WITH bitter irony, Watford’s inevitable relegation was confirmed yesterday after a mistake by their England goalkeeper Ben Foster, the one player who will not be following them into the Championship.

As Foster returns to Manchester United, he will leave a club carrying as much optimism as 11 months ago when they won the playoff final to earn their place in the Premiership.

“We were not carried away then,” said Aidy Boothroyd, the Watford manager. “And we will not become carried away now. We are disappointed but the League does not lie. Maybe this time around we were not good enough. The weeks ahead will be about reflection. We did not have enough of what is needed, but we can come straight back.”

Reaching for the stars has been the backbone of how Boothroyd has developed a management technique based on his studious work in seeing how other clubs of the status of Watford have managed. Promoted last season along with Reading, he has been impressed by how their same defence have been together for over three years, arguably one reason why they have adapted so well in the Premiership.

Foster might be missing when Watford start life back in the Championship but nobody else will be leaving. “I will have 85% of the squad,” he said. “The only time I thought we would be relegated was at the final whistle today. But last season no-one thought we would go up when I said that was our aim. I have learned so much; there are so many subtle differences between the Championship and the Premiership.”

One of those is the speed of the game. Yesterday, too often in the first half Watford lost possession or wasted too much time deciding how a move would be constructed. It has been the story of a season where they have been off the pace since the first day and did not win a Premiership match until November.

Boothroyd gained so many plaudits for guiding them up in his first full season in charge but his side have never been able to master this higher level. Six points from the first three months of the season was never going to be overcome; losing main striker Marlon King in October with an injury which prevented his return until yesterday was a crushing blow. They have scored only 26 goals, with the five from Hameur Bouazza making him their leading scorer.

Yesterday, victory was the only result which would ensure their safety for another week. Foster has been so impressive, in his second, and final, year on loan that he has earned senior England recognition and on the eve of this match he called Watford “home”.

But he was left in despair eight minutes into the second half when he lost control of a back pass from Lloyd Doyley. Instead of clearing the ball from inside his area, Foster directed it straight into the path of Darius Vassell, who knocked it past him to put his side ahead. Watford were all but down. As television cameras panned in on Foster for the next 20 minutes, he was shaking his head. He might have had no chance when he was caught out by a goal-kick from Tottenham’s Paul Robin-son which sailed in over him last month, but this time there was even less of a hiding place.

“It is ironic that it has come from our player of the year,” said Boothroyd. “He has been magnificent.” Watford lacked tempo before handing themselves brief hope when substitute Tamas Priskin equalised with a fine low shot in the 75th minute after an excellent pass from Douglas Rinaldi.

King headed narrowly wide three minutes from time, but if anything, Stuart Pearce, the City manager, was becoming more frustrated. When Georgios Samaras failed to build on a chance, Pearce threw a bottle of water which bounced across the pitch.

“I was jogging up and down trying to keep warm but it might have slipped out of my hand,” said Pearce, jokingly. Then he added: “I was told off by the officials and it won’t happen again.”