Watford marked their first game back in the Championship with a hard-fought victory over Middlesbrough on the opening night of the new league season.
Defender Craig Cathcart scored the winner after 11 minutes, heading past Boro goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.
The Hornets, relegated from the Premier League last season and now under new boss Vladimir Ivic, should have gone 2-0 up but Joao Pedro sent a header wide.
Britt Assombalonga went closest for Boro, having a free-kick tipped over.
Neil Warnock’s side saw plenty of the ball but failed to seriously test Ben Foster in the Watford goal, with even captain Assombalonga’s effort from 20 yards only drawing a relatively straightforward save.
Foster kept out another Assombalonga shot with his feet, while Grant Hall wasted their only other clear sight of goal, sending a close-range effort over the bar from a corner.
At the other end, chances were also few and far between for Watford, who were without a host of players through injury – including Gerard Deulofeu, Danny Welbeck and Troy Deeney.
Line-ups
Watford
- 1Foster
- 3Ngakia
- 15Cathcart
- 27Kabasele
- 6WilmotBooked at 85mins
- 21FemeníaSubstituted forNavarroat 75′minutes
- 20QuinaSubstituted forPhilipsat 90′minutes
- 8Cleverley
- 14Chalobah
- 12SemaSubstituted forMurrayat 66′minutes
- 10João Pedro
Substitutes
- 17Murray
- 26Bachmann
- 31Sierralta
- 32Navarro
- 33Pussetto
- 34Sinclair
- 52Philips
Middlesbrough
- 1Bettinelli
- 2Dijksteel
- 4Hall
- 17McNair
- 29Spence
- 16Howson
- 22SavilleSubstituted forWingat 78′minutes
- 7Tavernier
- 3Johnson
- 11Fletcher
- 9Assombalonga
Substitutes
- 6Fry
- 8Wing
- 12Browne
- 15Wood
- 27Bola
- 33Coulson
- 42Pears
Live Text
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Match ends, Watford 1, Middlesbrough 0.
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Second Half ends, Watford 1, Middlesbrough 0.
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Attempt blocked. Marc Navarro (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Attempt blocked. Marc Navarro (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Glenn Murray (Watford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Patrick McNair (Middlesbrough).
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Offside, Middlesbrough. Ashley Fletcher tries a through ball, but Britt Assombalonga is caught offside.
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Christian Kabasele (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Britt Assombalonga (Middlesbrough).
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Foul by Glenn Murray (Watford).
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Grant Hall (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Substitution, Watford. Daniel Philips replaces Domingos Quina.
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Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Marc Navarro.
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Foul by Domingos Quina (Watford).
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Marcus Tavernier (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Britt Assombalonga (Middlesbrough) header from very close range is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Marcus Tavernier with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Ben Wilmot (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Ben Wilmot (Watford).
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Britt Assombalonga (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Domingos Quina (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
