AFC Bournemouth
Arnaut Danjuma grabbed the only goal of the game to settle a keenly-fought contest in favour of AFC Bournemouth as both teams finished with ten men.
The Dutchman’s finely-taken 61st-minute goal, his seventh of the season, saw the Cherries climb to fifth place in the Championship table.
It also brought to an end in-form Watford’s four-match winning run as the race for promotion to the Premier League continued to gather momentum.
The Hornets had young striker Joao Pedro sent off for picking up two bookings late on, while Jack Wilshere also saw red for receiving two yellow cards.
Dominic Solanke made a welcome return as head coach Jonathan Woodgate made three changes to the Cherries starting line-up.
The striker, who had missed the past six games with an ankle injury, was involved for the first time under Woodgate.
He was joined in the team by Ben Pearson and Arnaut Danjuma with Diego Rico, Phil Billing and Sam Surridge named among the substitutes.
Former Cherries midfielder Dan Gosling, who started Watford’s midweek win at Blackburn, was on the Hornets bench.
Following a cagey opening, Adam Masina headed the first chance wide after Asmir Begovic had punched away Kiko Femenia’s dangerous cross.
A thunderous drive from Junior Stanislas from just inside the 18-yard box was charged down by Hornets defender Francisco Sierralta.
Solanke’s neat turn saw him give two markers the slip before he threaded a slide-rule pass to Stanislas who missed his kick as he prepared to cross.
Ken Sema’s volley midway through the first half failed to trouble Begovic as it flew high over the crossbar before Joao Pedro headed wide from Femenia’s centre.
Pearson did superbly to nip in front of Nathaniel Chalobah to prevent him going clear, the Cherries midfielder eventually fouled by the Watford player.
Steve Cook blocked Pedro’s effort from the edge of the box before Lloyd Kelly went close to drawing first blood in the 34th minute.
A flowing move ended with Stanislas feeding Kelly who saw his rasping drive acrobatically tipped over the crossbar by Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.
Will Hughes lifted his shot over the top after Masina’s centre had been laid off before Ismaila Sarr’s blistering strike from 20 yards cleared the crossbar.
Lewis Cook was booked at the start of the second half before Hughes followed him into referee Tony Harrington’s notebook for hauling back Jefferson Lerma.
The resultant free-kick, taken by Stanislas, was charged down by the Watford wall before Begovic got down smartly to scoop away Femenia’s low cross.
Danjuma’s trickery saw him weave his way past a posse of Watford defenders only for Sierralta to turn the Dutchman’s shot behind for a corner.
Both goalkeepers were called into action in the space of 60 seconds with Bachmann and Begovic making top-drawer saves to keep the contest level.
Bachmann was the first to take centre stage, the Austrian diving to his left and foiling Danjuma after the winger had been slipped in by Lerma’s clever pass.
And Begovic pulled off an equally-impressive save, the Bosnian showing great reactions to parry Tom Cleverley’s effort from close range.
Chalobah seemed fortunate to only receive a yellow card after appearing to lash out at Lerma, the incident sparking a melee involving players from both teams.
From the free-kick, taken by Steve Cook in the 61st minute, the Cherries broke the deadlock when Danjuma registered his seventh goal of the season.
The 24-year-old was picked out by Steve Cook’s ball from deep and stepped inside before finishing with aplomb, sweeping the ball into the bottom corner from an acute angle.
As the Hornets went in search of a response, Sarr rifled wide when well placed before the same player tried to nick the ball past Begovic, the Cherries goalkeeper recovering to save the day.
Cameron Carter-Vickers did well at the near post to prevent substitute Stipe Perica fastening on to Sarr’s low cross two minutes from time.
Watford's teenage striker Joao Pedro was dismissed after collecting two bookings in quick succession in stoppage time.
Wilshere also saw red after picking up a second yellow card following another flare up between players from both teams just before the final whistle sounded.
AFC Bournemouth: Begovic, Smith, S Cook, Carter-Vickers, Kelly, Pearson (Billing, 86), Lerma, L Cook, Stanislas (Wilshere, 75), Solanke (Long, 79), Danjuma.
Unused subs: Rico, Mepham, Riquelme, Anthony, Kilkenny, Travers (g/k).
Booked: L Cook, Wilshere, Begovic.
Sent off: Wilshere.
Watford: Bachmann, Femenia, Cathcart, Sierralta, Masina (Lazaar, 75), Cleverley, Hughes, Chalobah (Gosling, 75), Sarr, Pedro, Sema (Perica, 84).
Unused subs: Ngakia, Wilmot, Zinckernagel, Gray, Troost-Ekong, Elliot (g/k).
Booked: Masina, Hughes, Chalobah, Pedro, Sarr.
Sent off: Pedro.
Referee: Tony Harrington.
