Watford inflicted Wrexham's first league defeat of the calendar year with a 3-1 victory to maintain their Sky Bet Championship playoff push.

Goals from Marc Bola and Edo Kayembe did the damage for the Vicarage Road outfit and although Max Cleworth pulled a goal back for the visitors, Edoardo Bove netted his first Hornets goal in stoppage time.

The hosts made four changes from their defeat at Stoke, with Mattie Pollock, Luca Kjerrumgaard, Nestory Irankunda and Pierre Ekwah, for his full debut, coming in.

Wrexham made one change from their Welsh derby victory over Swansea, with Ryan Longman replacing Issa Kaboré.

The hosts created the first chance after five minutes when Kjerrumgaard headed wide a Bola cross from the left.

Watford had the brighter start, and a curled effort from Giorgi Chakvetadze in the 11th minute from the edge of the area hit the crossbar.

They took the lead after 18 minutes following a break from their own area, with Chakvetadze running from his own half before backheeling to Bola who struck past Arthur Okonkwo.

The goal had a tinge of controversy when Ollie Rathbone fell in the Watford area by the provider, but referee Adam Herczeg awarded nothing.

Getty Images

---

There was no question about the second Watford goal of the evening after 37 minutes. A break down the right from Irankunda found Kayembe in the middle, who was given too much space by the Wrexham backline to drive home from just outside the area.

Irankunda almost turned goalscorer himself in first-half stoppage time when he volleyed his effort just the wrong side of a post.

Saba Goglichidze almost added a third soon after the interval when he put his header from a Chakvetadze free kick wide.

However, Wrexham gave themselves a lifeline in the match just four minutes into the second half after Cleworth turned in a Rathbone corner.

"In the second half we've pinned them in," Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said after the game. "We didn't get counter-attacked on, obviously we opened the team up towards the end.

"We had all the play in the second period and they're cramping up over the pitch, and it's credit to the lads they came back into it because Watford are a good side."

Pollock had to clear a Dominic Hyam header off the line from a Lewis O'Brien corner as Wrexham looked for the equaliser.

With less than 10 minutes of normal time remaining, Watford had to rely on another clearance off the line, with Pollock denying a Cleworth header.

After six minutes of added time was announced, Wrexham pushed hard for the equaliser.

However, the last word fell to Watford. A shot from Bola ricocheted off the crossbar and substitute Bove was on hand to turn in the rebound.

"I thought we were brilliant in the second half, but the ball didn't drop for us. To get that second goal, I felt it was coming," Parkinson added. "We had really good control, in the first half we were patchy and we were making technical errors. That was eradicated from our game after the break."

Information from PA was used in this recap.