Watford extended their unbeaten Championship run to four games with a narrow victory over out-of-form Stoke City.

Both sides had chances to win it, but Luca Kjerrumgaard's eighth goal of the season in the second half ultimately proved the difference.

Kjerrumgaard gave his side the breakthrough from close range in the 74th minute after he latched on to Hector Kyprianou's flick-on from Imran Louza's free-kick.

The win moves Watford move up four places to 10th, while Stoke miss the chance to move back into the top six after their fourth defeat in five games and fourth straight loss on the road.

In a first half of few chances, Louza came closest to opening the scoring with a low strike from outside the box which flew just wide of the post.

The visitors upped the tempo at the start of the second period in search of a goal and Sorba Thomas almost made his 300th career appearance a memorable one, but his close-range effort following Bosun Lawal's cutback was blocked by some last-ditch defending.

Substitute Sam Gallagher did have the ball in the back of the net for Stoke when he nodded in from Maksym Talovierov's cross, only to see the offside flag raised.

Moments later Viktor Johansson was at full stretch to keep out Watford midfielder Tom Ince's low strike as the game sprung into life just before the hour mark. Johansson then pulled off a fingertip save to tip Kjerrumgaard's effort from the edge of the box over the bar.

Thomas went close again with a volley after Cresswell's corner was only half cleared, but it was the hosts who eventually broke the deadlock through their top-scorer.

Stoke went in search of an equaliser to stop the rot and Divin Mubama almost found the top corner with an effort from 20 yards after holding off several defenders.

Watford missed a glorious chance to wrap up the win in injury time following a counter-attack, but Vivaldo Semedo's shot was cleared off the line by a sliding Tatsuki Seko.

Million Manhoef had one final chance to level the match from point-blank range after the ball broke kindly for him, but Egil Selvik was able to smother his effort.

Watford boss Javi Gracia told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"We knew before the game that Stoke was playing well with good or not so good results, but always competing very well and with quality to attack.

"In my opinion today is important, the clean sheet, because [in] the last games we were conceding one or two goals. This way it's very difficult to get the three points.

"Today I'm proud because the players followed the plan. They went in the right positions to defend well, to be compact, to be solid. This way, maybe we didn't have the same options to attack - more in counters in the first half or in set pieces, but it was the plan."

Stoke City boss Mark Robins told BBC Radio Stoke:

"We lost it with a set play. It was galling, it really is galling.

"They have got too many first contacts and we were big - that's desire, and 'You are not going to beat me in the air, you are not going to run off me'. The fact of the matter is they have run off us.

"Prior to that it's a nothing free-kick. We give the free-kick away and it's a chance for them to load it in our box and they do it with quality because they have got quality players on the ball. [Imran] Louza is a player you don't want to give too many opportunities to load your box. We did that and didn't deal with it.

"There's bits and pieces but not enough goal attempts. It's the same story. There wasn't that much in it but it's just disappointing that we come out on the wrong end of a scoreline again and away from home."