachmann, who was distracted as Ward ran across him attempting to get a touch, with the ball going inside the far post almost in slow motion.

The goal was greeted by a sustained - and heartfelt – chorus of boos from the Hornets faithful, with one fan angry fan ejected from the Elton John Stand, apparently after unfurling a ‘Pozzo Out’ banner.

Wilder’s response was to bring on Ismaila Sarr and Assombalonga for Kone and Cathcart, as stewards moved into position in front of the Rookery with the atmosphere becoming increasingly toxic.

Hassane Kamara was the next replacement called into the fray in place of the injured Asprilla, while Warnock made his first change with Scott High coming on for Rarmani Edmonds-Green.

Watford were now increasingly camped in the Huddersfield half in search of way back into the contest, Sarr seeing a cross from the right deflected onto the roof of the net.

Huddersfield were largely comfortable in defence though, with their opponents lacking the nous or pattern to their play to create a chance worthy of note as the final ten minutes of the contest approached.

Indeed, the Hornets increasingly adopted an approach of get the ball wide, cross and hope that something might come of it.

Kian Harratt replaced Ward with nine minutes remaining and within a minute of coming on he was to get on the end of a cross into the near post to flick a header across Bachmann and into the far corner – cue delirium among the visiting fans and vociferous chants of ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ and a mass exodus of angry, disenchanted and disillusioned home fans, some of whom remaining turning on the club’s owner.

The game looked to be up on the pitch but as it moved into the second minute of injury time Watford gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Sarr found Assombalonga in space and the substitute advanced before drilling a low shot beyond Vaclik to make it 3-2.

The temperature rose a little more when Jonathan Hogg fouled Pedro and Choudhury almost let his frustration get the better of him as he went eyeball-to-eyeball with the former Hornets midfielder, earning both men a yellow card.

Bachmann, who ventured forward in a last role of the dice, was then booked for dissent, and proceeded to completely lose his head as he launched himself at an opponent and received a second yellow card, throwing his gloves away on the pitch as he headed to the players as scuffles broke out among other players.

Choudhury took over the final seconds of a chaotic and frankly embarrassing conclusion to a game as the Terriers were able to celebrate a victory they thoroughly deserved.

Watford: Bachmann; Porteous, Cathcart (Sarr 57), Hoedt; Ferreira (Ngakia 46), Kone (Assombalonga 57), Choudhury, Louza, Sema; Asprilla (Kamara 66); Pedro. Subs not used: Hamer, Bacuna, Kabasele.

Huddersfield Town: Vaclik; Lees, Helik, Pearson; Edmonds-Green (High 67), Hogg, Kasumu, Ruffels; Rudoni; Ward (Harratt 81), Koroma. Subs not used: Bilokapic, Rhodes, Jackson, Diarra, Lowton.

Bookings: Porteous for a foul on Rudoni (14); Pedro for a foul on Kasumu (54); Kasumu for a foul on Sema (60); Chodhury for confrontation with Hogg (90); Hogg for confrontation with Choudhury (90); Bachmann for dissent (90); Bachmann for a foul – sent off (90).

Referee: David Webb.