Callum Robinson at double as Cardiff secure first away win of season at Watford

Callum Robinson scored twice as Cardiff clinched their first away win of the season and ended Watford’s unbeaten home run with a 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road.

Robinson opened the scoring in the first minute and grabbed another before half-time, shortly after Giorgi Chakvetadze had equalised, to dent the hosts’ play-off hopes.

The Bluebirds made three changes from their Boxing Day defeat at Oxford, with Jesper Daland, Cian Ashford and Robinson coming in.

Vakoun Bayo, Rocco Vata, Edo Kayembe and Ryan Andrews came in for the Hornets, who were on a 17-game undefeated streak at home.

The visitors drew first blood within the first 60 seconds. Callum O’Dowda fed the ball through to Robinson, who was able to turn inside the area and fire low past the outstretched Daniel Bachmann.

Cardiff were good value for their lead, as Watford struggled to get to grips with the early stages of the contest.

Vata fired over the bar from 10 yards after 17 minutes in the first half-chance for the hosts.

Cardiff could have doubled their advantage on 34 minutes, when Ashford just failed to connect to a dangerous low cross from Robinson.

They were made to pay for that miss four minutes later when Vata’s cross was too strong for Moussa Sissoko but Chakvetadze latched onto it and curled into the corner from close range.

Any hopes Watford had of building on the equaliser were swiftly checked, however, as Cardiff retook the lead. Ashford got in behind Yasser Larouci before squaring to the unmarked Robinson, who slotted home under barely any pressure.

The second half started off as frustratingly for the hosts as the first had finished, with Cardiff comfortably dealing with any threat and notably growing in confidence themselves.

Substitute Ollie Tanner was denied a third of the afternoon for Cardiff, when he picked up a wayward ball from Larouci on 76 minutes, and saw his composed effort well saved by Bachmann.

The home team were pushed into attacking for the final 10 minutes of the contest, having not created a single effort of note in the second period as they looked to maintain their unbeaten run.

Cardiff defender Dimitrios Goutas nearly added a third from a free-kick with a glancing header with two minutes of normal time remaining.

Watford continued to underwhelm in seven minutes of stoppage time, with the reaction of both sets of fans at the final whistle telling the story.