WATFORD returned to winning ways thanks to an early Darius Henderson strike and the win was sealed in the second half with a fine Tommy Smith goal - one which was richly deserved after a fine appearance from the wide man.

Aidy Boothroyd made one change to his starting line-up following the defeat at Leicester, with the return of Henderson in place of Steve Kabba to partner Marlon King in attack.

There was a place on the bench for new club record signing Nathan Ellington alongside rookie central midfielder John-Joe O'Toole, who made his debut midweek in the Carling Cup defeat at Southend United. 

The visitors came to Vicarage Road on the back of an encouraging start to the season and they showed glimpses during the first period of why they were riding high in the league. However for all their neat movement and excellent crossing positions they did little to trouble Mart Poom in goal during the first half.

The visitors were always looking to set up their front pair of Alan Lee and Pablo Counago whenever possible and they kept the Hornets on their toes with their clever runs.

Marlon King started brightly for the Hornets, happily drifting out to the right flank whenever possible and looked to be up for the challenge back in attack with his old Championship striking partner from 2005/06.

Henderson put recent speculation behind him by finishing sweetly from 10 yards out after just five minutes to give the Golden Boys an early lead. Jordan Stewart started the move from the left back position just across the half way line. His perfectly weighted ball found the on-rushing Lee Williamson, who had stayed on side, and his cut back was met with a sweet strike from Doncaster-born Henderson.

Four minutes later Boothroyd's men could have had a second as Lloyd Doyley's long throw-in was flicked on by Dan Shittu but Neil Alexander was alert enough and picked the ball out of the air before it could cross the line.

King won the ball in midfield after a game of head tennis with his Ipswich counterpart and fed Jobi McAnuff wide out left; he got to the by-line and switched back looking for Henderson again. But this time the Ipswich defenders done well and cleared their line.

The Hornets were getting the ball quickly to the strikers whenever possible and were starting to reap the benefits. The good work could have been undone though when the Tractor boys were nearly gifted an equaliser after 20 minutes, when Shittu misjudged the bounce of the ball and Lee went chasing. Poom in the Hornets' goal was alert to the danger however and quickly rushed off his line to grab the ball. 

Henderson continued to look dangerous throughout the first period and after 26 minutes he headed over the bar and then minutes later Tommy Smith again terrorised his man but couldn't get the all-important shot in on goal.

Ipswich were seeing plenty of the ball in wide positions but they hadn't been able to break down the Hornets' backline. Stewart and Doyley were being kept busy by Gary Roberts and Jonathan Walters in the wide positions for the visitors.

Smith's deep cross by the by-line sailed over the head of Henderson, but the striker tapped the ball back to Shittu who tried his luck at goal. His stinging shot smacked the legs of an unlucky Ipswich defender and the crowd felt the pain with the loud smack of the ball against his skin.

Owen Garvan tried his luck from outside the area with just minutes remaining of the half but his low shot slid just wide of Poom's post in front of the visiting supporters at the Vicarage Road end. This was a rare shot for Town as they struggled to penetrate in the final third.  

On the stroke of half time Williamson's shot went flying just over the bar following great work and application and then Henderson would have delighted the crowd further but his shot went into the side netting after a deep cross into the box.

Half time: Watford 1 - 0 Ipswich Town

King tested the hands of Alexander early on with a rasping drive from the left flank but the Ipswich keeper was ready and calmly stood up to the test.

At the other end Doyley was alert and reacted strongly with Lee who was trying to muscle his way into the box - but the full back saw the ex-Cardiff man out wide and eventually won a goal kick for the Hornets. It was confident, calm defending from the Academy graduate who has had a storming start to the campaign.  

Ipswich had stepped their game up after the break and were getting the ball into the Watford box quicker but Shittu was winning the aerial side of things.

When a chance dropped inside the box, Henderson again tried to hit it but his drive went just wide of the post after Williamson knocked the ball across the face of goal and the Ipswich clearance fell to the big striker.

Ipswich substitute Jaime Peters was a livewire on the left and his searching cross to the back post couldn't find a Town player before Stewart cleared his lines. It summed up a frustrating afternoon for Town in the Hornets' penalty box.  

At the other end McAnuff's stinging drive was parried by Alexander and the winger was terrorising the defence moments later when his low shot fizzed across the face of goal.

During the onslaught on the Ipswich goal new man Ellington entered the fold and within ten minutes of being on the field he had hit the post - so close on his debut. 

The Hornets extended their lead on 74 minutes when the impressive Smith cut inside from the right hand side, sized up his shot and curled a tremendous, unstoppable curler past Alexander. It was richly deserved for the wide man who had covered a tremendous amount of ground, up and down the right flank.

That had sewn the match up for the Golden Boys as it left Jim Magilton's men with too much of a mountain to climb and with a few minutes left O'Toole came off the bench for his first league appearance.  

WATFORD (4-4-2): Poom; Doyley, DeMerit, Shittu, Stewart; McAnuff, Mahon (c), Williamson, Smith (O'Toole 86); King, Henderson (Ellington 71). Subs not used: Lee (gk), Priksin, Mariappa.

IPSWICH TOWN (4-4-2): Alexander, Wright, Bruce, De Vos; Harding; Walters, Garvan, Miller; Roberts (Peters 65); Counago, Lee (Clarke 61) Subs not used: Supple (gk), Peters, Legwinski, Casement.

BOOKINGS: WATFORD; Williamson (foul, 69) . IPSWICH TOWN; Roberts (professional foul, 40).

SENDINGS OFF: WATFORD; none. IPSWICH TOWN; none.

GOALS: WATFORD; Henderson (5), Smith (74). IPSWICH TOWN; none.

REFEREE: M Jones

ATTENDANCE: 17, 295