Watford 3-0 Scunthorpe United
Report from Vicarage Road

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United suffered another defeat away from home in the Championship on Saturday, this time going down 3-0 against an on-song Watford.

Although the Iron had chances in the first half, the Hornets were rewarded for their dominance by bagging all three points.

Heidar Helguson scored two goals within three minutes to put his side two up midway through the opening period before Danny Graham added a killer third soon after half-time.

Scunthorpe entered the away clash making four changes from the side beaten 4-1 at Blackpool a fortnight earlier.

Coming into the side in place of the suspended goalkeeper Joe Murphy between the sticks was Josh Lillis, while Martyn Woolford and Josh Wright returned to the midfield in place of Grant McCann and Andrew Wright. With Michael O'Connor also dropping out, Gary Hooper came back into the side.

The defence consisted of Cliff Byrne, David Mirfin, Rob Jones and George Friend, while the midfield lined up with Matt Sparrow, Sam Togwell, Wright and Woolford featuring. The strikers were Hooper and Paul Hayes.

On the substitutes' bench were Marcus Williams, McCann, Garry Thompson, Jonathan Forte, O'Connor, Sam Slocombe and Bondz N'Gala.

Playing in cold, wet and windy conditions, it was the visitors who got off to the best start and they had their first chance in the second minute when Graham edged through on goal and struck past Lillis into the back of the net. However, the flag was raised for offside by the assistant referee.

They continued to press in the opening stages, but Josh Wright almost prized an opening when his corner caused danger in the hosts' box.

Next to come close for the away side was Hayes, who linked up superbly with Hooper before threading a shot just wide of the goal.

20 minutes in, the home team went ahead - on the counter-attack after Hayes had worked his way into space and poked in a shot which Scott Loach dived down well to stop. The Hornets buzzed forward and Helguson rose highest to head home a cross from the left and put his team a goal up.

He then added a second soon three minutes later when he headed home again, this time a cross from the right.

He could have scored his hat-trick goal on the half-hour mark when he held off Mirfin to strike a shot which Lillis did well to stop.

Lansbury soon tested Lillis from distance before the visiting team tried to force themselves back into the game, and Jones just failed to get on the end of a loose ball after good work by Sparrow and Mirfin.

Then, just before the break, Scunthorpe missed a golden chance after Woolford and Hooper linked up with Hayes, who played the ball back for Togwell, whose goal-bound shot was blocked away Lansbury on the line.

There were two alterations made by the Iron at the interval as Jones was replaced by N'Gala and O'Connor replaced Sparrow.

Almost straight after half-time, Graham put them three goals to the good as Lansbury breezed through the left-hand side of the defence and drew the ball back for the former Carlisle striker, who slotted beyond Lillis.

They continued to create chances and Don Cowie's free kick drew a stop from Lillis, and the stopper then made a fantastic save to deny Helguson his hat-trick. He dived to his left to stop the Icelander's header from John Eustace's dangerous cross.

O'Connor's powerful free-kick tested Roach in the visiting goal, while Woolford struck a yard wide after Togwell's long throw had caused problems in the area.

Helguson, trying once again for his third goal before being substituted, volleyed an effort goalwards from 25 yards which Lillis stopped well. Substitute Nathan Ellington almost set up Graham for the fourth, but the ball dragged wide as he tried to play in his team-mate.

Ellington could have scored the final goal in the third minute out of four in stoppage time but fired over the bar after turning Mirfin and advancing on Lillis.

The third goal had effectively killed the match off as a contest as Scunthorpe suffered a fourth straight league loss.

They are next in action on Saturday when they host Leicester and look to climb away from the lower reaches of the division.

Attendance: 13,241 (368 away).