Tommy Smith's rapid-fire double gave Watford their first home Championship win since October and lifted Adrian Boothroyd's side back into the automatic promotion places.

The Hornets took the lead after just 59 seconds when Steve Kabba headed his first goal for the club from a long throw before Smith scored twice in two second-half minutes to seal the win.

Bristol City's earlier defeat at QPR meant that the three points put Boothroyd's men firmly back in the frame for an instant return to the Premier League and erased any lingering regrets over the sale of top scorer Marlon King to Wigan.

The visitors struggled to find the attacking force which saw them emerge 4-1 winners in last Saturday's FA Cup fourth round against the same opponents but were still a threat until Smith's brace settled the contest.

Boothroyd had captain Jay DeMerit out with a groin injury but handed debuts to deadline day signings Leigh Bromby and John Eustace.

And Bromby took less than a minute to make an impact.

The defender wound up a throw from the left and his huge delivery was allowed to bounce by Wolves centre-half Darren Ward after landing in the six-yard box.

The bounce carried the ball over Ward and Kabba was on hand at the back post to head home his first goal since January 2006.

It was a terrible goal to concede and the former Sheffield United man nearly had a second inside the first few minutes after more defensive uncertainty in the Wolves back four.

Smith fired in a decent cross from the right which goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey could only palm into the path of Jobi McAnuff.

The winger snatched at his shot across the face of goal where the stretching Kabba could not quite divert his header on target.

The visitors had made a terrible start but with the lively Matty Jarvis on the left had an outlet and after his low shot was deflected behind for a corner Ward had a good chance but headed wide from 10 yards.

Stephen Elliott had the first glimpse of goal after the break but fired high over the crossbar after a Jarvis corner fell to him before Hennessey shanked a clearance straight to Nathan Ellington but the striker tamely shot wide from 20 yards.

McAnuff then rustled the side-netting from an acute angle before another Hennessey blunder almost gifted the hosts a second.

The keeper came for another long Bromby throw but failed to grasp the ball and McAnuff collected and shot low but Rob Edwards was well positioned to hack clear.

Edwards then twice produced excellent challenges as Boothroyd's side swarmed forward while Smith should have done better with a close-range header from a McAnuff corner.

Ellington then went close to his third goal in as many league games when he curled a free-kick two yards wide before Smith grabbed the second in the 76th minute.

Mat Sadler's right-wing corner was volleyed goalwards by Ellington and Smith turned the ball over the line from two yards.

And he grabbed his second in the 78th minute with a breakaway goal.

Ellington's aimless punt forward was headed on by substitute Darius Henderson into Smith's path.

He strode forward unchallenged before calmly slipping the ball past Hennessey from the edge of the area to seal a much-needed win.

Teams:

Watford Lee, Doyley, Mariappa, Bromby, Sadler, Smith, O'Toole, Eustace, McAnuff (Ainsworth 81), Kabba (Darius Henderson 69), Ellington (Bangura 84).

Subs Not Used: Stewart, Williamson.

Goals: Kabba 1, Smith 76, 78.

Wolverhampton Hennessey, Foley, Darren Ward, Rob Edwards, Gray, Elliott (Kyle 63), Henry, David Edwards, Jarvis, Ebanks-Blake, Keogh (Bothroyd 78).

Subs Not Used: Stack, Breen, Potter.

Att: 18,082

Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).