Watford kept their faint play-off hopes alive as they strolled to a comprehensive 3-0 win over fellow promotion hopefuls Coventry.

Wayne Brown's first-half double and a header from Marcus Gayle gave the Hornets three points as they produced the kind of form that has only appeared fleetingly at Vicarage Road this season.

Watford began the game brightly and carved out their first chance within the opening two minutes.

Coventry's Colin Healy fouled Tommy Smith on the right edge of the box and Gayle's free-kick was acrobatically tipped over the crossbar by Magnus Hedman.

The home side kept up their early momentum and deservedly went ahead in the fourth minute.

Smith picked up the ball in the centre of midfield and released Lee Cook down the right touchline. The winger delivered a superb cross into the middle and Brown rose unopposed to power a header into the bottom corner of the net.

Coventry, looking to record their third win in a row, were shell-shocked by the early setback and struggled to impose themselves on the midfield battle.

Smith was dominating proceedings for the Hornets and his 12th-minute cross was met perfectly by Gayle, only for the 31-year-old to see his header drift narrowly wide.

As the first half drew on Coventry began to come into the game and Alec Chamberlain was forced into action in the 21st minute as he tipped over Barry Quinn's audacious long-range volley.

Watford should have doubled their lead four minutes later when Allan Nielsen met another Smith cross with a volley that sailed over from close range.

Set-pieces were proving to be a danger to both sides and Chamberlain did well to scramble across his goal to keep out a Youssef Safri free-kick.

But the half ended well for the home side as Brown grabbed his third goal in as many games on the stroke of half-time when he headed home full-back Neil Cox's hanging cross.

Coventry boss Roland Nilsson must have had some harsh words to say during the interval as his side upped the tempo at the start of the second half.

Ex-Liverpool midfielder David Thompson was urging the Sky Blues forward and his cross minutes after the interval forced a hurried clearance from the goalscoring hero Brown.

Thompson, who was involved in the tussle of the game with Watford's Denmark international Neilsen, went close again in the 53rd minute as he drilled a long-range shot wide.

But the Sky Blues' were dealt a major blow five minutes later when the lively Jay Bothroyd was forced off through injury and replaced by Lee Mills.

Watford's Gavin Mahon had a shot turned round the post but Coventry's mini-revival continued as Lee Hughes volleyed against the woodwork in the 67th minute.

That was as good as it got for the visitors though as Gayle put the game beyond doubt with Gianluca Vialli's side's third in the 74th minute.

This time Smith claimed the assist as his right wing cross was headed home by the former Wimbledon forward.

That was to be Gayle's last touch of the game as he was immediately withdrawn by Vialli and replaced by Gifton Noel-Williams, who saw his drive blocked by Muhamed Konjic as full-time approached.

Teams:

Watford: Chamberlain, Cox, Galli, Brown, Robinson, Nielsen, Hyde, Mahon, Cook (McNamee 75), Gayle (Noel-Williams 75), Smith (Blondeau 85).

Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Fisken.

Booked: Brown, Noel-Williams.

Goals: Brown 4, 45, Gayle 74.

Coventry: Hedman, Quinn, Breen, Konjic, Shaw, Thompson, Safri, Healy, Chippo, Bothroyd (Mills 57), Hughes.

Subs Not Used: Zuniga, Flowers, Fowler, Betts.

Att: 15,833

Ref: S Baines (Chesterfield).