Watford 4-0 Luton Town: Hornets hammer Hatters in Vicarage Road derby

Watford striker Keinan Davis has only failed to score in one of his four home appearances this season

Watford put their recent poor run behind them as they hammered illness-hit local rivals Luton Town at Vicarage Road.

Slaven Bilic's side had lost three of their previous four games to slump to 15th in the Championship table.

But they found their form when it mattered to equal their biggest local derby win, sparked by an early acrobatic close-range strike from Keinan Davis.

William Troost-Ekong's goal on the stroke of half-time for Watford was the killer blow to the visitors.

Joao Pedro and Ismaila Sarr both got in on the act after the break as Watford posted their biggest home derby win, matching their 4-0 win over Luton at Kenilworth Road in October 1997.

William Troost-Ekong's goal on the stroke of half-time for Watford was his first of the campaign

Luton, who began the weekend in sixth, had little answer in a typically competitive derby that brought seven yellow cards.

In what had turned into a hugely one-sided contest by the end, Luton's miserable day was complete with a late red card for substitute Gabe Osho's wild late challenge on Ken Sema.

After the match Hatters boss Nathan Jones said his side had been "decimated" by illness.

Watford were off to a flier in just the third minute when the productive Hassane Kamara drilled over a teasing left-wing cross and Davis twisted himself mid air to propel a clever left-foot finish over the line - his fourth goal of the season.

Ethan Horvath produced a diving finger-tip save to his left from Davis before the lead was doubled in first-half injury time when Luton failed to deal with Pedro's swinging ball to the far post - and Troost-Ekong stuck the rebound away from close range.

Watford then went three up on 57 minutes when Luton goalkeeper Horvath tried to clear under pressure by Davis but could only pass straight to Pedro, who curled a right-foot shot straight back past him.

And Sarr completed the scoring when he made space for himself down the inside-left channel to deliver a fine right-foot finish into the bottom right corner for his fifth goal of the season.

Watford boss Slaven Bilic told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"Great performance and clean sheet. Great goals, we could and should have scored even more.

"We didn't [just] match them on the basic things, we were better than them, we beat them and with the greatest respect to them it comes down to quality."

On Keinan Davis's opening goal: "[It was an] outrageous finish, also a great move.

"We were coming there with numbers and still we had the second ball to stop the counter attack, our full-backs were up there when needed.

"Our full-backs, especially from the left, gave Sarr and Pedro situations one against one and when they're one against one it's more [the advantage] to them than the defenders who are marking them."

Luton Town boss Nathan Jones told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"I understand the importance of the game. Congratulations to Watford, they scored good goals today.

"Today we got decimated by an illness bug. We lost Henri Lansbury, Luke Berry and we lost Dan Potts. Even though they were named [in the squad] they didn't actually come out.

"Sonny Bradley (who started but was replaced at half-time) was decimated by it so it was right through the squad, and today we looked lacklustre.

On the red card: "I asked for discipline because at the end of the day the game's done and he doesn't need to give the referee a decision."

Who's next?

Watford, who climb to 10th in the Championship table, a point behind Luton, are back in action on Saturday at Wigan.

Luton, now in ninth, are at home on Saturday to Sunderland.