Taking to the field with Bunn between the sticks and a new look defence, the visitors were hoping to secure their fourth win of a sorry season while the hosts were hoping to bounce back following last weekend’s FA Cup exit.
The action was limited to half chances in the opening stages, with neither Abdi nor Deeney really testing Bunn.
Ighalo had two opportunities to open the scoring but was denied by a last-ditch challenge by Clark and a smart save from Bunn at the near post.
Midfielder Watson, aiming for the spectacular, rattled the crossbar with a volley from thirty yards out.
After twenty-five minutes, Ayew managed a shot on goal, albeit a wayward one, leading to mock applause and jeering cries of, “We’ve had a shot!”
It was very much against the run of play that Clark scored his first goal of the season for Aston Villa three minutes later. The Hornets’ defenders failed to deal with a Westwood corner and Clark nipped ahead of Britos to power a header past the diving Gomes.
With the Villans leading in a game for the first time since February, they could have doubled their lead but Cissokho’s cross was wasted by Ayew.
Right on the stroke of half-time, in stoppage time, in fact, in typical Villa fashion, the visitors lost their lead as Hornets equalised through Abdi’s superb curling free-kick.
The visitors got off to a good start in the second half: Ayew’s neat exchanges with Gestede on the edge of the box paid dividends when the Ghanaian rifled a low shot past Gomes to restore the Villans’ lead.
Gestede had the chance to make it 1-3 but dwelt on the ball and ultimately blazed it over the bar.
On the hour mark, the Villans had to clear the ball off the line to deny Deeney, which Clark did well.
Teenager Toner, making his full debut, almost scored moments later, nodding Westwood’s free-kick just wide.
The battling visitors suffered a setback with seventeen minutes left on the clock when Cissokho was given a red card for bringing down Anya as he raced towards goal.
Five seconds away from securing their second away win of the season, the Villans’ dreams were shattered when, predictably, it was Deeney, a man the travelling claret and blue army had taunted all afternoon, the defenders failed to pick up and who subsequently converted Berghuis’ cross.
Shell-shocked, the Villans were powerless to prevent the Watford captain scoring his second and his team’s third in stoppage time, as the Birmingham-born striker belted in a half-clearance to complete his side’s comeback.
It was the first time since the 1969-70 season that the Hornets secured two league wins over the Villans. The home win meant that the Villans’ winless run extended to eleven games.
Speaking post-match, caretaker manager Eric Black said:
“The players have been criticised, and justifiably so, but not today. Ultimately, of course you need to win games but there was a lot to be encouraged by.
It’s a fantastic football club with fantastic supporters and maybe it’s just one little step towards getting the supporters back on side.
I thought the effort of the players was outstanding. They showed desire and hunger but the sending-off changes the whole context of the game.
At 2-1 up, I thought we looked like the team who were going to score again. The key moment is the sending off.”
