WATFORD picked up their third win in a week over a frisky Sheffield United side who pushed the Hornets every step of the way.
Following on from Jordan Stewart and Alex Campana, Lee Williamson got his first goal for the club to complete a hat-trick of opened accounts in the past week to give Watford the win over the Blades.
The first half remained goalless despite a flurry of chances at each end. It wasn't until the 55th minute that Watford took the lead when Williamson netted a well deserved goal.
From the off, it was Z Cars, the bellow of 'Poom' and Dan Shittu's high fives - Championship football was back at the Vic.
Aidy Boothroyd made one change to the side that triumphed at Molineux last Saturday. Darius Henderson replaced Tamas Priskin, but elsewhere, it was as you were.
The opening stages swayed from end to end with both sides taking it in turns to attack the opposition's goal.
Seven minutes in and Mart Poom had his first save to make. Leigh Bromby's bullet header from a corner saw the Estonian well placed to clear his effort with the follow up wide of the target.
Watford's first effort of any note came when Tommy Smith crossed for Darius Henderson who challenged Paddy Kenny. When the Blades stopper fluffed his catch, Gavin Mahon was only too happy to pick up the loose ball, but his unchallenged effort blazed over the bar.
Jobi McAnuff then showed his skill in defence when he robbed Keith Gillespie of the ball and set up Lloyd Doyley on a kamikaze run. The defender then covered the length of the pitch and breezed past two markers, much to the delight of the Vicarage Road crowd.
After a lull at both ends, Tommy Smith then got Watford back in the action when his header had to be well saved by Kenny. Jobi McAnuff then sustained the momentum when he picked up the ball on the edge of the box, but failed to get his effort in on goal
There was a heart in the mouth moment at the back for the Hornets when Jay DeMerit's flying header had to be caught by Poom, luckily the stopper was well placed to pluck the ball from its looping path.
Marlon King them showed his most fancy footwork off to the extreme, weaving in and out of two defenders, first left and then right, and then once more on each side just for good measure. While at the other end, Doyley continued to impress as he fended off attack after attack.
Some excellent work out on the wing saw McAnuff receiving the ball on the overlap from Jordan Stewart before sending a low shot at Kenny. Lacking in pace, the effort did little to trouble the Blades keeper.
When the half time whistle sounded, neither team had managed to make any ground in front of goal.
With the second half five minutes old, Henderson and King combined well and almost opened the scoring. Henderson set up his fellow front man, who received the ball with a turn of his chest before snapping at his shot, which sadly rose into the Rookery.
Finally Watford broke the deadlock with an excellent move involving movement and weaving in and around the box.
Tommy Smith danced in from the right wing and once dead in front of goal, slipped the ball out to the left wing.
Marlon King then spied Henderson blazing down the flank and let it run for his team mate, who then played it back into the path of Lee Williamson. The finish was as neat as they come, straight as an arrow and low to Kenny's right. Low enough in fact to escape his clutches and the midfielder wheeled away to celebrate his first goal for the club.
Henderson so very nearly doubled the lead when his downward header narrowly missed the target and then King surely done someone in the Rookery an injury when his vicious shot from 25 yards looked to be heading into the back of the net before fizzing over the crossbar and on its way to some poor unsuspecting supporter.
Mart Poom then tipped over Michael Tonge's 20 yard drive before the Blades man stepped up to take a free kick on the edge of the box which lead to the visitors' best chance of the match.
Tonge's set piece made its way through the wall before being stopped by Poom, but the 'keeper couldn't get on his feet quick enough to gather the second ball and as it rolled agonisingly slowly towards the goal line, it looked like a certain equaliser.
That was until Smith went charging towards the goal line and somehow managed to get his foot behind it and swept it to safety, despite the presence of both Jon Stead and James Beattie.
Steve Kabba was then introduced to the proceedings in the place of Smith as Watford continued to toy with Sheffield in their area.
Williamson received a whole host of 'Ole's' by himself as he took on one Blades defender after the other, pushing the ball past them and then receiving it on the other side. On and on he went until finally getting his shot in on goal only to be denied by Kenny.
As the heavens opened and the wind picked up in the final stages, it still wasn't enough to put a dampener on this, Watford's third victory in a week. Onwards and most definitely upwards.
WATFORD (4-4-2): Poom; Doyley, DeMerit, Shittu, Stewart; McAnuff, Mahon (c), Williamson, Smith (Kabba 78); King, Henderson. Subs not used: Lee (gk), Hoskins, Mariappa, Priskin.
SHEFF UTD (4-4-2): Kenny; Morgan (c), Kilgallon, Bromby, Stead (Geary 72); Montgomery, Tonge, Gillespie, Webber (Shelton 77); Beattie, Armstrong. Subs not used: Bennett (gk), Quinn, Leigertwood.
BOOKINGS: WATFORD; Kabba (foul 90). SHEFF UTD; none.
SENDINGS OFF: WATFORD; none. SHEFF UTD; none.
GOALS: WATFORD; Williamson (55). SHEFF UTD; none.
REFEREE: Mr A Marriner
ATTENDANCE: 16,414
