Watford 0 Brighton & Hove Albion 2
Albion beat lowly Watford at Vicarage Road with goals from Neal Maupay and Adam Webster as the Seagulls march on with 33 points halfway through February.
The Seagulls settled into their attacking rhythm after Watford, now managed by former England boss Roy Hodgson, had initially looked threatening.
Emmanuel Dennis and Joshua King were causing problems, so much so that Lewis Dunk received a yellow card.
Then the former England keeper Ben Foster sliced a clearance to Tariq Lamptey but Albion’s marauding wing back was unable to capitalise.
But it was Lamptey who fired in the cross for Maupay who executed a looping half volley that deceived Foster to put the Seagulls in front.
Maupay had already seen a shot pushed away by Foster – and Jakub Moder had gone close after good work by Pascal Gross.
Both sides hit the bar in the second half, Dennis for Watford and Moder from a back heel for Albion.
Marc Cucurella almost opened his Albion account as the ball found its way to him via Maupay but again Foster kept the hosts in the match.
Albion sealed it with eight minutes left after a corner was delivered that ricocheted around the six-yard box before being poked home by Adam Webster.
The Seagulls stay a hugely respectable ninth in the Premier League and visit fifth-placed Manchester United on Tuesday evening (15 February) before a home match next Saturday (19 February) against bottom club Burnley. Both games on current form appear winnable.
