The Watford manager has acknowledged the rate his team are shipping goals is “very worrying”, but is hoping Jay DeMerit and Darren Ward can build on an improved central defensive showing in the defeat at Preston North End as the Hornets aim to pick up their first win in four matches against Blackpool tomorrow.

The Tuesday night defeat at Deepdale was the ninth occasion in the last 12 league games that Watford have shipped at least two goals – a record that leaves them with one of the Championship’s worst defensive records with a third of the season almost gone. However, neither the Hornets’ fit-again captain nor Ward, whose loan was extended for a further month at the end of last week, were to blame for the goals, and Aidy Boothroyd was pleased with their all-round showing.

“Very worrying, of course it is,” said the Hornets boss when asked about his side’s goals conceded rate. “We’re third from bottom in the defending charts in the league and we’re third from top in the scoring charts, so you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to work that one out.

“We’ve got to be more consistent defensively, but despite conceding the two goals the pairing of DeMerit and Ward, I thought, was very, very strong.

“One of the goals has come from a goalkeeping mistake and the other goal’s come when the cross has not been stopped from one full-back and the other full-back hasn’t headed it out, but the two centre-halves, on the whole, I thought were very strong.”