Soccer

:Brighton & Hove Albion gave Watford’s new manager Roy Hodgson a first home Premier League game to forget on Saturday, scoring two unanswered goals to leave his side stuck in the relegation zone.

Watford have now lost their last six home games in the league, matching their longest losing run at Vicarage Road since 1990. They sit 19th in the table with 15 points from 23 games.

Neal Maupay gave the Seagulls the lead shortly before the end of an otherwise quiet first half, spinning round to his left as he hoisted a long ball from Tariq Lamptey into the far corner beyond the reach of Watford keeper Ben Foster.

It was the French striker’s 26th Premier League goal since joining Brighton, matching the tally of former team mate Glenn Murray.

“For a French guy like me coming to England four years ago it’s a great achievement. I’m sorry for Glenn but I’m a bit younger so I reckon I’ll beat him soon,” he told the BBC.

“If it was against Manchester United on Tuesday that would be good,” he added.

Hodgson took off Juraj Kucka and replaced him with Ismaila Sarr – back in the Watford squad after helping Senegal win the African Cup of Nations – for the second half, giving the home side a welcome injection of pace.

The Hornets’ top scorer Emmanuel Dennis then came close to equalising shortly after the hour mark when he collected a half-clearance on the wing, cut inside past Brighton’s defenders and smashed a shot off the bar from 10 metres out.

But Instead, Adam Webster doubled the lead for Graham Potter’s men in the 82nd minute from close range, firing in a loose ball after Watford were unable to clear from a corner kick.

Brighton, who have lost only once away from home all season, are ninth on 33 points.

After their 2-0 win at the Amex Stadium last August, Brighton secured their first league double over Watford since 1990-91 in the old second division.

(Reporting by Hugh Lawson; editing by Clare Fallon and Pritha Sarkar)