Watford delivered boss Graham Taylor a belated Premiership win but the three points did not come without a nail-biting finale at Vicarage Road.

The Hornets won their first game since mid-September to finish the Millennium on a high.

But a pulsating Premiership relegation clash had more than 18,000 on the edges of their seats until the final whistle.

At half-time, Watford had looked to be coasting to their first win since mid-September but a Saints fightback made for a tense ending.

David Perpetuini and Xavier Gravelaine had fired the Hornets into a two-goal lead but goals inside a minute from Luis Boa Morte and a rejuvenated Kevin Davies equalised after the break.

It seemed Dave Jones' side might go on and win, but Taylor's fighting Watford, who have found goals hard to come by in the Premiership, carved out a third goal in the 66th minute.

Gravelaine pounced for his second of the game when a defensive clearance fell to him on the edge of the box.

Alec Chamberlain had to tip a Boa Morte shot wide in the closing minutes and Micah Hyde cleared a Dean Richards header off the line.

Chamberlain had a busy afternoon. The Hornets conceded four at Tottenham on Boxing Day and looked shaky at the back in the opening exchanges against the Saints.

Kevin Davies, who scored his first goal since returning to Southampton on Sunday, out-jumped the Watford defence to meet a Francis Benali cross in the fifth minute.

His powerful header looked destined for the net but Chamberlain produced a brilliant reflex stop.

The Hornets keeper was back in action seconds later, saving Dean Richards' header from Matt Le Tissier's corner.

Watford survived, however, and were celebrating their first goal of the Christmas period in the 18th minute.

Southampton failed to clear a Neil Cox cross and the ball fell kindly for Perpetuini, who finished clinically from 12 yards.

It was a dream start for the 20-year-old from Hitchin, making only his third appearance for the club, and the mood improved further when Gravelaine bagged his first goal since moving from Paris St Germain last month.

The Frenchman, back after a three-match ban, slammed Watford's second past Paul Jones after a sweeping move which saw Hyde release Gravelaine after linking up with Michel Ngonge.

There was still plenty for Gravelaine to do when he picked up Hyde's pass. He checked inside two Saints defenders, onto his right foot and forced the ball past Jones.

Between the goals, Mark Hughes clipped the top of the bar with a back-post header.

Jo Tessem rifled over, under pressure from Steve Palmer, and Le Tissier limped out of action before the break when he appeared to pull a hamstring as he miscued a shot.

Saints rallied after the break and two goals in as many minutes brought Watford back to earth with a bump.

Luis Boa Morte struck the first with a ferocious drive from a Davies cross.

Then Davies himself thumped the ball past Chamberlain from about 12 yards after the Hornets had blocked a shot from Hughes.

It seemed the visitors had the momentum but Taylor's team responded brilliantly again.

Southampton could only clear a right-wing cross as far as Gravelaine on the edge of the box and the Frenchman volleyed the ball through a crowded goalmouth for his second of the game.

Sub Dominic Foley, on for Ngonge, went close twice for Watford. His lob dropped over and Jones saved a header.

Teams:

Watford: Chamberlain, Cox, Palmer, Page, Robinson, Gudmundsson (Gibbs 84), Hyde, Johnson, Perpetuini, Ngonge (Foley 67), Gravelaine (Smith 78).

Subs Not Used: Day, Miller.

Booked: Perpetuini, Gravelaine, Robinson, Smith, Hyde.

Goals: Perpetuini 17, Gravelaine 31, 65.

Southampton: Jones, Tessem, Lundekvam, Richards, Benali, Boa Morte, Soltvedt, Hughes (Beattie 76), Dodd, Davies, Le Tissier (Ripley 43), Ripley (Kachloul 82).

Subs Not Used: Moss, Bridge.

Booked: Davies, Hughes, Richards.

Goals: Boa Morte 61, Davies 63.

Att: 18,459

Ref: M Riley (Leeds).