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Championship

Apr 25, 2015 at 12.15pm UK

Brighton Brighton & Hove Albion
0-2
Watford

FT(HT: 0-1)

Deeney (29'), Vydra (95')

Watford beat Brighton & Hove Albion to close on Premier League promotion

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 25 April 2015

Watford beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 at the Amex Stadium to move four points clear at the top of the Championship and close in on Premier League promotion.

Watford could be promoted to the Premier League later this afternoon after beating Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 at the Amex Stadium.

Troy Deeney and Matej Vydra scored the goals which secured the Hornets one of the two wins that would guarantee them a return to the top flight after eight years.

Troy Deeney of Watford is swamped by his teammates after scoring to make it 1-0 during the Sky Bet Championship match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford at Amex Stadium on April 25, 2015 © Getty Images

Their top-two finish in the Championship will be secured should both Middlesbrough and Norwich City fail to win on Saturday.

It was Brighton who could have been in front inside the first minute when Joe Bennett picked out Chris O'Grady, whose stumble allowed Gabriele Angella to make a crucial block.

Bennett himself volleyed yards wide of the visiting goal as the Seagulls, effectively safe from relegation because of their goal difference, made a bright start.

Having latched on to a miscued sixth-minute clearance only for David Stockdale to save with his feet, Deeney punished more poor Brighton defending on 29 minutes.

The hosts botched several opportunities to clear a cross from the left and Odion Ighalo's clever flick set up Deeney to drill into the bottom corner for his 21st of the season.

Heurelho Gomes needed to make a diving save from O'Grady's curling shot on the stroke of the break to ensure that Watford retained their advantage.

Brighton could not cause the visitors the same problems that they did at the start of the first half in the early stages of the second as Slavisa Jokanovic's side took control.

They threatened a second when Ighalo and Adlene Guedioura ran clear, only for Stockdale to make a fine sprawling save to deny the latter, while Almen Abdi shot both high of the crossbar and wide from distance.

Only trailing by one gave Albion hope that they could snatch a late point. They had chances as O'Grady headed an Inigo Calderon cross wide and Dale Stephens tamely cushioned a cross from the Spaniard into the hands of Gomes.

As Brighton pressed, the prolific Watford attack scored their second on the counter as Deeney released Vydra to tuck home deep into stoppage time and ensure that the Hornets were in pole position to go up ahead of next weekend's season finale.