Watford 3-1 Sheff Wed

Watford picked up their first win in five league matches at the expense of Sheffield Wednesday at Vicarage Road.

Micah Hyde gave the home side the perfect start with a second minute goal, but Wednesday were furious with referee Rob Harris who failed to spot Hyde's push on Leigh Bromby.

The visitors levelled through Tommy Johnson after 18 minutes when Watford twice failed to clear their lines. But Gianluca Vialli's side were back in front 10 minutes later.

Tommy Smith attacked the heart of the Wednesday defence before playing the ball into the path of Gifton Noel-Williams who beat Kevin Pressman with a rising shot from 14 yards.

Watford had a narrow escape when Johnson just failed to make contact with a bouncing ball with only the keeper to beat.

And Wednesday should have equalised when a long ball was nodded down by Tony Crane, only for Trond Soltvedt to fire over the bar.

The visitors pressed early in the second half with substitute Alan Quinn and Paul McLaren going close. But it was Watford who increased their lead after 63 minutes.

A Glass free-kick hit the inside of the upright before rebounding to substitute Heidar Helguson who found a narrow gap at the near post.

Helguson cleared the target when set up by a run from Smith shortly afterwards. But any hopes Wednesday had of salvaging a point ended when Danny Maddix was stretchered off 10 minutes from time with a head injury.

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Watford: Baardsen, Blondeau, Galli, Robinson, Cox, Hyde, Noble, Hughes, Glass, Smith, Noel-Williams. Subs: Vega, Wooter, Chamberlain, Helguson, Foley.

Sheff Wed: Pressman, Bromby, Westwood, Maddix, Geary, McLaren, Haslam, Palmer, Soltvedt, Crane, Johnson. Subs: Quinn, Sibon, Morrison, Stringer, Di Piedi.

Referee: R Harris (Oxford)