Watford 3-0 Rotherham United

Ighalo spent last season on loan at Spanish side Granada

Watford maintained their bid for automatic promotion as Odion Ighalo scored twice in a comprehensive win over struggling Rotherham.

The striker has now scored 14 goals in his last 11 appearances and his side are six points off Championship leaders Derby.

Ighalo pounced on a slip by Kari Arnason to open the scoring before Troy Deeney slotted in after the break.

Ighalo tapped in after goalkeeper Adam Collin's fumble to complete the win.

Rotherham have now won just two of their last 12 games and are three points above the relegation zone.

The Millers could have been on the wrong end of an even heavier score line but for the athleticism of Collin, who did well to deny Almen Abdi, Deeney and Joel Ekstrand in the first half.

The visitors had chances themselves, with Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes denying Matt Derbyshire as the former Nottingham Forest man went clear through before Craig Morgan headed straight at the Brazilian.

But the game was effectively over as a contest after the break.

First Ekstrand squared a rebound from Daniel Tozser's free-kick into Deeney's path for the latter to score on 54 minutes and Collin spilled Miguel Layun's shot at Ighalo's feet two minutes later.

Watford manager Slavisa Jokanovic: "It was a complicated game for us, especially after the first 45 minutes when we weren't particularly happy.

"After the second goal, everything started to be easier for us, we scored one more and we could have scored more, so I must be happy with our performance.

"Everything [Odion Ighalo] touches is finishing in the net and he is helping us so much. He is an important guy for us at this moment, he's always working hard."

Rotherham manager Steve Evans: "If you make big errors you get punished in the Championship if you come to a club with the players that Watford have got.

"Kari Arnason, slipping and falling over, I don't think you'll see that again in the Championship this season, but we've been done by individual errors.

"I've just been in the dressing room and the players concerned accept it's individual errors and it probably falsifies the last 15 or 20 minutes where Watford have a bit of the ball, with the quality they've got and they've got the freedom to express themselves."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Watford

• 1Gomes
• 15Cathcart
• 6Ekstrand
• 4Angella
• 31Hoban
• 7LayunSubstituted forMunariat 68'minutes
• 23Watson
• 8Tozser
• 22Abdi
• 9DeeneySubstituted forForestieriat 84'minutes
• 24IghaloSubstituted forVydraat 75'minutes

Substitutes

• 3Munari
• 11Forestieri
• 14Paredes
• 18Pudil
• 20Vydra
• 21Anya
• 30Bond

Rotherham

• 21Collin
• 30Hunt
• 20Morgan
• 4ArnasonBooked at 53mins
• 28Fryers
• 11Green
• 33SmallwoodBooked at 76mins
• 15MilsomSubstituted forWardat 65'minutes
• 18Pringle
• 23SammonSubstituted forHammillat 75'minutes
• 27DerbyshireSubstituted forClarke-Harrisat 88'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Loach
• 5Broadfoot
• 10Bowery
• 16Richardson
• 22Ward
• 24Hammill
• 29Clarke-Harris

Referee:

Andy Davies

Attendance:

13,468

Match Stats

Home TeamWatfordAway TeamRotherham

Possession

Home59%

Away41%

Shots

Home20

Away13

Shots on Target

Home11

Away6

Corners

Home6

Away7

Fouls

Home8

Away6

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Watford 3, Rotherham United 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+7'

Second Half ends, Watford 3, Rotherham United 0.

Posted at 90'+6'

Almen Abdi (Watford) hits the left post with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Ben Watson.

Posted at 90'+3'

Attempt saved. Jonson Clarke-Harris (Rotherham United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Danny Ward with a headed pass.

Posted at 90'+1'

Attempt saved. Matej Vydra (Watford) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Posted at 90'+1'

Fernando Forestieri (Watford) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by Ezekiel Fryers (Rotherham United).

Posted at 90'

Foul by Almen Abdi (Watford).

Posted at 90'

Richard Smallwood (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 89'

Attempt missed. Paul Green (Rotherham United) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ezekiel Fryers with a cross.

Posted at 89'

Attempt missed. Paul Green (Rotherham United) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.

Posted at 88'

Attempt saved. Jonson Clarke-Harris (Rotherham United) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Substitution

Posted at 88'

Substitution, Rotherham United. Jonson Clarke-Harris replaces Matt Derbyshire.

Posted at 85'

Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Craig Cathcart.

Posted at 85'

Attempt blocked. Matt Derbyshire (Rotherham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kári Arnason with a cross.

Posted at 85'

Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Joel Ekstrand.

Posted at 85'

Attempt saved. Adam Hammill (Rotherham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Danny Ward.

Substitution

Posted at 84'

Substitution, Watford. Fernando Forestieri replaces Troy Deeney.

Posted at 84'

Attempt missed. Almen Abdi (Watford) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Troy Deeney with a cross.

Posted at 82'

Corner, Watford. Conceded by Craig Morgan.

Posted at 82'

Attempt blocked. Troy Deeney (Watford) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Daniel Tözsér with a cross.

Posted at 81'

Corner, Watford. Conceded by Ezekiel Fryers.

Posted at 80'

Craig Cathcart (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 80'

Foul by Danny Ward (Rotherham United).

Posted at 79'

Attempt saved. Almen Abdi (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Posted at 78'

Corner, Watford. Conceded by Paul Green.

Posted at 77'

Attempt missed. Daniel Tözsér (Watford) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right from a direct free kick.

Booking

Posted at 76'

Richard Smallwood (Rotherham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 76'

Almen Abdi (Watford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 76'

Foul by Richard Smallwood (Rotherham United).

Posted at 75'

Attempt missed. Adam Hammill (Rotherham United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Ben Pringle with a headed pass.

Substitution

Posted at 75'

Substitution, Rotherham United. Adam Hammill replaces Conor Sammon.

Substitution

Posted at 75'

Substitution, Watford. Matej Vydra replaces Odion Ighalo.

Posted at 73'

Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Craig Cathcart.

Posted at 72'

Foul by Gianni Munari (Watford).

Posted at 72'

Ben Pringle (Rotherham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 68'

Substitution, Watford. Gianni Munari replaces Miguel Layún.

Posted at 67'

Attempt saved. Almen Abdi (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Tommy Hoban.

Posted at 67'

Attempt saved. Matt Derbyshire (Rotherham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Substitution

Posted at 65'

Substitution, Rotherham United. Danny Ward replaces Robert Milsom.

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