Town returned to winning ways via a largely comfortable victory over Watford at Vicarage Road. Sindre Walle Egeli gave the Blues the lead on 37 as they dominated the first half, then George Hirst came off the bench to double the lead on 77 in a closer second period, before Christian Walton saved a late penalty from Tom Ince.

Boss Kieran McKenna made four changes from the team which lost 5-3 at Wrexham on Saturday with Dan Neil handed his full league debut and Leif Davis absent from the squad.

Jacob Greaves replaced Davis at left-back with Neil alongside Azor Matusiwa in midfield, while Marcelino Nunez came in as the number 10 with Walle Egeli on the right.

Anis Mehmeti and Wes Burns dropped to the bench, alongside Ben Johnson, who returned to the 20 having been left out at Wrexham at the weekend.

Watford made four changes from the team which beat Derby 2-0 at home on Saturday with Mattie Pollock, Jeremy Petris and Marc Bola coming into the defence with Jeremy Ngakia and Edo Kayembe moving to the bench and Saba Goglichidze left out of the squad.

Giorgi Chakvetadze replaced Othmane Maamma, who suffered a knock against the Rams.

Town began brightly, winning two early corners on the left taken by Nunez, the second of which in the sixth minute flew across the six-yard area and wasn’t far away from creeping inside the far post.

On seven, Walton required treatment after an aerial collision with Greaves and Nestory Irankunda after a corner had been half-cleared and returned but fortunately the Blues keeper was fine.

Town continued to have the better of it, working a good opening for Azor Matusiwa on the edge of the area to the right in the 19th minute but the Dutchman clipped a cross into home keeper Egil Selvik’s arms rather than shooting.

A minute later, Nunez played a clever ball down the right for Ivan Azon to chase as Selvik made a rash run off his line. The Spanish striker reached it but was unable to find a teammate in the area as the byline approached and the danger was cleared.

The Blues were gaining confidence, however, with Neil very influential in midfield and working well with former Sunderland teammate Clarke.

On 23, Walle Egeli hit a shot too close to Selvik, then Azon blazed well over from the edge of the box.

Two minutes later, James Abankwah was shown the game’s first yellow card for pulling back Clarke as the winger cut inside him on the left.

Nunez took the free-kick and hit it powerfully towards goal, a Watford defender diverting it over.

Irankunda got his name taken by referee Ben Toner in the 28th minute for waving his arms at the official in protest at a throw-in being awarded to Town.

Two minutes later, Azon won the ball in the air on halfway and chased after it, a defender toeing it away from him but only to Clarke, who took it on before Abankwah, already on a yellow card, slid in not appearing to get a touch on the ball. However, referee Toner waved away the Blues’ claims of a foul.

There was a big scare for the Blues in the 32nd minute. Clarke lost possession, then the ball deflected off Matusiwa as the Dutchman challenged and sent Petris away on goal. The Frenchman had only Walton to beat but Town skipper Dara O’Shea did well to get back and put Petris under pressure and the full-back’s strike flew wide, much to the amusement of the Town fans behind the goal.

Moments later, Stephen Mfuni worked himself space to cross from the left and Kjerrumgaard flicked a header wide.

But it had been mainly the Blues and in the 37th minute, they went in front. Pollock went through the back of Azon’s ankles on the edge of the area. Nunez’s free-kick hit Mfuni in the wall and looped out to Walle Egeli on the right of the box and the Norwegian international volleyed into the ground and past Selvik to his right.

The Town fans at the other end, already in very good voice, roared as the home support claimed the referee was to blame for the goal, although it was difficult to see their argument as it looked an obvious foul on Azon.

Aside from O’Shea heading wide from a free-kick but from an offside position, the goal was the last serious action of a half controlled from the off by the Blues, who thoroughly deserved their lead.

Town had passed the ball around slickly from the off, looking more confident on the ball than they had at Wrexham with Neil impressing.

There had been one or two opportunities prior to Walle Egeli’s third goal of the season but without Selvik having been overly tested.

At the other end, Town had been fortunate Petris had failed to take his opportunity, but other than that and the header immediately afterwards, the Hornets had presented little threat.

Watford made two changes ahead of the second half with Chakvetadze and Petris making way for Edoardo Bove, making his home debut, and Jeremy Ngakia.

The Hornets started the second half positively, seeing more of the ball than in the first, but without threatening.

