FULL-TIME: Watford 1, Wanderers 0 A CONTROVERSIAL 87th minute penalty by Tommy Mooney denied Wanderers a valuable point, and with Fulham losing against Preston, put Watford on top of the First Division.

Anthony Barness was harshly judged to have handled the ball and the decision meant Wanderers, who should have earned at least a draw, went home pointless.

Sky TV viewers rubbed salt into the already sore wounds by nominating star defender Gudni Bergsson as man of the match.

In the first-half Per Frandsen had a chance for Wanderers against the team with a six-point advantage in the chase for those two vital automatic promotion spots, and Michael Rickketts was also denied a controversial penalty appeal.

However, after Saturday's three goals conceded at Stockport in the first half, the general concensus was that Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce was the far happier man at the interval.

But as the second-half kicked off Watford manager Graham Taylor went on the offensive with two tactical substitutions and Wanderers were lucky to escape a penalty appeal when Simon Charlton stuck his left arm into Wooter's neck as the speedy forward charged past him in the 53rd minute.

Although the forward fell to the ground the referee waved played on immediately.

In the 59th minute Watford's Darren Ward also twice went close, his second, left-footed shot almost scratching the top of the crossbar.

However, gradually Wanderers began to make their mark, frustrating Watford at every opportunity.

But then a length of the field run by Neil Cox, the former Wanderer, earned a corner which came to nothing as the minutes ticked away.

Then came the controversial penalty incident.

You can read BEN Chief Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock's exclusive account of this, and all the rest of the post match reaction, on this web site on Wednesday at 9am.