By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor
At St. James' Park
Newcastle United 1 (Janmaat 62)
Watford 2 (Igalho 10, 28)
Newcastle United suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of newly-promoted Watford in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday.
Odion Igalho's brace gave the Hornets a deserved half-time lead at St. James' Park, and although Daryl Janmaat pulled one back midway through the second period, the Magpies were unable to salvage anything from the contest.
Nigerian international Ighalo first planted a close-range strike in between Tim Krul and his near post to open the scoring with less than ten minutes on the clock, before doubling his - and the visitors' - advantage by rounding United's keeper and tucking home.
United were much improved after break and halved the deficit just past the hour mark when Dutch full-back Janmaat finished off a one-two with Moussa Sissoko.
That gave the hosts hope, and they threw everything at Watford in the closing stages, only for Watford to hold firm and record their second win of the season.
Newcastle will hope to bounce back to winning ways on Wednesday night in the Capital One Cup, as Sheffield Wednesday come to St. James' Park.
Watford had the first sighter of the afternoon with five minutes on the clock but Odion Ighalo's 25-yard drive - having turned past Fabricio Coloccini - was always going to have to be something special to beat Tim Krul.
The Nigerian striker went even closer less than a minute later, when Troy Deeney and Almen Abdi combined to give Ighalo a yard of space just inside the area, only for him to drag his shot narrowly the wrong side of the upright.
It was Newcastle's turn next and Cisse almost bundled home from close range as Watford failed to clear their lines, with goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes scrambling back to smother just before the ball crossed the line.
But Igalho made it third time lucky in the tenth minute, breaking the deadlock at the Gallowgate End.
It was Abdi who created the attack, robbing Massadio Haidara wide on the right before slipping the ball inside to Troy Deeney, who promptly found Etienne Capoue.
The former Tottenham midfielder then fed Igalho, with the Hornets' top scorer turning inside Daryl Janmaat and squeezing an effort past Krul at his near post.
Cisse should have levelled things up soon after but, having been played in behind the visitors' rearguard by Moussa Sissoko, he couldn't find the target with a left-footed strike.
The Magpies were growing into the contest and it was Sissoko's turn to threaten in the 19th minute, side-footing wide from the edge of the area, with Florian Thauvin agonisingly close to connecting with his head at the far post.
But Igalho doubled Watford's advantage on 28 minutes, putting the finishing touch on an outstanding team move.
The visitors had kept the ball for at least ten passes before Sebastian Prodl launched a long ball towards Deeney. The Hornets' captain took it superbly on his chest, turned and slipped in Igalho, who timed his run to perfection, rounded Krul and finished from the tightest of angles.
United were shell-shocked and a long ranger from Ayoze Perez, which flew harmlessly over the top, was as close as they came to an immediate response.
With half-time approaching, Thauvin stung the palms of Gomes from 18 yards but that was as close as the Magpies came before the interval.
Head coach Steve McClaren introduced Siem de Jong at the break, in place of Cisse, and the Dutch international breathed some life into the final third as the hosts made a strong start to the second half.
And they were rewarded just past the hour mark by Janmaat, who netted his second goal of the season in all competitions.
Racing forward from his right-back position, the defender received Thauvin's pass in his stride and immediately fed Sissoko, who had got ahead of him and into the area.
It looked as if the delivery had too much on it but Sissoko did well to keep the ball alive, sliding and hooking it back into the six-yard box where Janmaat had continued his run to drill home.
Just four minutes later, Janmaat was inches away from bagging his second of the afternoon and drawing Newcastle level.
As the visitors failed to clear their lines from a corner, the ball fell to the Dutchman on the edge of the area, and he cut inside onto his left-foot before pulling the trigger with a strike which was goalbound until the intervention of Gomes' fingertips.
St. James' Park had sparked into life again and the Magpies were in the ascendency.
Thauvin drove wide from distance, while de Jong swept Georginio Wijnaldum's pass straight into the arms of Gomes.
McClaren rolled his dice for the second time with ten minutes remaining, introducing winger Rolando Aarons for full-back Massadio Haidara, as the hosts tried to salvage something from the contest.
Within minutes of coming on, Aarons almost created a penalty for Newcastle, as his low cross fell at the feet of Perez, who went down under the challenge of Sebastian Prodl. However, referee Roger East was having none of it and waved away the home side's appeals.
And although they had plenty of late pressure, the visitors held firm to leave United still winless in the Barclays Premier League this term.
NeNewcastle United (4-1-4-1): Tim Krul; Daryl Janmaat, Chancel Mbemba, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Massadio Haidara (Rolando Aarons 80); Jack Colback; Florian Thauvin (Gabriel Obertan 88), Georginio Wijnaldum, Moussa Sissoko, Ayoze Perez; Papiss Cisse (Siem de Jong 46)
Subs not used: Rob Elliot, Jamaal Lascelles, Mike Williamson, Vurnon Anita
Watford (4-2-3-1): Heurelho Gomes; Allan Nyom, Sebastian Prodl, Craig Cathcart, Ikechi Anya; Etienne Capoue, Ben Watson (Adlene Guedioura 88); Almen Abdi (Steven Berghuis 76), Odion Ighalo, Jose Manuel Jurado (Nathan Ake 79); Troy Deeney
Subs not used: Giedrius Arlauskis, Tommie Hoban, Alessandro Diamanti, Victor Ibarbo
Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire)
Bookings: Newcastle United - Colback (89); Watford - Abdi (36), Capoue (80)
Attendance: 47,806 (2,250 Watford)
