Luca Kjerrumgaard's close-range finish 16 minutes from time gave Watford a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Stoke City, extending the hosts' unbeaten Championship run to four matches in a tense contest where both sides had opportunities to win.
The Danish striker's eighth goal of the season, swept in after Hector Kyprianou's header from an Imran Louza free-kick, finally breached the meanest defence in the division and lifted Javi Gracia's side up four places to 10th, while condemning Stoke to a fourth defeat in five games and another costly setback in their bid to rejoin the top six.
Watford Probe Early but Stoke's Back Line Stands Firm
Both managers made sweeping changes before kick-off, with Watford boss Javi Gracia restoring Jeremy Ngakia, Tom Ince, and Georgi Chakvetadze, while Stoke counterpart Mark Robins brought in Maksym Talovierov, Bosun Lawal, Steven Nzonzi, and Aaron Cresswell in an effort to freshen a side chasing a return to the top six.