And so the merry-go-round at the top of the Championship goes on turning. Offered the chance to leapfrog back over Stoke, whose victory at Coventry had knocked the Baggies off the top of the table, West Bromwich Albion stumbled, unable to break down a resolute Watford side themselves determined to prove they too are still very much involved in the battle for automatic promotion.

Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd, increasingly the target of supporters’ discontent after a run which has seen the Hornets pick up just 10 points from their past 10 league games, welcomed back John Eustace after the uncompromising midfielder completed a four-match suspension after being sent off at Stoke last month.

That Boothroyd should have described Eustace as “me on the pitch” may or may not be regarded as a compliment, but after seeing his team thrashed at home by Barnsley in midweek, the Yorkshireman badly needed Eustace’s stabilising presence.

Given their known reliance on set-pieces, the manner of the goal was predictable, and Albion manager Tony Mowbray must have been hugely disappointed with a defence that allowed John-Joe O’Toole to rise unchallenged to meet Jobi McAnuff’s corner on the six-yard line. The young midfielder’s header hit, rather than being saved by, Albion goalkeeper Dean Kiely, and the rebound was smashed home from a couple of yards by Leigh Bromby.

Albion settled down to play their passing game, with Kevin Phillips, who has 22 goals in the league this season, looking to play off his bigger, younger but rather less aware partner Ishmael Miller up front.

The contrast with Watford’s long balls into the channels was of course marked, but it is for the exponents of the so-called beautiful game to make their point in the result. The nearest Albion came to equalising in the first quarter of the match came when James Morrison, running on to Paul Robinson’s pass, nearly lifted the ball over the on-rushing Watford keeper Richard Lee.

Increasing frustration for the home team resulted in bookings for Robert Koren, Miller and Carl Hoefkens — all of them deserved, despite the crowd’s angry reaction, and eight minutes before half-time, Watford very nearly went two clear. Again Albion failed to cope with a set-piece, this time a free kick, and Kiely had to dive to his left to block Tamas Priskin’s header.

The ball was eventually cleared as far as Bromby, but the centre-half’s shot cleared the bar by a foot. It was first-half stoppage time before Albion contrived a serious threat in response, Neil Clement’s free kick from 22 yards bouncing off the bar.

As it turned out, the goal was not long delayed. Four minutes after the break, Zoltan Gera lined up a free kick from 20 yards but instead of shooting, chipped the ball into the six-yard box. Watford, taken by surprise, didn’t pick up Leon Barnett’s run and the defender glanced his header beyond Lee.

Relief, as much as joy, was the emotion around the ground, but if the supporters were not entirely convinced, Albion did begin to play with a lot more confidence. Miller headed wide after good work by Jonathan Greening on the left, and it took a fine block by Bromby to prevent Morrison testing Lee with a piledriver from eight yards.

The goalkeeper did well again soon afterwards, saving from Miller and Morrison in quick succession. Then Mowbray rang the changes, sending on Chris Brunt and the prolific Roman Bednar, and the Czech almost had an immediate impact, shooting home only to turn and see the offside flag. Phillips, with only Lee to beat, could not head the bouncing ball over the impressive goalkeeper.

With five minutes remaining, Gera, shooting on the run, volleyed a foot wide, and Bednar turned Brunt’s driven cross over the bar, but the truth is that Watford did not need to hang on too desperately.

“Ultimately, the emotion is one of disappointment, but they haven’t got the best away record in the league for no reason,” said Mowbray. “We gave them our customary goal start — if I knew why we keep giving away an early goal, we wouldn’t be doing it anymore; perhaps it’s just that we like making it exciting for the crowd — but we’re in second, and that’s not too bad, is it?”

Boothroyd made it clear that with just three games remaining to play, Watford are still targeting the top. “We want to go up as champions,” he said, without beating about the bush. “It’s going to be tough, because although people say we’ve been there before, that was a completely different team. But the players showed what they are made of today.”

Star man: Richard Lee (Watford)

Player ratings. West Brom: Kiely 5, Hoefkens 6, Barnett 5, Clement 6, Robinson 7, Gera 6, Greening 6, Koren 5, Morrison 6 (Brunt 67min), Phillips 6, Miller 5 (Bednar 73min).

Watford: Lee 9, Doyley 6, Shittu 8, Bromby 7, Stewart 6, McAnuff 6, O’Toole 6, Eustace 7, Smith 6, Henderson 6, Priskin 6 (Mariappa 66min)

Scorers: West Brom: Barnett 49 Watford: Bromby 5

Referee: M Dean

Attendance: 26,508