League leaders Millwall handed Watford Under-21s a sound 7-0 beating at The Den this afternoon.

The game was over by half-time as a contest with the Lions racing into a 5-0 lead, bringing to an end the five-game unbeaten run Charlie Daniels’ side had built up prior to today.

There was barely a minute on the clock when Laken Torres shot from just inside the box, forcing home keeper Connal Trueman into a save, but after that early opening the Hornets found themselves pushed back.

In the eighth minute Nana Boateng ran onto a pass from Sha’mar Lawson but sent his shot wide of the target.

That chance wasn’t taken but the Lions then took total control and blitzed Watford with five goals in 34 minutes.

The hosts took the lead in the 11th minute as Henry Hearn managed to force the ball over the line after a scramble at a corner.

It was 2-0 after 27 minutes as Boateng got away down the right and then teed up Hearn to complete a quickfire double.

Then, in the 29th minute, Romain Esse netted Millwall’s third with a deflected effort from just inside the penalty area.

It got worse seven minutes later when Boateng was fouled in the box, before getting up and sending Alife Marriott the wrong way to make it 4-0.

It could have been even five a couple of minutes before the break when Marriott kept out Hearn’s header to deny him a first-half hat-trick.

However, that was only a stay of execution as on the stroke of half-time Boateng turned provider, threading a pass through for Lawson to hit the Lions’ fifth to end a nightmare first-half for Watford.

Having endured 45 minutes of misery, the Hornets created the first chance of the second half when Aidan Coyne headed over the bar from a corner.

But there was no let-up with Milwall adding a sixth in the 74th minute as Boateng burst into the box and then squared for substitute Abdul Abdulmalik to score.

Four minutes later Josh Stephenson played a pass into Oliver Evans, who took it on his chest and poked it towards goal, only for it to be cleared from near the line.

Shortly after Abdulmalik centred for Ra’ees Bangura-Williams to head just wide of the target as Millwall spent the closing stages chasing more goals.

And number seven duly arrived – in some style – in the 84th minute when Boateng put a free-kick into the box and defender Evans got it under control before unleashing an overhead kick.

With Charlton beating second-placed QPR 1-0, they leapfrog Watford who now sit seventh in the 10-team Premier League Development League South table.

The Hornets are scheduled to host fifth-placed Ipswich Town at London Colney on Friday.

Watford: Marriott; Gould, Buers, Gaspar (Gyamfi 70), Clarridge, Coyne, Torres, Hamiga (Collins 60), Adeyemo (Torres 60), Trialist (Davis 70), Fraser-Grante. Sub not used: Browne