2 mins Paul Dummett edged Andre Gray's pass across the box towards Abdoulaye Doucoure and he played in Roberto Pereyra to fire home with ease. 0-1

28 mins Martin Dubravka was helpless to prevent Gray nodding in a right wing cross lobbed to the back post by Pereyra, as Dummett stood rooted to the spot. 0-2

(38 mins Deeney missed a penalty - saved by Dubravka)

Half time: Hornets 2 Magpies 0

51 mins Javier Manquillo's tempting deep cross to the back post allowed Ayoze Perez to sneak in and steer the ball home on the half volley with the outside of his foot from close range. 1-2

Full time: Hornets 2 Magpies 1

 

"Looking like a dad at wedding" said one fan - but there was no best man to be seen....

After managing his 300th Premier League game, Rafa Benitez said:

 
"I'm not too worried (about losing three times). The main thing was to stay up and we did it.

"Now we'll see what happens in the next games. The players have done a great job through the season and they've not been doing that recently. But we have two games left and we'll see if they can do that again.

"We have to start with more focus and concentration -we were not in the game in the first half. 

"We made too many mistakes and the penalty decision was a surprise. It could have been 3-0.

"In the second half the team showed more of what we have seen for the majority of the season - they worked hard and created chances, but we didn't quite do enough to equalise.

"When we don't have intensity we look exposed, when we do have intensity and everybody is focused, we can beat anyone.

"Too many things we were not doing well. We could be 3-0 down at this time, and I feel the reaction of the team is what I was expecting, and it's a pity because you have to do it in the first half too.

"We made too many mistakes. We cannot talk about: ‘This striker did not score, and this winger did not do that.’ We were poor as a team.

"In the second half we were doing things in a different way, I changed the system (to 3-5-2) and we were a little better.

"For this system, Jacob (Murphy) was maybe not specifically ideal so I took him off. But to change the system, I needed to do it.

"Sometimes when you are winning, and it is very hot, it is not easy to put some tempo on the game. 

"We tried to move the ball quickly, but credit to them, because they were using the spirit that they have, but it's a pity for us because I feel we could get at least a point."

"I have to say it’s very clear. Everybody, the fans, they have the same feeling, and it’s something that we need to clarify. 

"I’ve had three challenges since I came here. We tried to keep the team in the Premier League, we couldn’t do it. The second one was to go up in the first attempt in the Championship, and we did it, and the third to stay up, and we did it. 

"I’m quite happy overall with the challenges, but still I’d like to compete for something.

"This is a massive club: we want to compete in the Premier League at a good level.”

Javi Gracia commented:

"We played better in the first half. We could have killed the game and missed a penalty.

"After that, Newcastle played better and created chances to draw the game but today we were a bit more lucky than in the last games, where we didn't have it. I'm very pleased to achieve the objective today and proud of my players.

"Many times we have lost points [late on] and today was an important game. We needed the points and the players showed a good attitude, character and desire, and for that I'm very happy.

"We'll see after the last game if the club respects my contract or will speak with me. But I'm proud to be with this club and I'm happy here."
 

The Magpies suffered their third successive defeat on Saturday, snoozing in the sunshine for almost an hour before belatedly waking up and making a game of it.

Scorching conditions at Vicarage Road seemed to mislead Rafa's side into thinking that the season was over, and a Hornets side still not mathematically certain of avoiding relegation took full advantage.

Javier Gracia had seen Watford fail to win any of their last seven games and their inability to find the net within the opening 60 seconds meant it was precisely five hours since their last goal.

Enter the visiting defence, who without further ado blundered their way into trouble after Paul Dummett edged Andre Gray's pass across the box towards Abdoulaye Doucoure and he played in Roberto Pereyra to fire home with ease.

The Argentinean quickly had the opportunity for another goal only to be denied by Martin Dubravka as United's poor start continued, combining woeful passing with a reluctance to make challenges.

