Watford boosted their survival hopes with a vital 3-0 win over Burnley at Vicarage Road.
McAnuff and Priskin boost Hornets
Watford boosted their survival hopes with a vital 3-0 win over Burnley at Vicarage Road.
Goals from Jobi McAnuff and two from substitute Tamas Priskin helped Brendan Rodgers' side to all three points.
The defeat was Burnley's fifth straight league loss and is a serious dent to their promotion hopes.
Burnley got off to the worst possible start when McAnuff struck inside the opening minute.
Will Hoskins received the ball wide on the right before delivering a searching ball across the six-yard box, where McAnuff was waiting to fire home.
McAnuff failed to get the intended connection but was still allowed to bundle his effort over the line at the second attempt.
And the dangerous McAnuff was at it again just moments later, this time testing goalkeeper Brian Jensen with a left-foot drive from the edge of the box.
Burnley began to fight their way back into the match as the half drew on and Robbie Blake shot just inches over from a trademark long-range free-kick.
Martin Paterson too went close with a left-foot effort from 25 yards but Scott Loach was able to parry to safety.
Scrappy
The second half opened in scrappy fashion with neither team able to establish an early foothold.
Paterson created the first opportunity for Burnley with his floated ball into the box which was met by the head of Blake but miraculously tipped around the post by Loach.
Burnley have earned a reputation for fighting to the death of late and they certainly showed the belief that they could pull their way back into the match.
Paterson was inches away from an equaliser in the 63rd minute when he latched onto Chris Eagles' drilled cross but fired wide from six yards.
Watford appeared far more concerned with defending their one-goal advantage than making any meaningful attempts to increase it, and Jensen was little more than a spectator for the majority of the second period.
But when Rodgers introduced Priskin for Hoskins 15 minutes from time, the Hungarian striker wasted little time in making an impact.
Fellow substitute Jon Harley fizzed in a cross from the left channel which Priskin met with his first touch of the game to lash low past Jensen and into the bottom-left corner.
And with the match already won, Priskin showed the hunger to win the ball in the 94th minute before neatly side-footing past Jensen to complete a satisfying evening at Vicarage Road.
