Watford 3-2 Aston Villa: Troy Deeney steals points for Hornets with late double

A late double from Troy Deeney handed Watford a dramatic 3-2 win over already-relegated Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Birmingham City fan scored in the 90th and 93rd minute against 10-men Villa to hand Watford all three points despite a much-improved show from the Premier League's bottom side.

Villa took the lead just before the half-hour mark through Ciaran Clark's strong header from a corner, before Almen Abdi equalised with a superb free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

But Villa regained the lead three minutes after the break through Jordan Ayew's fine finish from 20 yards, though the visitors had to play the final stages with 10 men after Aly Cissokho's dismissal before Deeney's late double.

The result leaves Watford in 12th place on 44 points, handing them only their second league win in nine games, while Villa have now lost their last 11 league games, equalling an unwanted club record.

Watford made four changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend, while Villa made three, handing teenage defender Kevin Toner his first start.

After a slow start, Mark Bunn saved well down low from Odion Ighalo's effort from an acute angle on the left, before Ben Watson's fine touch and volley from 30 yards hit the crossbar.

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Villa took the lead moments later through Republic of Ireland defender Clark, who got a good connection on Ashley Westwood's drilled corner to head into the ground and past Heurelho Gomes.

The visitors were nearly 2-0 up minutes before the break through Ayew, who saw his diving header from 12 yards come off the near post and clear, but Watford were soon level.

After winning the free-kick from Idrissa Gueye's foul, Abdi curled the ball into the bottom left corner from 25 yards past the dive of Bunn.

Villa were ahead again on 48 minutes, Ayew converting into the bottom left corner from 20 yards after a fine one-two with Rudy Gestede on the edge of the box.

Gestede should have made it 3-1 moments later, but blazed over the bar from 12 yards after Westwood's lay-off, while at the other end Clark cleared Deeney's header from a corner off the line.

Eric Black's Villa came close twice in quick succession through Toner's header and Gestede's blocked shot, but they were reduced to 10 men after Cissokho's cynical last-man foul on Ikechi Anya.

They looked to have held on until the 90th minute, when Deeney got in between Villa's centre-backs to glance a header into the bottom left corner from Steven Berghuis' right-wing cross.

And Deeney, who scored in the return fixture at Villa Park, won it for Watford with a fine curling finish into the bottom corner as the ball broke to him on the edge of the area.

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Player ratings

Watford: Gomes (6); Paredes (4), Cathcart (6), Britos (6), Anya (6); Abdi (7), Suarez (6), Watson (6), Jurado (6); Deeney (7), Ighalo (5)

Subs: Berghuis (6), Amrabat (6).

Aston Villa: Bunn (6), Hutton (6), Toner (6), Clark (6), Lescott (6), Cissokho (5), Bacuna (5), Westwood (6), Gana (6), Ayew (7), Gestede (6)

Subs: Sinclair (N/A), Sanchez (6)