That lackadaisical approach was epitomised by Mo Diame, a key component of our resurgence but today back to his lumbering worst. He weakly surrendered possession in the middle of the park after 27 minutes and Dubrakva had to be alert again to block Gray's on-target effort.

However the Slovakian was soon fetching the ball out of his net again, helpless to prevent Gray nodding in a right wing cross lobbed to the back post by Pereyra, Dummett rooted to the spot. 

A further calamity looked to have befallen the visitors seven minutes before half time, as Dummett slid in as a through ball to Gray passed over the dead ball line. The Watford player tumbled over but there was both an absence of malice and a lack of a penalty appeal, despite Dummett not making contact with the ball (and later claiming it was out when he collided with his opponent). 

On the say-so of linesman Simon Beck though, a soft award was made - of exactly the type that doesn't go in our favour, as we were to discover.  Dubravka however was in no mood to be beaten again; saving Troy Deeney's kick before springing up and blocking the follow-up with his feet.

That upped the noise levels behind Dubravka's goal, as an away support who amused themselves up until then by mocking the mackems and airing some vintage tunes finally had something to cheer. 

Unchanged for the second half, an insipid showing by Jacob Murphy soon saw him taken off in favour of Matt Ritchie - benched along with DeAndre Yedlin. That latter change had seen Javier Manquillo return to the line-up and it was his tempting deep cross to the back post on 55 minutes that allowed Perez to sneak in and steer the ball home from close range.

Game on then; an increasingly nervy Hornets dropping deep and augmenting their backline at the expense of strikers - tactics that flattered us enormously and turned the possession statistics greatly in our favour.

Given every incentive to attack, United duly improved and began winning challenges as Diame woke up and they were almost level within ten minutes when Adrian Mariappa's unintentional header from close range flew at Orestis Karnezis - either side of him and it was in. 

With 16 minutes left a corner from the Newcastle left was met at the near post by Perez, but his first-time flick found the side netting on this occasion.

Into the closing stages and with Yedlin off the bench and finding space on the overlap down the right, the Magpies were camped in the final third but crucially unable to test Karnezis any further - substitute Mikel Merino's effort spinning wide via Mariappa's boot.

Referee Roger East had done United few favours, with Perez booked for a mild first half protest but Watford's Will Hughes given free rein to spend the 90 minutes moaning and waving his arms in obvious visible dissent.

And the official was guilty of more dubious decision making when waving away penalty appeals as Dwight Gayle was jostled by a crowd of defenders while attempting unsuccessfully to get his shot away.

East saved his worst for last though, stopping play during injury time as Newcastle prepared to take a corner to lecture Gayle and a defender for jostling. The flag kick was then delivered as the home player picked up Gayle and shoved him off the field in a move more suited to American Football.

East though gave a free kick in Watford's favour.  

Had we ended up with a point from this game though, it would scarcely have been deserved over 90 minutes. It's hardly reasonable to expect a team that played for barely half an hour and gave Premier League opponents a two-goal start to not leave empty-handed.

Despite this defeat United remain tenth on 41 points, along with Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Waford. Our game in hand is away to Spurs on Wednesday and things then conclude at home to Chelsea on Sunday when the atmosphere will doubtless be fevered - and both manager and players will deserve the acclaim.  

As we said after our last two defeats, the task has been successfully completed and it's frustrating but hardy shocking that we're now mentally on the beach.

What shines through again though is a lack of quality in the squad beyond the first XI and the requirement for those first-choice players to consistently perform.

If that message reaches the owner, it's perhaps more useful for our future to stick on 41 points rather than gather more and risk the boardroom complacency that a fifth place finish provoked back in 2012. 

The inspiration for our "Easily licked" headline was Watford's gesture of giving free ice cream to fans at what was their closing home game - and leaving some by the exit doors of the away section. 

Rafa clearly wasn't interested though - he's waiting for the lolly...

Biffa