Anthony McNamee's overhead kick late in the first half was enough to dump woeful West Ham out of the FA Cup and book Watford a place in the fifth round.

There was no magic of the cup on show at Upton Park. It was a dire game, and Watford progressed after spending the entire second half defending a precious lead.

West Ham had all the possession but lacked any creativity and bowed out with a whimper, as a shadow of the side that graced last year's final at the Millennium Stadium.

Boos rang around the ground, and manager Alan Curbishley was taunted with chants of 'You don't know what you're doing'.

It was a second win in the space of three days for Watford after the midweek success against Blackburn, and they will be in Monday's last-16 draw for only the second time in 12 years.

West Ham were without any recognised centre-backs, after Anton Ferdinand failed to shake off a calf injury, and Lucas Neill made his debut in a patched-up back four.

But it was going forward that they lacked any spark.

Yossi Benayoun was left out, and Shaun Newton made his first start since returning from a drugs ban.

Yet it was the Hammers who started with more conviction, and Bobby Zamora struck the bar in the first minute after Carlton Cole had harried Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster into conceding a corner.

Watford had the ball in the net, but Damien Francis' strike from Malky Mackay's downward header was ruled out for offside.

Nigel Quashie tested Foster with a low first-time strike from 25 yards. and the goalkeeper then denied Newton with a brilliant reaction save.

Christian Dailly rose above the Watford defence to meet Luis Boa Morte's cross but saw his header cleared off the line by Hornets captain Jordan Stewart.

Dailly was doing his best to hold the West Ham defence together, but there was very little cohesion in front of him.

Three midfielders left the ball for one another. Newton eventually reacted - but having lost possession, he scythed down McNamee on the edge of the West Ham box.

Dailly cleared - not for the first time - and as West Ham looked to attack down the left, good work from George McCartney earned them a free-kick and a corner in quick succession.

West Ham could not profit from either as Watford's defence held firm. When Jonathan Spector picked out Cole, the ball would not sit for the shot - and Mackay cleared.

The hosts were almost punished for a careless clearance from Boa Morte - which sliced off his boot for a corner - but Cole managed to clear off the line.

Having saved the Hammers at one end, Cole came within inches of scoring the opener at the other with a 25-yard shot which curled just wide of Foster's far post.

But it was Watford who broke through, after taking advantage of some predictably calamitous defending in the West Ham box.

Goalkeeper Roy Carroll rose above Dailly and Darius Henderson but missed his punch - and the ball fell to McNamee, whose overhead effort beat the retreating Spector.

Within three minutes of the restart, Neill was replaced at right-back by John Pantsil.

Zamora turned cleverly on the edge of the Watford box to beat two men, but his shot went straight at Foster.

West Ham began to lay siege on the Watford goal but lacked anyone who could break open the opposing defence.

When Zamora leapt above Mackay to meet a long ball into the box from the right, his header sailed over the bar.

Cole got the better of Jay DeMerit down the left and cut into the box but looked to draw the foul from Mackay and was booked for diving.

Quashie and Dailly linked well on the edge of the Watford area to play Newton into space, but the winger skewed his shot across the face of goal and wide.

It was that sort of day for West Ham.

With half-an-hour remaining, Teddy Sheringham was belatedly introduced.

Foster dropped a corner, but Boa Morte wasted the chance to catch him out by firing his shot right across the box and out for a throw.

Watford were content just to sit back - but on a rare foray forward, they nearly squeezed in a second when Hameur Bouazza's low cross evaded Carroll and whistled just past the post.

Stewart was called upon for another goalline clearance, this time from Sheringham, and it sealed a win.

Teams:

West Ham Carroll, Neill (Pantsil 48), Spector, Dailly, McCartney, Newton (Sheringham 65), Reo-Coker, Quashie, Boa Morte (Etherington 77), Zamora, Cole.

Subs Not Used: Green, Mullins.

Booked: Neill, Cole.

Watford Foster, Mariappa, Mackay, DeMerit, Stewart, McNamee (Powell 72), Bangura, Francis, Bouazza, Smith, Henderson.

Subs Not Used: Chamberlain, Doyley, Kabba, Ashikodi.

Goals: McNamee 42.

Att: 31,168

Ref: H Webb (S Yorkshire).