IT took more than four months to arrive but Watford were at last able to savour a league success at Vicarage Road, and their second successive double over Millwall, with a 1-0 triumph on New Year's Day.

Heidar Helguson, who had netted the Hornets' last goal 429 minutes previously, scored the winner after 74 minutes following a delicious pass from Anthony McNamee, but by that stage Watford were playing against ten men after Danny Dichio had been dismissed for the second time against the same opponents this season. However, Millwall should have snatched a point at the death, but Josh Simpson somehow contrived to hit the post after Alan Dunne's header had rebounded to him off the crossbar.

Apart from their first three points in 13 games, the other major plus-point for the home side was the ahead of schedule return of Danny Webber, who suffered no visible ill-effects during a 35-minute substitute appearance.

Watford were unchanged from their 0-0 draw with Cardiff City, but the big team news concerned the bench. Both Webber and Hameur Bouazza were deemed fit enough to be named among a totally attack-minded list of outfield substitutes, which also included Bruce Dyer and McNamee.

Millwall made one change to the team which won 3-0 at Derby County, with Adrian Serioux replacing player-manager Dennis Wise, who was on the bench.

Following an impeccably observed minute's silence in memory of the Indian Ocean earthquake disaster victims, Watford started fairly brightly and had their first attempt after four minutes when Bryn Gunnarsson fired well wide from 20 yards after being found by Jermaine Darlington.

There was a moment of alarm in the Hornets defence on 11 minutes when a Serioux long throw from the left flicked off the head of Lloyd Doyley but Paul Jones was able to gather. Two minutes later though, Jones was forced to go full length to push behind a 25-yard piledriver from Marvin Elliott. The Barry Hayles flicked a header wide of Jones' right-hand post after Jody Morris had played the ball in from the left.

Watford mustered an opportunity after 23 minutes when Johnnie Jackson curled in a free-kick from the right and the ball hit Sean Dyche, who didn't know a lot about it, before it was half-cleared to Gavin Mahon on the edge of the area, and the midfielder struck a dipping half-volley a yard over.

Boosted by that chance, Watford began to assert themselves and they went closer still after 28 minutes, again from another Jackson free-kick on the right. This time the ball flicked off the head of a defender and Helguson, in trademark fashion, outjumped keeper Andy Marshall, but was too close to goal and his header cleared the bar.

Dichio picked up his third yellow card against the Hornets this season after 30 minutes when he stupidly flicked a leg out at Dyche, and three minutes later Kevin Muscat joined him in the book for a foul on Paul Devlin.

By this stage though, Watford were on top and twice in the space of the next three minutes they could have taken the lead. First Darlington swept a cross-field ball up to James Chambers, who stole in round the back of David Livermore in the area, but prodded a half-volley across the face of goal and wide. Then Marshall had to back-track to tip over a looping Helguson header following a long Neil Cox free-kick.

Morris fired over at the other end on 40 minutes after Jones had done well to come through a crowd of players and punch clear a Peter Sweeney corner, but the home side had another chance two minutes before the break when Devlin crossed from the right, Helguson swung his leg but made only partial contact and Jackson mis-cued the resultant half-volley back across the face of goal but off-target.

Millwall made a change at half-time, bringing on Simpson for Sweeney, but the first opening of the second period didn't arrive until 51 minutes when Muscat struck a rising drive over.

But the complexion of the game changed completely a minute later when Dichio was shown a second yellow card for a clear elbow in the face of Dyche.

Watford immediately pushed on and Helguson was inches away from connecting with a Devlin cross from the right, before Webber made his return as a replacement for Dyche after 55 minutes. Then Darlington saw a goal-bound shot deflected over following a Jackson corner from the right.

Millwall made their second change after 63 minutes, bringing on Joe Healy for Serioux, and three minutes later McNamee entered the fray for Jackson.

The Hornets continued to pile forward and after 69 minutes it took a fine reflex save from Marshall at his near post to keep out a close-range Gunnarsson header after Webber had played an intelligent ball inside to the overlapping Chambers. Watford kept the move going though, and Chambers got into another good crossing position near the right touchline, but this time Helguson failed to make contact with a header and McNamee saw his shot blocked.

Livermore was booked for a foul on Chambers after 72 minutes and from McNamee's resultant inswinging free-kick, Helguson's on-target header was deflected narrowly wide of the far post off the head of Elliott.

But two minutes later Watford's long wait for a goal finally ended. McNamee picked up the ball on the right and played an excellent pass inside and Helguson ran across the front of Matt Lawrence to lift the ball beyond Marshall and into the roof of the net from seven yards.

But the visitors were not far away from equalising after 79 minutes when Livermore tried a cheeky curling free-kick inside Jones' near post, which the keeper did well to push behind, after Doyley had played Mahon into trouble with a ridiculous pass. After the first corner had been put behind again, Lawrence headed over.

Dunne replaced Morris with nine minutes left, but then an error from Cox presented a shooting opportunity to Hayles, but he pulled his shot across goal and wide.

Watford became increasingly edgy with the finishing line in sight and they had to survive an amazing double escape in injury-time to remain in front. Following a cross from the left, Dunne met it with a looping header that rebounded out off the bar to Simpson, who struck the follow-up against Jones' right-hand upright with the keeper beaten, but the Hornets managed to hold on.

Watford: Jones; Doyley, Cox, Dyche, Darlington; Chambers, Gunnarsson, Mahon, Jackson; Helguson, Devlin. Substitutes: Webber for Dyche after 55 mins; McNamee for Jackson after 66 mins; Dyer, Bouazza and Chamberlain not used.

Millwall: Marshall; Muscat, Phillips, Lawrence, Livermore; Serioux, Elliott, Morris, Sweeney; Hayles, Dichio. Substitutes: Simpson for Sweeney after 45 mins; Healy for Serioux after 63 mins; Dunne for Morris after 81 mins; Wise and Stack not used.

Bookings: Dichio for unsporting conduct after 30 mins; Muscat for a foul on Devlin after 33 mins; Dichio for a foul on Dyche after 52 mins - sent off; Livermore for a foul on Chambers after 72 mins.

Attendance: 13,158.

Referee: Clive Penton (Brighton, East Sussex).