GOALS may change games, but as Watford discovered to their cost, so, too, do red cards. Remarkably, they were shown two within four second-half minutes to pave the way for a stirring comeback by Leeds United, ensuring the visitors tasted defeat in the Championship for the first time this year.

Before suffering their self- inflicted numerical disadvantage, Watford looked more than capable of securing a seventh consecutive league victory after an exquisite first-half free kick from Ashley Young gave them them a fully merited lead.

However, Leeds exploited the departure of Ben Foster, the goalkeeper, and Darius Henderson, the forward, as Robbie Blake scored twice to see them leapfrog their promotion rivals into third place, nine points behind Sheffield United, over whom they enjoy a game in hand and have still to play this season.

Blake, the forward, equalised by sending Alec Chamberlain, the substitute goalkeeper, the wrong way from the penalty spot after Foster was sent off for upending Rob Hulse as the forward pounced on a weak back-pass by Jordan Stewart. Henderson aimed an elbow at Sean Gregan on the hour to follow Foster’s lead and take with him any hope Watford had of holding on for a point.

“Henderson had his shirt ripped,” Adrian Boothroyd, the Watford manager, said in mitigation for his forward. “I thought he was going to turn into superman, it shows that some kind of wrestling match has gone on.”

Boothroyd, who was part of the coaching staff at Elland Road before taking charge at Vicarage Road last season, clearly felt Gregan should have faced censure from Michael Jones, the referee, for his part in Henderson’s departure. “Call it professionalism or call it what you want, but he goes down like he’s been hit with a sledgehammer,” Boothroyd said.

Unsurprisingly, Kevin Blackwell, his opposite number, saw the pivotal 240 seconds rather differently. “My understanding is that he (Henderson) raised his elbow,” he said. “The ’keeper was unintentional but, once he’s done that, it’s a red card so I don’t see how you can argue.” To their credit, the nine men stood firm until ten minutes before the end, but eventually gave way as Richard Cresswell, a substitute, profited from a slip by Jay Demerit to cross for Blake, who scored from 12 yards.

It proved a busy evening for Gregan, whose foul on Marlon King conceded a free kick 20 yards out that Young curled into the top corner shortly before the interval. Gregan almost atoned for his clumsiness, only for his header from a free-kick by Eddie Lewis to skim the bar on its way over.

Ken Bates, the Leeds chairman, mused in his programme notes that, on a night synonymous with romance, the attendance would prove whether supporters loved their club more than their respective spouses. The swaths of empty seats suggested Leeds might possess hitherto unknown amorous tendencies.

LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): N Sullivan — G Kelly, P Butler, S Gregan, S Crainey — L Miller, S Derry, J Douglas (sub: D Healy, 75min), E Lewis — R Blake, R Hulse (sub: R Cresswell, 75). Substitutes not used: I Bennett, G Einarsson, S Walton.

WATFORD (4-4-2): B Foster — L Doyley, M Mackay, J Demerit, J Stewart — C Eagles (sub: A Chamberlain, 58), J Chambers, A Bangura (sub: A Mariappa, 75), A Young — M King (sub: H Bouazza, 83), D Henderson. Substitutes not used: A McNamee, T Diagouraga. Booked: Chambers. Sent off: Foster, Henderson.

Referee: M Jones.