On 56, Cedric Kipre was booked for a late challenge on Irankunda out on the Watford right. Greaves cleared the low free-kick from home skipper Imran Louza.

Two minutes later, Abankwah scuffed to Walton after being found with a deep cross from the right but with the linesman’s flag correctly raised. Ahead of the restart, the Hornets swapped Kjerrumgaard for Mamadou Doumbia.

Town created their first opening of the second half on 61, Kipre finding Nunez, the Chilean taking the ball on down the middle before hitting a shot wide with Walle Egeli having made a strong run into space on his right and in a perhaps more promising position.

Three minutes later, Irankunda broke down the left and, following a Ngakia cross from the right which was cleared to the edge by Darnell Furlong, Abankwah and then Louza hit efforts which were blocked.

Town made their first changes in the 66th minute, Neil, who had been excellent in the first half but was less effective having tired in the second, and Walle Egeli making way for Jens Cajuste and Wes Burns.

The Blues noticeably improved after the changes and in the 69th minute ought to have doubled their lead. After Clarke had won the ball, Nunez laid it off to Azon on the edge of the area but the on-loan Como man shot over when he will feel he should have done better.

On 73, Burns chipped a cross into the box and Azon ended up on the turf as he challenged with Abankwah but the penalty appeals were all from the fans rather than the players.

Moments later, Abankwah was swapped for Tom Ince, then on 74 Town switched Nunez and Azon for Mehmeti and Hirst, a scorer for the Blues in the corresponding fixture two seasons ago.

As the game entered its final 15 minutes, Watford sub Bove shot not too far wide of Walton’s left post.

But in the 77th minute, the Blues doubled their lead through Hirst, who had only been on the field for three minutes.

Clarke played the ball wide to Burns, who passed back inside to the ex-Sunderland man, whose shot deflected off a defender and looped out to the left. Greaves crossed from the byline and Hirst chested into the net from five yards out.

Louza was swapped for Pierre Ekwah as the game moved into its final 10 minutes, before Irankunda was fortunate not to be shown a second yellow card for throwing the ball at Greaves.

Watford were handed a potential lifeline in the 83rd minute when they were awarded a penalty. As a cross came over from the right, Ince threw himself to the turf as he and Furlong battled as they ran into the box.

Ince took the kick himself but Walton saved down to his left, pushing the ball well away from goal.

The Town keeper was booked a minute later as Town protested that Doumbia should have been red-carded for striking O’Shea in the face as a cross came into the area. Replays indicated they had a very good case.

Ben Johnson took over from the excellent Clarke in the 89th minute with the home fans by now streaming out of the ground.

Four minutes into six added on, Hirst found space 25 yards out but blazed deep into the Town supporters behind the goal.

A minute later with the last action of the game, Irankunda brought the ball in from the right and hit a well-struck shot which Walton did well to bat away, the keeper’s first serious save in open play all evening, sealing his 50th clean sheet for the club.

A well deserved victory on the road from the Blues, who were well on top in the first half with Walle Egeli’s goal reward for that display.

After the break, Watford improved but without creating much of note before Town’s changes swung the balance back in the Blues’ favour, Hirst netting his second goal in 17 games.

Had Watford scored their late penalty the last few minutes might have been nervy but following Walton’s excellent save, there was too much for the home side to do in the remaining minutes.

The three points see the Blues move back to third, now only six points behind second-placed Middlesbrough, who were held 1-1 at home by Leicester, the Teessiders’ third game without a win, with two games in hand. Elsewhere, Hull, now fourth, beat Derby 4-2, with Coventry and Millwall both in action tomorrow, the Sky Blues at Sheffield United and the Lions at home to Birmingham.

Town now have three home games in a row, starting with Swansea’s visit to Portman Road on Saturday.

Watford: Selvik, Petris (Ngakia 46), Pollock, Abankwah (Ince 73), Mfuni, Bola, Louza (c) (Ekwah 80), N Mendy, Irankunda, Chakvetadze (Bove 46), Kjerrumgaard (Doumbia 59). Unused: Baxter, F Mendy, Kayembe, Semedo.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O'Shea (c), Kipre, Greaves, Matusiwa, Neil (Cajuste 66), Walle Egeli (Burns 66), Nunez (Mehmeti 74), Clarke (Johnson 89), Azon (Hirst 74). Unused: Palmer, Taylor, McAteer, Akpom. Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire). Att: 18,249 (Town: 2,258).

Photo: Action Images via Reuters