Watford 0-1 Stoke: Heurelho Gomes own-goal hands Potters victory

Heurelho Gomes pushed Charlie Adam's header into his own goal to hand Stoke City a 1-0 win away at Watford on Sunday.

Adam looked to have barged Valon Beharami to meet the corner, just before the half-hour mark, but the goal stood and ultimately proved decisive. 

Walter Mazzarri appeared to snub Mark Hughes' handshake at the final whistle in what was a disappointing day all round for the home side.

Miguel Britos was sent off in added time as Watford were found frustrated when chasing an equaliser late in the game, while Younes Kaboul was forced off injured early in the first half. 

The win pushes Stoke into the top half of the Premier League table, just two points behind Watford - who missed out on the opportunity to reach the top six. 

Hughes rung the changes after Stoke's home defeat to Bournemouth last weekend, leaving out Wilfried Bony and Bojan alongside suspended Joe Allen and injured pair Phil Bardsley and Ryan Shawcross.

Jon Walters and Mame Diouf joined Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Arnautovic in a new-look Stoke attack, and Watford - whose only change saw Jose Holebas come in for Camilo Zuniga - struggled to deal with them in a one-sided first half.

Gomes was forced into a triple save inside just seven minutes, with Diouf, Bruno Martins Indi and Shaqiri all seeing efforts beaten away.  

Gianni Imbula, who regained his place in the starting line-up, was the next to try, hitting a fierce strike from distance which drifted just high and wide of Gomes' goal.

Kaboul limped off injured after just 19 minutes with substitute Christian Kabasele eventually replacing him after a significant period down to 10 men, and Stoke capitalised on the unsettled defence. 

Adam somewhat dubiously shrugged off the challenge of Behrami in the six-yard box to meet a Shaqiri corner, which was pushed into the goal by Gomes after coming back off the post, handing Stoke the lead after 29 minutes. 

Little changed after half-time, with Arnautovic charging down the left-hand side minutes after the break and teasing a cross along the face of the goal which Walters could not quite reach with the goal gaping. 

Mazzarri brought on Odion Ighalo shortly after as he ditched his 3-4-3 formation which worked so effectively against Leicester City last weekend, but Watford struggled to create any clear-cut chances. 

Daryl Janmaat came closest for the Hornets in a second half of few chances, volleying just wide of Lee Grant's goal with 10 minutes left. 

As Watford pushed for an equaliser Stoke launched counter-attacks and Britos was dismissed for a cynical pull-back on the escaping Shaqiri having been booked in the first half for a late challenge on the same player. 

Hughes' Stoke closed out just their second away victory in the Premier League this season to send Mazzarri racing down the tunnel at full-time before shaking hands with his counterpart. 

Player ratings

Watford: Gomes (5), Kaboul (6), Prödl (5), Britos (4), Janmaat (6), Capoue (6), Behrami (6), Holebas (6), Amrabat (5), Deeney (6), Pereyra (6). 

Subs used: Kabasele (6), Ighalo (6), Okaka (6)

Watford: Grant (6); Johnson (7), M.Indi (7), Muniesa (6), Pieters (7), Imbula (8), Adam (7), Walters (6), Shaqiri (7), Arnautovic (7), Diouf (6)

Subs used: Crouch (6) 

Man of the match: Gianni Imbula