Albion manager Mark McGhee is in dreamland after his side doubled his expectations over the hectic Christmas and New Year period.

This repeat of the Boxing Day victory over Gillingham at Withdean, when they also came from behind to win 2-1, made it eight points out of 12, the Seagulls' best run of the season in the Championship, following draws in between at Wolves and QPR.

"We could only have dreamt of that," McGhee admitted. "I said a point a game is what we require and four points from those games would have kept us out of the bottom three.

"Getting eight points is just fantastic. The boys have made a massive effort. The discipline in their preparation and recovery has been great and the performances haven't been bad either."

The performance against Watford was much better once McGhee abandoned his starting 3-4-3 formation and switched to his favoured 4-4-2 for the second half.

He began with Leon Knight, Gary Hart and Mark McCammon up front, Adam Virgo at the back with Guy Butters and Adam Hinshelwood, Kerry Mayo at left wingback and Paul Watson on his first start for 11 months at right wingback.

"It didn't work," McGhee acknowledged. "With three up front we tried to put the emphasis on winning the game as early as we could but the system never really flowed and we left ourselves a little bit exposed.

"It was only when we got Harty and Watto into their right slots (right midfield and left midfield) in the second half that it really started to happen for us."

The big plus points, apart from the result, were Knight's superbly taken and manufactured winner midway through the second half, his subsequent pledge to stay at the club and the performance of Watson after a succession of injury problems including major back surgery.

Knight, returning to the starting line-up for the first time since the home defeat by Stoke before Christmas, ended an 11-week goal drought as a triple substitution by McGhee produced an instant reward.

Dan Harding, relegated to the bench along with Paul Reid, had only replaced Watson two minutes earlier when Virgo, by this stage operating as a striker again amid all the changes, released him down the left wing.

Harding's penetrating cross, delivered low towards the near post, was anticipated by Knight with a run across the front of his marker and first time finish into the far corner with the outside of his right foot.

The quality of Knight's third goal of the campaign together with an impudent chip afterwards from 35 yards which landed on the roof of the Watford net, emphasised the important part he has to play in Albion's future.

It has not gone well for him so far this season but he is still a class act and fans, fearing he might follow Darren Currie and Danny Cullip through the exit door, will be relieved to hear he has every intention of signing the improved contract the Seagulls are about to offer him.

Watson, another of the 13 players out of contract in the summer, demonstrated that he is one of the best footballers in McGhee's small squad.

Comfortable in possession on either side of the pitch, a controlled passer and fine crosser, there were also signs Watson could help Knight in much the same way as he provided so many goals for Bobby Zamora.

At the start of the second half a quickly taken free-kick which found Knight unmarked was reminiscent of the quick thinking on which Zamora regularly thrived.

Unfortunately, Knight's control took him away from goal and the opportunity evaporated.

If Watson's speed of thought was matched by speed of foot he would not have spent most of his career in the lower divisions, yet he showed sufficient pace to set up Albion's 16th-minute equaliser from, of all people, Mayo.

Watson ran on to Richard Carpenter's pass to cross to the near post where Hart did not make the connection he was hoping for. The ball reached Lloyd Doyley at the far post where the Watford fullback dallied fatally to put Mayo's first goal for more than two years on a plate.

The Seagulls had fallen behind three minutes earlier, the impressive Brynjar Gunnarsson's crisp pass to fellow Icelandic international Heidar Helguson through the inside left channel finding a gaping hole in the three-man defence.

Helguson's finish was almost as good as Knight's, the 13-goal marksman's bending right-foot shot from inside the area into the far corner giving Michel Kuipers no chance.

That was as good as it got for the stingless Hornets, now with only one win in 14 games, as Albion moved level with them on points.

Nottingham Forest, the next visitors to Withdean, are in desperate trouble nine points adrift of the Seagulls after losing their relegation battle at Cardiff.

McGhee reckons 18 more points are required but he is not getting carried away.

"There is still a chasing pack and I think we have got a lot of work to do," he said.

"Six wins is still a lot when you look at the games to come but we have taken a great step forward by taking eight points from these four."

  • ALBION (3-4-3) Kuipers; Virgo, Hinshelwood, Butters; Watson, Oatway, Carpenter, Mayo; Hart, McCammon, Knight. Subs: Nicolas 6 for Hart (withdrawn 67), Reid 6 for McCammon (withdrawn 67), Harding 7 for Watson (withdrawn 67), Hammond, May.
  • Booking: Virgo (59) foul
  • Scorers: Mayo 16, Knight 69.
  • WATFORD (4-4-2) Jones; Doyley, Cox, Demerit, P.Mayo; Chambers, Gunnarsson, Blizzard, Jackson; Devlin, Helguson. Subs: Webber for Doyley (withdrawn 46), McNamee for Jackson (withdrawn 74), Bouazza for Devlin (withdrawn 77), Chamberlain, Dyer.
  • Bookings: Blizzard (43) foul, Devlin (54) unsporting behaviour, Helguson (59) unsporting behaviour, Mayo (72) foul, Chambers (90) foul
  • Scorer: Helguson 13.
  • Attendance: 6,335.
  • Fans' View: JIM GREGORY (Coldean) It was a squad performance and the three substitutions came at the right time, so credit to Mark McGhee for that. Leon Knight probably had his best game of the season for the Albion and it was nice to see him as a team player rather than playing as an individual. Perhaps he has turned the corner.

DAVE SCHILDKAMP (Withdean) You have got to hand it to Mark McGhee because a lot of people around me thought the subs would upset the balance of the team. There were some tired legs because people like Harty (Gary Hart) had done a lot of running. I don't think Spurs will be too concerned but it was a very encouraging performance.

ANDY CLARKE (Burgess Hill) Fair play to Mark McGhee for the substitutions, which freshened up the team and meant Watford struggled to get out of their half for a long spell. It was particularly pleasing to see Leon start the game and score. Dan Harding impressed me when he came on and put in a great cross for the winner.

JAYNE HUDD (Watford fan) I don't think we can really argue with the result as the better team won the game. Brighton had most of the possession and most of the chances, although we almost snatched a point at the end. All of us were relieved to see Danny Webber back after his injury and there's no doubt he will keep us up.