Watford vs Southampton LIVE: Result and reaction from Premier League fixture today

Nigel Pearson’s side remain in peril after visitors secured a straightforward win

FA Cup match preview: Newcastle v Manchester City

Watford fell to a 3-1 defeat against Southampton this afternoon as the Hornets’ attempt to avoid Premier League relegation continues to stutter.

Southampton took the lead after 16 minutes when Danny Ings strode towards the Watford box and fired a precise strike past Ben Foster, and the striker netted his second in the second half after the Hornets’ goalkeeper threw the ball straight to him.

A Jan Bednarek own goal seemingly gave Nigel Pearson’s side a lifeline, but moments later the hosts conceded again, this time to a magnificent James Ward-Prowse free-kick. Re-live all our live coverage of the game below:

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Key Points

• Match kicked off at 4.30pm BST
• Watford XI: Foster, Femenia, Cathcart, Dawson, Masina, Capoue, Hughes, Doucoure, Sarr, Pereyra, Deeney
• Southampton XI: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Bertrand, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Smallbone, Redmond, Long, Ings

[28 June 2020 18:04 · Alex Pattle]

74 mins: The only Southampton change so far has been Smallbone being replaced by Armstrong.

[28 June 2020 18:04 · Alex Pattle]

75 mins: Now Armstrong comes on for the Saints in place of Long.

[28 June 2020 18:08 · Alex Pattle]

78 mins: There's another change for Watford as they desperately try to salvage something here.

Femenia goes off to be replaced by Pussetto.

[28 June 2020 18:10 · Alex Pattle]

79 mins: GOAL! An own goal!

And immediately Watford strike! A tantalising ball into the Saints box is tipped past McCarthy by his own defender Bednarek!

Watford 1-2 Southampton

[28 June 2020 18:12 · Alex Pattle]

81 mins: GOAL! 

Watford fans... this one hasn't gone your way! Ward-Prowse whips a free-kick into the top corner and Foster doesn't even move. There was no point.

Watford 1-3 Southampton

[28 June 2020 18:21 · Lawrence Ostlere]

88 mins: Adams goes close to his first goal for Southampton but is denied by Foster's legs. 

[28 June 2020 18:22 · Lawrence Ostlere]

90 mins: Ings is handed Man of the Match by Alan Smith on Sky Sports commentary. It's always an easy option to give it to the double-goalscorer, but Ings really has been a key difference between the sides today. Plenty of impressive performances across the Southampton side, it should be said. 

[28 June 2020 18:25 · Alex Pattle]

Full-time: Watford 1-3 Southampton

[28 June 2020 18:36 · Alex Pattle]

An Ings double and Ward-Prowse free-kick sealed the win for the visitors. Meanwhile, Watford remain in a perilous position, just above the relegation zone...

[28 June 2020 18:39 · Alex Pattle]

That's all from us for this game, but you can follow our coverage of Newcastle vs Man City in the FA Cup here: