Watford 4 Crewe 1

Four-star Watford made it four consecutive wins and moved up to third place in the Championship after thrashing rock-bottom Crewe at Vicarage Road.

On fourteen minutes the visitors had a golden opportunity to take the lead after forward Steve Jones received the ball on the wide-left and beat full-back Jordan Stewart. Jones shot beat ?keeper Alec Chamberlain, who was deputising for the injured Ben Foster, only foe midfielder Matthew Spring to power the ball off the line and on to the crossbar, the ball, miraculously, went out to safety.

However, just three minutes later Watford took the lead with that man Spring ? who had just saved the Hornets at one end ? struck at the other. The former Luton and Leeds midfielder received the ball from Darius Henderson and, from thirty yards out, pinged the ball into the bottom?right corner.

The home side doubled their lead when Matthew Spring hit a deflected long-range effort that fell at the feet of Henderson who thumped his shot straight at the visitors? goalkeeper. The ball fell at the feet of defender Doyley, who is yet to score for the Hornets, who stuttered over the ball. The ball broke for Spring who pounced to send Watford two goals to the good.

Adrian Boothroyd?s men were value for money for their two-goal lead at the interval. Crewe made one change at the interval replacing goalkeeper Turnball for Tomlinson.

On fifty-one minutes Darius Henderson had the first chance of the half but was replaced three minutes later by Frenchman Hameur Bouazza.

With fifty-seven minutes on the clock Marlon King scored his thirteenth goal of the season. The former Barnet, Gillingham and Forest forward found himself on the end of a Chris Eagles header and out-muscled Crewe defender Walker. King shot from the edge of the box, the ball ending up in the back of the net.

Ashley Young, who returned from suspension in place of Anthony McNamee, gave Watford a four-goal lead on sixty-one minutes. A Chris Eagles low cross from the right was met by the Stevenage-born twenty-year-old who fired home from close-range.

Four minutes later Hornets? boss Boothroyd made his second substitution of the afternoon replacing Marlon King with Alhassan Bangura.

With seventy minutes on the clock, American defender Jay DeMerit was unfortunate not to get himself on the score sheet after his powerful header from Ashley Young?s corner was cleared off the line.

On seventy-eight minutes Crewe boss Dario Gradi made his second substitution of the afternoon replacing Rodgers for Roberts. Roberts made a quick impact and two minutes after being on the pitch grabbed a consolation for Crewe.

Promotion-chasing Watford comfortably beat Crewe and maintain their hundred percent league record in 2006 but Adrian Boothroyd?s young side will face tougher opposition in their next three Championship games in the form of Sheffield United, Coventry City and Leeds United.