Watford continuing to make the most of home comforts as Oxford are edged out

Watford (0) 1 Bayo 54

Oxford United (0) 0

If only they could play out the rest of the season at Vicarage Road.

The Hornets shook off a tame first half showing to rediscover some of their zest and find a way to goal. They were far from at their best in this Friday night under the lights, but did just enough to get the job done.

Vakoun Bayo - who smashed in four goals in a recent win at Sheffield Wednesday - grabbed the opener early in the second half to take his season's tally to six and it turned out to be the winner.

It moves the Hornets up to fifth ahead of the weekend matches.

Tom Cleverley's men have now won eight out of nine in all competitions at their cosy nest, with only Coventry City having escaped with a draw. Now all they need is a few more on the road like that amazing 6-2 win at Hillsborough the other day and they'll be laughing.

Oxford - promoted after a dazzling play-off final victory last season against Bolton - have been treading water a little recently but a 1-0 win over Hull on Tuesday ended an eight game run without a win and they did not lack confidence.

The Hornets gave no clues about how they have come to be so prolific on home soil during a passive opening half. The nearest either side came to breaking the deadlock was when Peter Kioso's raking low cross-shot for the visitors was almost touched in by Spurs loanee Dane Scarlett.

Edo Kayembe had a sniff of chance when Oxford keeper Jamie Cumming made a hash of a pass to a team-mate, but the keeper rushed out to block, atoning for his error. Then it needed a header off the line from defender Ciaran Brown to stop an inswinging corner from creeping in at the far post.

An early chance after the turnaround promised better - Udinese loan signing Festy Ebosele just overrunning after getting goalside of the last defender from a nicely weighted pass from Imran Louza.

The injection of urgency was obvious and the lead soon came. A lung-bursting run from half way by Kwadwo Baah past Brown ended with a calm cross into space for Bayo to put away at the second attempt after Cumming had done really well to stop the first strike.

Sub Hidde Ter Avest almost levelled it after coming on and and finding himself in the area for a stab at goal after the ball broke kindly to him - but it was no trouble for Dan Bachmann.

They came closer still when top scorer Mark Harris had Bachmann scrambling to save a low shot at his near post - the keeper having left his line to expose an inviting patch of netting to aim at. And there was a late melee following a free-kick from the byline just outside the box.

At the other end, Rocco Vata had an angled shot saved at the near post and the lively Girogi Chakvetadze chanced his arm from 25 yards - forcing a tip-over save.

Bayo should have had another eight minutes from time when another of the subs, Yasser Larouci, sprinted down the left and squared it to the Ivorian, whose shot was well saved by Cumming.

Watford could have done with that going in to spare themselves a few late palpitations but their charmed life at the Vicarage continues.

Hornets:(4-1-4-1) Bachmann - Ebosele (Larouci 65), Porteous, Pollock, Andrews - Morris - Baah (Vata 65), Louza (Ince 92), Kayembe (Dwomoh 77), Chakvetadze - Bayo (Jebbison 92)

Us: (4-2-3-1) Cumming - Long, Kioso (Ter Avest 68), Moore, Brown - Vaulks, McEachran (El Mizouni 58) - Goodrham, Rodrigues (Goodwin 85), Leigh - Scarlett (Harris 58)

Attendance: 20,268