The match in full

Ardley's cross was headed square by Helguson for Nielsen's unguarded run into the area.

The former Spurs midfielder had time to pick his spot but stabbed wide from close range.

The Seagulls almost capitalised on that escape with a goal of there own three minutes later.

Chamberlain under pressure from Zamora from Watson's right-wing cross, only punched clear as far as Carpenter whose volley from 20 yards out dipped over the bar.

Clever chest control from Barrett, making his third appearance on loan from Arsenal, took him away from a couple of Watford defenders.

The Republic of Ireland Under 21 international then tried to chip Chamberlain from long range, but the keeper was alert to the danger as the ball drifted wide of the target.

Webber, on loan from Manchester United, got a touch to the ball from a tight angle as Cullip patrolled him. It wasn't enough to get past Kuipers, seeking his first away clean sheet since Peterborough.

Virgo covered well when Webber, released through the inside left channel by Robinson, tried to wriggle past Cullip inside the box.

Ardley's resulting corner, headed away at the near post by Hammond, led to a swift counter-attack.

Nielsen, marshalling Zamora from Barrett's pass, could only direct the ball straight into the path of Brooker.

He failed to control it properly when well placed just inside the area, which allowed Doyley to clear.

A burst of Albion pressure, aided by consecutive corners, finished with Marney blazing over the bar from beyond the far post from a Watson cross.

Watford were temporarily reduced to ten men while Gayle, the ex-Wimbledon forward converted into a centre half by Watford, received treatment on the sidelines.

Attention was diverted away from the pitch as police moved in to deal with an incident at the end occupied by Albion fans.

One spectator was wrestled away and escorted from the ground.

Albion produced the first real effort on target in the 28th minute.

Brooker found the lively and industrious Barrett from Zamora's touch.

Barrett tried to find the far corner of the net with a right foot curler from 15 yards but instead found Chamberlain's midrift.

Watford were forced into a change on the half hour, Glass replacing the injured Gayle to prompt a switch back to 4-4-2.

A minute later Hyde put Helguson in the clear. Kuipers, dashing outside his area, hacked fresh air as the ball held up and Ardley's ensuing attempt to find the vacant net from wide on the right flank was headed away by Cullip.

Kuipers redeemed himself shortly afterwards with a remarkable reflex stop to foil Webber at the near post from Glass' centre.

It had developed into an enterprising half, despite the absence of goals, with Barrett and Zamora linking well on a number of occasions to keep Watford on their toes.

Hammond, as at Ipswish, was looking composed in possession, and Virgo was performing solidly as the back. The disappointing aspect from Albion's point of view was their failure to get Marney into the match.

The Seagulls fell behind five minutes before the break, thanks to an uncharacteristic blunder by Kuipers.

The big Dutchman failed to hold Nielsen's shot from 30 yards and Icelandic international Helguson headed in his third goal in as many games.

Yet again Albion had gifted the opposition a goal with the sort of individual mistake no manager can account for.

Half-Time: Watford 1 Albion 0.

Albion began the second half quite brightly, Barrett firing straight at Chamberlain from 25 yards when possession was inadvertently presented back to him.

Barrett was being watched by Liam Brady, the former Albion manager who is now Arsenal's youth supremo. Brady was instrumental in Barrett's two-month move to his old club.

Hinshelwood, on the road to recovery after rupturing an Achilles, spent much of the time barking instructions and offering encouragement from the technical area near the edge of the pitch.

Carpenter was too high with a 30 yard free kick, awarded when Dyche climbed over Zamora.

At the other end Helguson missed the target from outside the box when Virgo misplaced a header.

Zamora spurned an opportunity to equalise ten minutes into the restart, firing straight at Chamberlain from a tight angle after getting the better of Dyche from Marney's pass.

Virgo then came to the rescue after Hammond had been caught in possession by Hyde five yards inside the Albion half.

Webber delayed his shot, which enabled Virgo to make an important block.

Marney, much more involved in the second half than he had been in the first, showed off his speed when he tracked back to deny Glass and earn Albion a goal kick.

Glass volleyed wide of the far post from 20 yards from Watson's clearing header with a quarter of the contest remaining.

Albion's front pair continued to cause Watford problems with their movement.

Zamora showed great tenacity to find Barrett on the right. Outnumbered by yellow shirts, he then made progress into the area, but Barrett's cross was cut out just infront of him by Chamberlain.

The unsighted Kuipers did well to hold a dink into the area by Nielsen which narrowly eluded several heads.

The Seagulls still looked capable of levelling and they almost did just that with 18 minutes left.

Watson's free kick was helped goalwards by Virgo. Zamora somehow missed the target from only four yards, although a linesman has his flag raised for offside.

Albion had lost three of their previous four away matches in the League by the only goal, emphasising the thin line between success and failure.

Hinshelwood introduced Hart for Brooker on 79 minutes, which prompted Marney to join Zamora up front, with Barrett moving to the left.

Kuipers kept out an angled drive by Nielsen after he had dispossessed Watson.

Referee Paul Durkin showed Albion captain Cullip the first yellow card with nine minutes left for a foul, although he allowed play to continue before serving the punishment.

Dyche also had his name taken a minute later as Melton came on for Hammond.