Tommy Smith smashed home his second goal of the season from close range seven minutes from time as Town beat bogey side Watford 1-0 at Portman Road to climb to fourth in the Championship. The central defender was first to a loose ball after a Kevin Bru shot had been blocked following a well-worked freekick.
Jonny Williams returned for the suspended Luke Hyam in an otherwise unchanged Town side. Bru took up a deeper role in a three-man midfield alongside Jay Tabb with Williams ahead of them.
Skipper Luke Chambers continued at right-back with Jonny Parr, who is back from his groin injury, on the bench. Watford included former Town loanee Keith Andrews in their midfield.
After a minute's silence to mark Remembrance Sunday with members of the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery joining the players in the centre circle, the Blues started brightly, Stephen Hunt and Williams combining to win an early corner on the left.
But soon afterwards errors from Jay Tabb and Chambers allowed Fernando Forestieri to escape down the Watford left and cut into the area but Tabb got back to dispossess the Hornets frontman before he could get in a shot at goal.
On 11 Hunt looped a ball from the edge of the area on the right towards Daryl Murphy but too far in front of Town’s 10-goal top scorer and Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes claimed.
A minute later the Hornets should have been in front after Tabb had surrendered possession inside the Town half. Forestieri played in Gianni Munari inside the area but Bartosz Bialkowski came off his line quickly to block.
Town went even closer to going in front in the 14th minute when Chambers whipped over a cross from the right and Murphy hit a superb volley with the outside of his left foot which Gomes did equally well to tip over.
The Irishman threatened again in the 17th minute, receiving a ball to feet from David McGoldrick from the right and turning and hitting a low shot which Gomes claimed at the second attempt.
The Hornets were proving to be dangerous on the break and on 19 last-man Chambers did well to dispossess Matej Vydra as he took the ball into the Blues box following swift counterattack after a Town corner.
Three minutes later, Hunt took a freekick quickly on the right, McGoldrick crossed and Murphy’s far post header was blocked by Juan Carlos Paredes.
Watford were next to threaten in what had been an open and entertaining game, Chambers doing well to block from Forestieri on the left of the Town box.
Murphy created an opportunity for Hunt in the 32nd minute, the striker chipping from the left into his fellow Irishman’s path. Hunt watched the ball come over his shoulder before hitting a goal-bound volley which deflected over the bar.
Following the resultant corner, Paredes was booked for the latest in a succession of Watford fouls on Williams.
On 35 Vydra crossed from the Watford left but Daniel Pudil could only loop the ball up into Bialkowski’s arms. Seven minutes later, McGoldrick was booked for stopping Watford from taking a freekick quickly.
In the final minute of the half, the Hornets again broke quickly following a Town corner and only Tyrone Mings's block prevented Paredes finding an unmarked Vydra in the clear down the middle.
Referee Eddie Ilderton ended a lively and end to end half soon afterwards. Both sides had had chances with Murphy’s flick the best for the Blues, while Bialkowski did well to block from Munari when he was played in by Forestieri.
Town’s first half display wasn’t up to the standard of Tuesday’s performance with rather too many errors at the back. Watford had been particularly threatening on the counterattack and generally looked stiffer opposition than Wolves had on Tuesday.
The visitors struck the second half’s first effort four minutes after the restart. Again after a counterattack following a Blues corner, Vydra laid the ball back to Deeney, who blazed over.
Williams went closer for the Blues three minutes later, latching on to a poor clearance and hitting a low shot just wide from the edge of the box.
On 54 McGoldrick beat Paredes to a bouncing ball midway inside the Watford half before playing in Hunt on the left but the Ecuadorian got back to block his shot. A minute later there was applause from the Town support for fan Michael Kemp, who died following the Blackpool game a year ago tomorrow, aged 55.
Gomes saved again superbly from Murphy in the 58th minute having been found by Bru but the linesman’s flag had already been raised.
Soon after, Joel Ekstrand was booked for a wild lunge on Williams as he ran down the left at full tilt. The Wales international, who had received harsh treatment from the visitors all afternoon, required treatment and eventually was forced to make way, Teddy Bishop taking over.
On 65 Hunt latched on to Murphy’s flick and looped the ball over Gomes but onto the roof of the net.
Forestieri had a golden chance to put the Hornets in front in the 67th minute, again from a counterattack. Vydra crossed from the right and Forestieri slid in to slam over rather than into the net from a matter of feet when he really should have scored.
A minute later, Bru played Hunt in on goal, Gomes reaching the ball before the Irishman who accidentally caught the ex-Spurs keeper on the head as he ran past him. Gomes required lengthy treatment before continuing.
Despite the protestations of some Watford players, referee Ilderton saw the incident as an inadvertent collision and took no action against Hunt, who was involved in a similar clash with Chelsea’s Petr Cech earlier in his career.
On 75 Munari was booked for pulling back McGoldrick as Town attacked, then Bru volleyed not too far wide after a Town corner. Four minutes later, the midfielder had another go, but this time Gomes dived away to his right to catch.
Watford sub Odion Ighalo was found in the clear inside the Town box by Deeney in the 80th minute but somehow Berra got back to dispossess him.
The Hornets were starting to come more into the game after a quieter second half, despite having had the best chance, but on 84 the Blues went ahead.
Hunt played the latest of Town’s frequent freekicks from the right in to McGoldrick’s feet on the edge of the six-yard box. Under pressure the striker laid the ball back to Bru, whose low shot was blocked but Smith was on hand to slam into the loose ball from eight yards.
Two minutes after the goal Hunt won another freekick in much the same position, this time sending a freekick towards Murphy at the far post, the ball just evading the Blues’ top scorer.
Conor Sammon replaced McGoldrick deep into six minutes of injury time, the Town striker receiving a warm ovation as he left the field.
The Hornets put the Blues under pressure as time ran down, Bru blocking superbly from Vydra, then Bialkowski using his feet to make a vital stop from Munari, but Town weren’t to be denied their third win in three games and their first against Watford at Portman Road since March 2004.
Town, who have now lost just once in 13, were the better side after the break and ultimately deserved their victory, despite the visitors having had the best chance up until the goal.
Once again there were fine performances throughout the side with Williams always a threat, the outstanding Hunt and Bru continued their excellent form, while strike pair Murphy and McGoldrick never gave the Hornets backline a moment’s peace.
The result sees the Blues move up to fourth in the table, two points off the top with a two-week international break before the trip to AFC Bournemouth, who dropped to second following a 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough, who are now third with Derby top after their 5-0 hammering of Wolves.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Smith, Berra, Tabb, Bru, Williams (Bishop 61), Hunt, Murphy, McGoldrick (Sammon 90). Unused: Crowe, Parr, Anderson, Bajner, Ambrose.
Watford: Gomes, Paredes, Ekstrand, Bassong, Pudil, Tozser, Munari, Andrews Murray 86), Vydra, Deeney (c), Forestieri (Ighalo 74). Unused: Bond, Doyley, Cathcart, McGugan, Dyer. Referee: Eddie Ilderton (Tyne and Wear). Att: 22,490 (Watford: 1,583).