Watford recorded just their third Premier League win in 2016 as goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes saved two penalties to help his side preserve a 1-0 lead over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns this afternoon.
Ben Watson gave the Hornets the lead in the 27th minute, but Gomes was the hero as he denied Saido Berahino twice from the spot.
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It was a scrappy start to the game as neither side managed to pose a serious threat, particularly as bodies were packed in the middle of the park in an attempt to cancel each other out.
Both Salomon Rondon and Adlene Guedioura tried to test the respective goalkeepers with long-range shots in the early stages of the game, but both missed the target.
Nathan Ake was almost left red faced when he mis-hit a back pass, prompting Berahino to latch on to the loose ball, but Gomes was quick off his line to kick the ball away.
Minutes later, Gomes was forced into a save when Sessegnon directed the ball towards the near post from a free kick, but the Watford keeper managed to keep him out.
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Darren Fletcher tried to keep West Brom's move alive when he laid the ball off to Sessegnon, who unleashed a shot, but it soared over the crossbar.
At the other end, Ben Foster was called on to make a save when Jose Jurado went for glory with a 20-yard attempt, but it was a disappointing effort from the midfielder as he aimed it straight at the shot-stopper.
The first real quality of the match came in the 27th minute when Guedioura whipped the ball into the box from the corner flag to find Watson, who flicked it into the net to give the Hornets a one-goal advantage.
The away side went hunting for a second when Troy Deeney played the ball out left to Jurado, who found Ake on the overlap, but the defender failed to control the ball and his shot drifted over the bar.
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Watford came under some pressure from West Brom in the closing stages of the first half, and they almost contributed to their own downfall when Sessegnon latched on to Jurado's poor back pass.
The attacker then played in Berahino, but the England Under-21 international squandered his chance by slicing a shot and sending the ball wide of the post.
The second half began much like the first - scrappy - but it was West Brom who looked the more likely to score when Gareth McAuley met the end of James McClean's ball into the area and directed a header towards goal, but Gomes made the stop.
The home side put Watford under pressure from the restart, but a mistake from McAuley allowed Deeney to latch on to the ball and strike it towards the top corner of Foster's net, but the keeper managed to get fingertips on it.
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Rondon came close when he aimed the ball at the near post, but once again Gomes was able to keep the Baggies out with a save.
In the 67th minute, though, the keeper made a blunder by coming off his line and bringing down Berahino, who looked clean through after getting behind Watford's defence and latching on to Sessegnon's pass.
West Brom were given the opportunity to equalise, but Berahino's spot kick was poor and Gomes redeemed himself by palming the ball away before watching the follow-up blaze over the bar.
The home side continued knocking on the door, but they could not find a way through as Watford managed to defend well and handled everything thrown at them.
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Jurado had a decent opportunity to extend Watford's lead when he was given plenty of space for a shot, but when he did let one fly, it blazed over the bar.
West Brom were given another chance to find an equaliser when a penalty was awarded in the 85th minute following a coming-together in the box.
Berahino stepped up once again to take it, but he was denied for a second time when Gomes dived to his left to keep out the striker.
In the end, it was a frustrating afternoon for the Baggies, whose winless run in the league has stretched to four games.
Danielle Joynson
