Watford vs Bristol City. The FA Cup Third Round.
Vicarage RoadAttendance13,269.
Saturday 6 January 2018 18:05, UK
Troy Deeney's diving header snuffed out any threat of an upset as Watford eased past Bristol City 3-0 and into the FA Cup fourth round.
Captain Deeney toasted his return from a four-match ban with his third goal of the campaign, adding to Andre Carrillo's drilled strike and Etienne Capoue's neat finish.
Bristol City were unable to repeat the heroics that saw them dispatch Manchester United 2-1 on December 20 to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals, amid a clinical Hornets performance.
Lee Johnson's men lost Korey Smith to a possible knee injury, leaving the forward who scored the late winner against United as a doubt for Tuesday's League Cup semi-final first leg at Manchester City.
A lacklustre Watford were allowed to canter through the first quarter by a visiting outfit struggling for a foothold.
Bristol City's attacking raids proved few and far between, leaving Watford to dictate a curiously laboured tempo.
Once the hosts finally seized the initiative however, the game quickly swung their way.
Tom Cleverley saw his shot blocked by Luke Steele after being played in by the lively Carrillo.
And the Peru forward then forced the opener, drilling the ball past a frustrated Steele, who will doubtless feel he should have rebuffed the effort.
Cauley Woodrow fired wide from distance for City after Opi Edwards' dangerous run on the turn, but the Championship men could not find a route back into the clash before the break.
City forward Smith failed to return for the second half, replaced by Marlon Pack and Watford's dominance continued as Roberto Pereyra curled a neat effort against the bar, with Capoue unable to turn in the rebound.
But Watford hardly had to wait to wrap up the tie, Deeney burying Cleverley's near-post cross with a diving header.
Abdoulaye Doucoure's calmness under pressure kick-started a field-length move, capped by skipper Deeney to shut down this tie.
Deeney could have doubled his tally minutes later, but he nodded Daryl Janmaat's deflected cross wide of the near post, leaving Capoue to have the last word, sweeping home Watford's third after another flowing move to seal an untroubled home win.
