Huddersfield Town 2 Watford 0 - Outstanding team display delivers big win

Again a promotion contender and without a number of key players including Chris Schindler, Richard Stearman, Ben Hamer, Danny Ward and Josh Koroma, Town displayed industry, character and a relentless team ethic on an afternoon when everyone in blue and white was playing for each other.

Yes, the first-half goals were gifts, following awful episodes for Ben Foster and Etienne Capoue, but this was an afternoon when Town produced an outstanding team display that was deserving off three big points as they claimed a fourth successive home league win for the first time since February, 2017.

Given the fact that they came into the game with the worst goals for record on their travels in the Championship - but the best goals against statistics, conversely - it was clear that Watford are a side who crave order and try and strangulate teams into footballing submission, rather than blast them off the park with free-flowing, attacking football.

This was an occasion when their game plan was shredded by two moments of chaos which saw former England keeper Foster and the recalled Capoue gift-wrap first-half goals to Huddersfield, who feasted on Watford's newly-found uncertainty.

The fun began ten minutes in when Ben Wilmot played a pass to Foster, a player generally recognised as the best goalkeeper in the division.

Unfortunately, for his sake, he is not the best footballer.

Instead of clearing in lines, Foster attempted to play out from the back and the alert Isaac Mbenza struck like a viper and blocked his weak pass and the ball rolled invitingly to Fraizer Campbell to tuck the ball into the empty net and he could scarcely believe his luck just ten minutes in.

Worse arrived shortly after the half-hour mark with Mbenza again involved. His corner was destined to be hacked clear by Capoue, but instead of connecting with his boot, his attempted clearance skewed into the net off his thigh in a horror moment for the midfielder.

It ensured that Watford had plenty to reflect upon at the interval, with the game set up perfectly for Town, able to hit the Hornets on the break and exploit gaps as the visitors were forced to roll the dice.

Watford's reaction to their early concession was decent and only James Garner will know how he failed to convert from close in after flick from Tom Cleverley - following Ken Sema's cross - had broken into his path via a deflection off Rarmani Edmonds-Green.

Ryan Schofield made a big save, as he did when he got in the way of Andre Gray's sharp near-post header following a deflected cross from Ismaila Sarr.

Cleverley went close with a curler, but Town's one-touch football and incessant high-energy posed significant issues for Watford going the other way.

Only a fine block by Ismalia Sarr stopped Mbenza from adding a second after Campbell's brilliant pass before Capoue's crazy moment.

Toffolo and Bacuna had half-chances to add to Town's lead while Carel Eiting shot at Foster early in the second half in what proved to be an engrossing spectacle and not an arm-wrestle as some suspected beforehand.

Conscious of the clock, Watford started to inject more urgency into their game, with Schofield alert to block Gray at his near post, while Town waited for their moments on the break.

A half-shout for a penalty passed by when Mbenza's free-kick struck Ismaili Sarr close to his arm as Town sought to put gloss on a stand-out afternoon.

As Watford made formation and personnel changes, Town stayed disciplined and strong in their defensive duties and showed a strong team ethic to see the game out, with Schofield confirming his fine day's work with an excellent late reaction save to block Gray's effort at point-blank range.

Huddersfield Town: Schofield, Pipa, Edmonds-Green, N Sarr, Toffolo; Hogg, Eiting (Pritchard 63), O’Brien, Bacuna (Diakhaby 90); Mbenza (Rowe 81), Campbell. Substitutes unused: Pereira, Vallejo, Duhaney, R Crichlow, Brown, Jones.

Watford: Foster; Kabasele, Troost-Ekong (Sierralta 30), Wilmot (Masina 77); Ngakia (Navarro 77), Garner, Capoue (Perica 67), Cleverley, Sema; I Sarr, Gray. Substitutes unused: Bachmann, Deeney, Chalobah, K Crichlow, Phillips.

Referee: L Doughty (Lancs).