Watford 2 West Brom 1: Baggies deservedly beaten in Watford rain as hosts hit back
Albion missed an opportunity to climb to third in the Championship as Watford fought back to win 2-1 at Vicarage Road.
Ryan Mason's visitors led for just four first-half minutes via another stunning Isaac Price strike but home skipper Imran Louza - the best player on the pitch - fired home a beauty of his own to level.
The match-winner was the hosts' Rocco Vata, who slammed in through a sea of bodies just before the hour after some very poor Baggies defending to hand boss Javi Gracia a winning home return.
It was as much as Albion deserved as Watford failed to put the clash to bed late on and could have won by a greater margin. For the Baggies it was a failed attempt and missed opportunity to build on Saturday's win over Preston as the winless run at the Hornets dragged on.
Albion's one chance to pinch a point came as Price's close-range header was kept out but otherwise Mason's men were toothless and did not create enough goalscoring opportunities. The visitors, who slipped to 10th, have little time to reflect on a poor night in Hertfordshire and head to Ipswich on Saturday for an early kick-off.
Mason named a new-look midfield of captain Alex Mowatt and Ousmane Diakite - for whom it was just a second league start of the term. That owed to injured duo Toby Collyer (hamstring) and a more surprising unspecified knock to expected replacement Jayson Molumby.
The fact it took until the 21st minute for Mowatt to curl wide from range for the game's first effort told the story of a cagey start.
Despite thoughts the home faithful might bring the noise with head coach Gracia's return after six years it was an edgy and eerie atmosphere in Hertfordshire. The visitors monopolised most of the ball, which did not help the home fans' lack of enthusiasm.
Albion moved it well in the middle and final third but struggled for any real killer final moment. At the other end full debutant Alfie Gilchrist was solid and diligent in his early involvement.
Watford carried minimal threat as Louza chipped an ambitious effort over from range from a smart corner.
There seemed little threat of imminent goals as Sammy Iling-Junior sent a low ball all the way across the box that begged for a touch. It was no surprise when the goals arrived they came from range.
The hosts overplayed and lost it and Mikey Johnston's pass from the left was expertly dummied by frontman Aune Heggebo and fell to Price.
From there, the rest seemed inevitable.
The Northern Ireland man opened his body and with minimal backlift caressed another beautiful curled strike into the top corner beyond the stranded Egil Selvik. It was the eighth time in succession Watford have conceded first in a game.
That was cause for more volume from the away end but, frustratingly for the visitors, the hosts took just four minutes to hit back.
Jeremy Ngakia's cross from right-back was only half-cleared by Nat Phillips' header and dropped to Louza. The skipper settled with too much room and curled a wonderful strike of his own over Josh Griffiths.
It encouraged the hosts and Vata nodded wide from the impressive Louza.
A more open start to the second period in heaving rain mostly saw the the hosts on the front foot. Striker Luca Kjerrumbgaard flicked a header wide across goal from a corner before Louza went close again - this time from the best part of 30 yards as a strike whistled inches over.
Albion lost Gilchrist to what appeared an ankle issue 10 minutes after the restart. The former Chelsea youngster performed well overall on his first start.
Gilchrist's replacement George Campbell was partly at fault for the hosts' second, which came moments later.
Left-back Marc Bola raced towards the byline and beat Campbell too easily for pace and power. His low cross went uncleared after Phillips could not adjust his feet and dropped to a grateful Vata, who smashed in low through a sea of bodies from 10 yards.
Mason's side had failed to start the second half and had little control on the contest as home sub Tom Ince sent a golden chance tamely at Josh Griffiths
But Albion did forge a glaring chance after the hour. Mowatt's chipped cross from the left was perfect for Price but his five-yard header was parried by Selvik. Heggebo was ready to gobble up the rebound but James Abankwah cleared brilliantly.
Mason acted with the double introduction of Josh Maja and Karlan Grant with 20 minutes left, only for Vata to scuff another Hornets chance.
Griffiths denied Ince, who might have put the contest to bed with 15 minutes left, before sub Mamadou Doumbia curled narrowly wide.
Watford passed up several openings with the Baggies ragged before Mason sent on Daryl Dike for his first minutes of the season in a switch for Diakite.
It did little to help the visitors as an attacking force, who remained toothless and failed to create much of note in their hunt for an equaliser in a damp display in the Watford rain.
Watford (4-2-3-1): Selvik; Ngakia, Pollock, Abankwah, Bola; Kyprianou, Louza (c) (Dwomoh, 90+4); Petris (Ince, 45), Vata (Kayembe, 73), Irankunda (Doumbia, 45); Kjerrumgaard (Sissoko, 88).
Subs not used: Baxter (gk), Keben, Morris, Baah.
Albion (4-2-3-1): Griffiths; Gilchrist (Campbell, 55), Phillips, Mepham, Styles (Taylor, 80); Mowatt, Diakite (Dike, 80); Iling-Junior (Grant, 70), Price, Johnston; Heggebo (Maja, 70).
Subs not used: Wildsmith (gk), Wallis (gk), Deeming, Bostock.
Attendance: 17,308
Referee: Leigh Doughty
