Watford 2-1 Cardiff

Watford's Micah Hyde beats Cardiff Gareth Whalley to the ball

Cardiff City's promotion challenge too another blow at Vicarage Road as Watford condemned the Bluebirds to their fourth successive Division One defeat.

The visitors' decison to start with Andy Campbell instead of top scorer Robert Earnshaw seemed to have paid off when Peter Thorne latched on to Campbell's header to put Cardiff ahead on 53 minutes.

But Scott Fitzgerald soon equalised when he was left unmarked on the edge of the six yard box and pounced on a loose ball for his ninth goal of the season.

Earnshaw was thrown on for the final 17 minutes, but it was Watford who found the telling blow when Lee Cook's header with two minutes remaining sealed three deserved points.

Marcus Gayle's early effort, which flew narrowly over the crossbar, exposed Cardiff's lack of confidence at the back, and Heidar Helguson also threatened with a dangerous but off-target volley.

Cardiff's problems deepened with 20 minutes gone when centre back Danny Gabbidon limped off with suspected concussion.

Cook almost forced the opening goal shortly after, firing a shot from inside the box against the legs of goalkeeper Martyn Margetson, and 60 seconds later Neil Cox saw his effort cleared off the line by Spencer Prior.

Cardiff finally tested Hornets keeper Alec Chamberlain on the half-hour mark with a long-range strike by Barker which never looked like finding the net.

But the home side continued to look dangerous and another good effort from Helguson forced Margetson to tip the ball wide at full stretch.

Chamberlain then did well to hold a 36th-minute shot from Graham Kavanagh, and the City captain was denied again with the interval approaching when his curling free-kick dropped into the veteran keeper's arms.

Helguson and Gavin Mahon both went close within minutes of the restart, and Margetson was again called upon to keep out Cook's strike in the 50th minute.

But three minutes later the visitors snatched an ill-deserved lead after Cook had been penalised for a foul on Willie Bolland.

Kavanagh's trademark free-kick from the left wing was headed back across goal by Campbell, and Thorne timed his run perfectly to lash the ball past Chamberlain.

The goal rattled Watford and City's advantage was almost doubled instantly as Richard Langley's stinging strike was brilliantly parried by Chamberlain.

But the save was to prove crucial when Fitzgerald levelled the score on the hour mark.

Despite Earnshaw's appearance, Watford looked the most likely side to snatch a winner, and it was no surprise when Cook produced an instinctive strike to finish Cardiff.

---

Watford: Chamberlain, Ardley, Cox, Gayle, Smith, Devlin, Hyde, Mahon, Cook, Helguson, Fitzgerald. Subs: Vernazza, Dyche, Dyer, Webber, Lee.

Cardiff: Margetson, Prior, Gabbidon, Vidmar, Weston, Kavanagh, Boland, Langley, Whalley, Campbell, Thorne. Subs: Alexander, Barker, Earnshaw, Bonner, Croft.

Referee: M Thorpe (Suffolk)