Watford 3-2 Aston Villa

Troy Deeney also scored the decisive goal when Watford won 3-2 at Villa Park in November

Troy Deeney's two late goals denied Aston Villa what would have been only their fourth league win of the season.

Ciaran Clark nodded home Villa's opener from Ashley Westwood's corner, and Almen Abdi equalised for Watford with a curled free-kick just before half-time.

Jordan Ayew's low drive restored Villa's lead, but Aly Cissokho was then sent off with 17 minutes to play.

Deeney rose to head home Steven Berghuis's 90th-minute cross, before slotting in a loose ball in the box.

Relegated Villa were minutes away from victory, but the Premier League's bottom club fell to a particularly galling 11th consecutive loss.

Three points for 12th-placed Watford, meanwhile, means they are mathematically assured of their Premier League safety.

Villa making more history (the wrong kind)

The last time Villa won was at home to Norwich on 6 February, the 2-0 victory being one of very few positives in what has been a truly miserable season.

Saturday's defeat at Vicarage Road equals their longest losing run of 11 matches, set during the 1962-63 season in the old First Division.

The fact they had grown into the game to lead twice deservedly will make this result especially hard to take for the Villa fans who were there.

The 2,000 or so who travelled south saw Ayew hit the post with a header in the first half, before his brilliantly-taken second was scored after a lovely one-two with Rudy Gestede, who himself should have added a third but ballooned over from inside the box.

Villa scored just after the break to restore their load and it was a superbly-worked team goal, with Ayew providing the finish from outside the box

But after Cissokho was sent off for a professional foul on Ikechi Anya, Deeney powered his side to a dramatic victory and ensured the away side suffered the familiar feeling of defeat in a new and agonising manner.

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Deeney is Watford's (and Flores'?) saviour

A defeat by Villa, just under a week after losing to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals, would have been hard for manager Quique Sanchez Flores to explain when he sits down to discuss his future at the end of the season.

If results go their way, the Hornets could finish as high as ninth in the table - a year on from their promotion from the Championship - but there is uncertainty over whether Spaniard Flores will keep his job.

This was Watford's second win in nine league games, and it was earned through two late moments of quality from Deeney after being outplayed for much of the afternoon.

Ben Watson cannoned against the bar with a volley before Villa took the lead and Abdi's equaliser was excellent - but in the second half, they were second best.

Had Villa not been stretched by the sending off of left-back Cissokho, this result may have been very different.

Man of the match - Troy Deeney (Watford)

The big performance came from Deeney. He was about as average as most of his fellow Watford players until the final stages, when his dramatic late double turned the afternoon on its head

What they said

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores: "It was important because now mathematically we are [safe] in the Premier League and for Watford that is amazing.

"We deserved to win the match. We had control but we conceded two silly goals and had to work pretty hard. We have to fight against these sort of teams.

"The speculation [about my future] in many ways is not good for the players. The players always want to focus on the main target and the main target is the match.

"Speculation is not important. What was important was to be competitive."

Aston Villa caretaker-boss Eric Black: "The players have been criticised, and justifiably so, but not today. Ultimately of course you need to win games but there was a lot to be encouraged by.

"It's a fantastic football club with fantastic supporters and maybe it's just one little step towards getting the supporters back on side.

"I thought the effort of the players was outstanding, they showed desire and hunger but the sending-off changes the whole context of the game.

"At 2-1 up, I thought we looked like the team who were going to score again. The key moment is the sending off."

The stats you need to know

• Watford have secured two league wins in a single season against Aston Villa for the first time since 1969-70.

• Troy Deeney is the second Watford player to score over 10 Premier League goals (11), after Odion Ighalo managed it earlier this campaign (14).

• Villa have led in just eight Premier League games this season, winning just three of those matches (D2 L3).

• Almen Abdi is the first Watford player to score directly from a free-kick in Premier League history.

• Jordan Ayew scored away from home for the first time since December for the Villans.

What's next?

Aston Villa play at home to Newcastle next Saturday, while Watford travel to Liverpool for their next match on Sunday.