Watford ended a run of five Championship games without a win with a hard-fought 1-0 success at Middlesbrough which piled further pressure on Michael Carrick.
Former Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko headed in what proved to be the winner five minutes before half-time to secure what was just a second win since Boxing Day for Tom Cleverley’s side.
The Hornets leapfrogged Boro into the top 10, who have now lost their last four Championship games and Carrick’s side were booed off at half-time and full-time by the home supporters at the Riverside.
It was Middlesbrough who started the brighter of the two sides.
Tommy Conway, who was back in the starting XI for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on Boxing Day, had a penalty shout waved away and then stung the hands of Watford goalkeeper Egil Selvik after Daniel Barlaser won possession on the edge of the box.
Watford, after a slow and uncertain opening, grew in confidence and looked comfortable as they saw more of the ball.
They looked set to trouble home goalkeeper Mark Travers for the first time when Imran Louza set Yasser Larouci away but the ball bounced up and hit the advanced left-back on the hand.
Tom Dele-Bashiru, who scored in last week’s 2-2 draw at Sunderland, then fired a shot over the crossbar from the edge of the box.
Morgan Whittaker was denied his first Boro goal since joining from Plymouth in January just after the half hour mark, and from Selvik’s save Watford broke but Mamadou Doumbia turned Giorgi Chakvetadze’s cross wide of Travers’ post.
The visitors had a good chance to break the deadlock when Edo Kayembe fired wide from inside the box after Sissoko’s cut-back.
But the opener from the captain soon followed as Sissoko escaped the attention of Neto Borges and met Louza’s corner with a powerful header.
The goalscorer picked up an injury and had to be replaced at the break, with Tom Ince introduced.
Carrick also turned to his bench in search of a way back into the game and brought Delano Burgzorg on for Barlaser.
But it was Watford who initially looked the more likely to score the game’s second goal and Chakvetadze was twice denied by Travers early in the second half.
Boro belatedly woke up and substitute Burgzorg brought three good saves out of Selvik before Rav van den Berg headed substitute Finn Azaz’s corner off a post.
But they could not force an equaliser.
