Vladimir Ivic made a winning start as new Watford coach as they kicked-off their Sky Bet Championship return with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.
Craig Cathcart’s early header saw off Boro at Vicarage Road as the Hornets began their push to earn an immediate return to the top flight with three points.
Cathcart’s powerful header was enough to seal the points as Ivic had to make do without the likes of Troy Deeney, Danny Welbeck, Will Hughes, Ismaila Sarr and Craig Dawson.
The visitors created a few decent chances, most of which fell to captain Britt Assombalonga, who could not find a way past Ben Foster in the Watford goal.
The only goal of the contest came with 11 minutes on the clock, as Boro were not alert to a short Watford corner and Ken Sema – back at the club following a season on loan at Udinese – swung in a cross which Cathcart headed home past debutant Marcus Bettinelli.
Assombalonga’s first sniff of goal came at the midway point of the first half, as he fired in a strike from an acute angle which Foster did well to turn behind with his feet.
Ivic handed a first league start to January signing Joao Pedro and the 18-year-old Brazilian forward looked at home at this level, sending a header wide as he looked to mark the occasion with a goal.
Middlesbrough enjoyed more of the ball in a second half which did not contain too many chances for either side.
Assombalonga’s turn and shot was brilliantly tipped behind by Foster, with Ivic turning to loan signing Glenn Murray in an attempt to have more of a presence at the top end of the pitch.
Warnock’s men would continue to push on, Assombalonga heading a Marcus Tavernier free-kick wide when the striker should have done better.
Despite a quiet second half for Bettinelli, Watford toasted their first Championship game since 2015 with three points ahead of the remaining opening-round games over the course of the weekend.
Whether Ivic can maintain the momentum rests largely on which players are sold before the transfer deadline, with Deeney and Welbeck reportedly close to joining Premier League clubs.
But in young, hungry players like Pedro and Jeremy Ngakia – making his debut at right-back following his move from West Ham – coupled with old hands such as Foster, Murray and match-winner Cathcart, he will be hopeful of a successful first campaign in English football.
SATURDAY'S SPORTING LIFE ACCUMULATOR
Head here to back Barnsley, Bristol City, Cardiff, Derby and Norwich all to win at 50/1 with Sky Bet
Both BARNSLEY and Luton ended last season strongly to avoid relegation. They shared a draw at Kenilworth Road during the run-in but the Tykes were dominant throughout. They're backed to put in a similar performance on home soil, where they've kept five straight clean sheets since football returned.
BRISTOL CITY showed enough during Dean Holden's five-match caretaker spell to earn him the full-time job this summer. A scratchy Carabao Cup win at MK Dons last weekend was a first competitive game since March 7 for Sky Bet League One winners Coventry, following the curtailment of their season.
CARDIFF narrowly missed out to Fulham in last season's play-off semi-finals, and should be a strong contender again. Sheffield Wednesday ended last term in dreadful form, begin this one on -12 points and have seen a raft of players leave over the summer in an effort to cut costs.New manager Veljko Paunovic only took his first training session on Tuesday, and will now take Reading into a tricky away game first up.
DERBY vastly improved in the second half of Phillip Cocu's first campaign as boss, an upturn triggered by the arrival of former England captain Wayne Rooney as player-coach.
NORWICH seemed to give up after lockdown, with relegation already all but a certainty. They could hardly wish for a better opponent as they look to end a 12-game losing streak. Carlos Corberan started life as Huddersfield boss with a Carabao Cup defeat by Rochdale - he has a lot to do to turn around a club that has struggled for wins since early 2018.