Match ends, Watford 4, Huddersfield Town 2.
WatfordWatford4HuddersfieldHuddersfield Town2
Championship side Watford scored twice after being reduced to 10 men to secure a 4-2 win against Huddersfield.
Keith Andrews headed in a corner after Gabriel Tamas's 65th minute sending off and Almen Abdi curled in a late right-footed strike to secure the points.
Watford's Troy Deeney calmly slotted past goalkeeper Alex Smithies to open the scoring on 15 minutes, before Harry Bunn equalised after the break.
Abdi restored the lead on 54 minutes, but Murray Wallace headed an equaliser.
The win keeps Giuseppe Sannino's team second in the league, just one point behind leaders Nottingham Forest.
Deeney, who signed a four-year contract extension on Wednesday, came into the game having scored 11 goals in his last 11 appearances at Vicarage Road.
He extended that run as he opened the scoring on 15 minutes when he calmly slotted home from a pin-point Daniel Tozser pass.
Watford, who went into the match off the back of a 2-1 defeat to League One Doncaster in the League Cup, held on until half-time, but within three minutes of the restart Huddersfield were level.
Hornets goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes failed to deal with a Sean Scannell cross and Bunn swept home the rebound to make it 1-1 for a struggling Terriers team looking for their second win of the season.
If that goal raised question marks about the Hornets' defending, six minutes later the focus was on Huddersfield's backline when, after the ball had broke Watford's way following a challenge, Abdi strode through a hole in the defence to net his first of the season.
But when Wallace headed in from a corner after 63 minutes and Tamas was sent off for a second bookable offence for a foul on Bunn, Huddersfield appeared to be in control.
However, the hosts rallied and after Abdi's free-kick had been tipped behind, substitute Andrews headed home from the resulting corner.
Abdi added his second goal of the game, and the season, as Huddersfield pushed forward looking for an equaliser.
Watford manager Beppe Sannino:
"I'm very happy for the result because I saw a team made by men today, great men.
"It's the first time for me that I've seen this (amount) of commitment and effort from my lads. I saw my face on the pitch today.
"I don't think I'm in a position to ask the club about my future because the results are talking clearly.
"I work always; this is my job, I love my job, I love Watford, I love everything about Watford."
Huddersfield caretaker manager Mark Lillis:
"It's mass disappointment because we've come here, we've had a game plan.
"I thought we were magnificent against a really top team who are going to do well this season - they're up there already.
"We're disappointed with the headed goal, we've got to take more responsibility, but we'll look at that on Monday and we'll have to name names and learn from it."
Line-ups
Watford
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Gomes
- 17TamasBooked at 65mins
- 6Ekstrand
- 4Angella
- 21AnyaSubstituted forHobanat 76'minutes
- 22Abdi
- 3MunariBooked at 35minsSubstituted forAndrewsat 45+1'minutes
- 8Tozser
- 18Pudil
- 9DeeneyBooked at 90mins
- 11ForestieriSubstituted forParedesat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Andrews
- 14Paredes
- 20Vydra
- 23Dyer
- 24Ighalo
- 30Bond
- 31Hoban
Huddersfield
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Smithies
- 3DixonBooked at 32minsSubstituted forSteadat 86'minutes
- 15M WallaceBooked at 67mins
- 33LynchBooked at 12mins
- 17Robinson
- 8Butterfield
- 10CoadyBooked at 62mins
- 45Majewski
- 7Scannell
- 9VaughanBooked at 38minsSubstituted forWellsat 73'minutes
- 30BunnSubstituted forHammillat 81'minutes
Substitutes
- 11Ward
- 12Hammill
- 13Murphy
- 14Stead
- 20Sinnott
- 21Wells
- 22Crooks
- Referee:
- Neil Swarbrick
- Attendance:
- 14,409
Match Stats
Home TeamWatfordAway TeamHuddersfield
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away27
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away10
- Corners
- Home3
- Away9
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away6
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Watford 4, Huddersfield Town 2.
Post update
Attempt missed. Adam Hammill (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Radoslaw Majewski.
Goal!
Goal! Watford 4, Huddersfield Town 2. Almen Abdi (Watford) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Daniel Tözsér.
Booking
Troy Deeney (Watford) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Attempt saved. Nahki Wells (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jack Robinson.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jacob Butterfield (Huddersfield Town) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Sean Scannell.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Post update
Delay in match Heurelho Gomes (Watford) because of an injury.
Substitution
Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Jon Stead replaces Paul Dixon.
Post update
Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Daniel Tözsér.
Post update
Attempt saved. Adam Hammill (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jacob Butterfield.
Post update
Attempt saved. Nahki Wells (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Adam Hammill.
Substitution
Substitution, Watford. Juan Carlos Paredes replaces Fernando Forestieri.
Substitution
Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Adam Hammill replaces Harry Bunn.
Post update
Foul by Harry Bunn (Huddersfield Town).
Post update
Joel Ekstrand (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Harry Bunn (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jack Robinson.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jacob Butterfield (Huddersfield Town) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jack Robinson.
Post update
Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Daniel Pudil.
