A blunder by goalkeeper Michel Kuipers meant bottom-of-the-table Brighton's sequence of league defeats stretched to 10 at Vicarage Road.

The Dutchman fumbled a 40th-minute long-range Allan Nielsen shot and striker Heidar Helguson nipped in to head the ball home.

Although Watford's victory was deserved, it was harsh that Kuipers was the culprit as he had otherwise excelled in keeping the hosts at bay.

Unbeaten Watford started the brighter and Nielsen missed an absolute sitter in the fifth minute when he opted for precision rather than power from close range and sent the ball wide.

The home side went close again after 11 minutes when striker Danny Webber, on loan from Manchester United, had a fine chance on the edge of the six-yard area but his shot was held by Kuipers.

Brighton striker Graham Barrett came close on 27 minutes when he fired an angled shot which Watford goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain held.

Costly mistake

Kuipers then denied Webber for the second time, but turned from hero to villain as he let the ball slip from his hands and Helguson capitalised.

Early in the second half, Bobby Zamora, the Seagulls' highly-regarded striker, made his first significant contribution when he forced Chamberlain to stop his angled drive.

The game then began to open up and both sides had chances, with Webber in particular guilty of squandering the openings carved out for him.

After 69 minutes Nielsen tried to catch out Kuipers again with a 20-yard curler, but this time the goalkeeper did better as he clutched the ball to his chest.

As time ran out, a game which had been played in good spirit started to become niggly and Ray Lewington's team held on with a degree of comfort.

Watford: Chamberlain, Cox, Dyche, Gayle, Doyley, Ardley, Nielsen, Hyde, Robinson, Webber, Helguson. Subs: Glass, Johnson, McNamee, Foley, Lee.

Brighton: Kuipers, Watson, Cullip, Virgo, Mayo, Hammond, Marney, Carpenter, Brooker, Zamora, Barrett. Subs: Rogers, Hart, Oatway, Melton, Petterson.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).