Watford finally won at Vicarage Road again - at the eighth time of asking - after overcoming Crystal Palace 2-0 in the FA Cup third round.The Hornets had not won at home since they beat Hull in mid-October but Nigeria's Dan Shittu got them back to winning ways by signing off for the African Nations Cup with two headed goals.
The defeat ended Palace's 13-game unbeaten streak and the match was another match in the footballing educations of talented youngsters Lee Hills and 15-year-old John Bostock, who both started.
The first half lacked the cut and thrust of a traditional cup tie with both sides playing tentatively throughout the opening 45 minutes.
However, Watford landed a telling blow after 28 minutes as they snatched the lead for the first time at home in almost two months - an incredible statistic for a team being kept off top spot in the Championship by goal difference only.
The goal came after a run into the penalty area by Palace old boy Jobi McAnuff, Shittu rising highest at the near post to meet Lee Williamson's resulting corner and head firmly past Scott Flinders.
Watford could have had a chance to double their lead within 60 seconds when Jose Fonte appeared to handle in the area referee Lee Mason refused penalty claims.
However, the Hornets turned the screw and deservedly scored a second after 65 minutes with a virtual carbon copy of their first.
This time Jordan Stewart swung in a corner from the left and Shittu found space in the six-yard box to head down past Flinders.
Such was Watford's superiority, it took until injury time for the visitors to muster their first meaningful on-target attempt - but Richard Lee proved more than a match for substitute Victor Moses' effort.
Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd said: "I was looking for this youthful team that Neil was going to put out and then I saw [Clinton] Morrison, [James] Scowcroft and [Matthew] Lawrence, and one or two others.
"I thought he might have put more young players in, to be honest. There was only really Bostock and Hills.
"Was it predictable? We're at home so the answer to that is no. The fact that we won is a big monkey off our back I think and it's nice that our fans have the humour to put up with what they've had to put up with and then we get a win at home.
"I'm thrilled with that and now we've got to take that forward."
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock said: "I think we've got more out of the game than Watford, if I'm honest.
"I did tell the lads before the draw was made that I was going to play two or three of them and obviously the run that we've been on, it's disappointing. But I'm still going to count that as a league run so I'm not overly concerned.
"I thought he [Shittu] took his goals well. Mark Hudson could have probably done better with both goals but I don't see many other chances that Watford had, apart from the two free headers.
"I think next time we come we could give them a good game. Think third time lucky when we come in the league and it could be one to whet the appetite."
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