Watford slumped to their third consecutive home defeat as they were beaten 2-1 by Preston at Vicarage Road.

It was, overall, a very poor performance with the Hornets not having a shot on target in the entire first half.

Preston took their chances when they came and Watford struggled with the visitors’ high press.

To make matters worse, Kwadwo Baah, Festy Ebosele and Imran Louza all limped off injured.

There was one change to the team that started at Pride Park on Saturday, with Moussa Sissoko coming in for Tom Dele-Bashiru, who dropped to the bench.

Giorgi Chakvetadze was named among the substitutes after missing the win at the weekend with a slight hamstring problem.

It meant a home debut for defender James Abankwah, who joined on loan from Udinese last week.

It was an awful first-half display from Watford and, while they had just cause to claim a foul in the build-up to Preston’s goal, they were so poor it was hard to argue that the visitors were better.

Passes going astray, struggling with the Preston press, nobody wanting to take responsibility and just two off-target goal attempts in 45 minutes.

The second half was barely any better and once Preston scored their second, Watford huffed and puffed without ever really looking capable of getting back into the game until Rocco Vata scored another cracker in the 90th minute – but it was too little, too late.

Here’s how the night unfolded:

14 – Baah pulls up mid run, goes down and has to be replaced by Ebosele

16 - Ledson lets fly from 30 yards but it sails way over the bar.

17 – Watford 0 Preston 1 (Osmajic)

Looked like Maghoma shoved Abankwah over as he challenged just outside the box but referee Mr Nield waved play-on, and Maghoma squared for Osmajic to nudge the ball home at the near post.

26 - Preston work the ball across the box to Kesler-Hayden on the right and his drilled cross-shot is blocked near the line by Sierralta.

29 - Bond makes a magnificent close-range save to deny Thordarson, and when the striker heads the loose ball goalwards Sierralta dives to head it away.

36 - Vata does well to steal the ball 30 yards out, but then scuffs his shot well well. The first Watford attempt on goal so far...

Half-time – Watford 0 Preston 1

46 - Osmajic is set free down the left with Sierralta and Pollock struggling to catch him. The striker shoots from an angle and Bond tips it wide.

53 - Preston lose the ball inside their own half, Kayembe collects and plays in Chakvetadze on the left. His low cross is deflected straight into the arms of Woodmann.

56 – Watford 0 Preston 2 (Osmajic 56)

Classic counter attack goal. Watford have a free-kick, it's blocked and Frokjaer-Jensen clips the ball over the top. Osmajic runs on and as Larouci tries to catch him the striker gets into the box and hammers a shot past Bond.

60 - Kesler-Hayden breaks down the left, cuts in and shoots but Bond drops on it.

63 - Frokjaer-Jensen suddenly receives the ball in acres of space in the box but lashes his shot wildly over.

69 - Larouci crosses first time from the left and Bayo rises well but his firm header is straight at Woodman. An on-target effort though.

78 - Kesley-Hayden sent Greenwood free on the right of the box but Bond blocked with his legs at the near post.

79 - Chakvetadze's free-kick is flicked goalwards by Sierralta and Woodman tips the ball over.

86 - Larouci cuts in from the left, gets to the semi-circle and releases a low shot that Woodman holds.

90 – Watford 1 (Vata) Preston

Might be too late, but what a strike. The little forward jinks one way, then the other, and hammers the ball past Woodman from the edge of the box.

Watford: Bond; Abankwah (Larouci ht), Sierralta, Pollock, Ngakia; Louza (Dele-Bashiru 77), Sissoko, Kayembe (Doumbia 77); Vata, Baah (Ebosele 14, Chakvetadze 52); Bayo. Subs: Roberts, Porteous, Ince, Ogbonna