Much-changed Town fell to a 2-1 defeat at Watford despite an improved display. Nicky Forster sandwiched his fifth goal of the season between two from Hornets' striker Darius Henderson, with the Blues denied what looked a certain penalty when Alan Lee was fouled by Malky Mackay.

The Blues made six changes from the side which lost 2-1 to Brighton on Saturday. Lewis Price took over from Shane Supple in goal, Sito returned at right-back, Jay McEveley came in for Scott Barron at left-back and Vemund Brekke Skard made his first senior start in place of Owen Garvan in midfield. Dean Bowditch and Nicky Forster were recalled in a three-man forward line alongside Alan Lee.

Watford came close to a goal in the seventh minute when Ashley Young headed an Anthony McNamee corner onto the bar. Lewis Price did well to save Clarke Carlisle's follow-up, then Jason De Vos blocked Malky Mackay's subsequent strike.

Young went well wide with a freekick on nine as the home side took more quickly to the tricky pitch, which appeared surprisingly slippery given the weather.

Town's first chance of the game fell to Dean Bowditch, who started the game playing on the left of the three with Forster in the centre and Lee on the right. Bowditch ran onto Forster's flicked header but took his shot too early, beating Watford keeper Ben Foster but also the post.

On 21 Alan Lee hit a decent strike on the turn from the edge of the area which Foster saved. Soon after, a Watford break ended with McNamee shooting wide.

Jason De Vos did well to block Chris Eagles's shot when cutting in from the right in the 24th minute, Darius Henderson acrobatically putting the resultant corner over the bar.

Lee sent Forster away on the left in the 26th minute, the former Reading man taking the ball on and hitting a shot from a tight angle which Foster saved.

The home side went in front in the 33rd minute after Jimmy Juan was caught in possession in midfield. The ball was played wide to McNamee on the left who sent in a cross to the far post where Henderson headed powerfully into the net off Price.

Up to the goal the game had been an even affair but as has been the case in several matches recently the goal seemed to rock the Blues who were hardly in it for the rest of the half.

Off the pitch, the Town crowd, which had given ‘the bouncy' an outing early on, had started singing songs in praise of former heroes, Micky Stockwell, John Wark, Terry Butcher, Hermann Hreidarsson, Chris Kiwomya and Marcus Stewart amongst those whose song was given an airing.

Watford could have increased their lead just before the break when Dean Bowditch's poor clearance from a corner created an opening for Ashley Young but Lewis Price saved at point-blank.

At the break Joe Royle made two changes, Danny Haynes taking over from Dean Bowditch and Darren Currie, the only Town player to be involved in every game this season, coming on for Vemund Brekke Skard.

Bowditch had started brightly but had failed to make much of an impact when switched to the right midway through the half. Skard made one or two challenges and showed a couple of neat touches but failed to impose himself on the game and looks like he'll need time before he makes his mark with Town.

Five minutes into the new period Jay McEveley hit a 25-yard effort a long way wide as the Blues started more vibrantly than they had ended the first.

On 57 Town should have been awarded a penalty. Alan Lee took the ball round the outside of Malky Mackay on the right and the former Norwich man upended him. It looked an obvious penalty, but referee Colin Webster and his linesman decided Mackay had somehow got a touch on a ball he was several feet away from and gave a corner much to the consternation of Lee and his team-mates.

A minute later, the Blues got back on terms from a freekick after Jay DeMerit was harshly adjudged to have fouled Danny Haynes. Darren Currie whipped in a cross and Nicky Forster headed in his second goal in two games. Forster joins Sam Parkin and Jimmy Juan as joint-top scorer, having scored five goals in his 15 starts and three sub appearances since his summer free transfer.

Alan Lee left the field for a few minutes after the goal having suffered a nosebleed as he attempted to get to Currie's freekick, returning several minutes later in a numberless shirt.

Watford had the ball in the net on 61 after a freekick but Malky Mackay had headed the ball back across the area from an offside position. Offside flags were common at both ends with Nicky Forster appearing to be harshly penalised on a number of occasions.

The penalty incident appeared to have ignited a row between Lee and Mackay which proved to be the most entertaining aspect of the final third of the game. On 62 Lee was apoplectic at the referee after conceding a freekick when it appeared that Mackay, booed throughout for his Norwich history, had elbowed him in the face.

Two minutes later, Lee got his name in the referee's book after Mackay dramatically crashed through an advertising hoarding as the pair challenged for the ball on the Town right.

Sito shot well over, then Matt Richards's header from Currie's cross lacked power and Foster claimed easily.

On 78 the Hornets went back in front with their first serious effort of the half. Ashley Young was found in space on the right, appearing to be offside by some distance, and crossed to Henderson who once again beat Price with a header.

Malky Mackay finally got the yellow card he so richly deserved in the 81st minute, once again catching Lee in the face with his arm. Three minutes later the former Norwich man headed a freekick wide.

As time ran out for the Blues, Alan Lee got down the left and won a corner but appeared to pull his hamstring as he did so. After treatment the Irish international made his way to the dugouts and Jaime Peters took over for the remaining two minutes.

Town failed to create anything of note in the final minutes but there was no repeat of Saturday's boos at the final whistle. It was a better performance from the Blues, in particular in the second half when Town tried to play Watford at their own very direct game and were unlucky not to have gained at least a draw.

Town: Price, Sito, McEveley, Naylor, De Vos, Juan, Skard (Currie 46), Richards, Bowditch (Haynes 46), Lee (Peters 88), Forster. Unused: Supple, Wilnis. Att: 16,721

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls