THREE first half goals from Rangers, the first from the penalty spot and all three against the run of play, gave the visitors an undeserved lead at the break.

Martin Rowlands' brace and Damion Stewart's header saw the Hornets shell-shocked and unable to recover.

Lee Camp's own goal did little to turn Watford's fortunes as a Jay DeMerit own goal at the other end with ten minutes to go killed the game off, despite Dan Shittu's consolation just minutes later. Killed off indeed in a game which Watford had strangely bossed from start to finish.

It was second top against second bottom and Aidy Boothroyd chose to make two changes to the side which shared the spoils with Cardiff City on Boxing Day.

Darius Henderson and Lee Williamson came into the starting line up at the expense of Marlon King and John Joe O'Toole.

It was Watford who had the first of the chances in front of goal. Jobi McAnuff swung the ball into the far post where Nathan Ellington was waiting, but sadly his weak effort missed the target and bobbled past the post.

There was a scare for the Hornets in the fifth minute when Ellington then went down holding his calf, but after the magic sponge had done its job, he was back in the thick of the action.

It seemed that most of the talking points were injuries as Richard Lee's low dive at the feet of Dexter Blackstock saw him grounded and with no keeper on the bench there was a tense few moments to see if he would recover.

Tommy Smith then attempted to carve out an effort with one of his stereotypical by-line runs, but the throng of QPR players occupying the box made it impossible for him to work his magic.

Rangers remained camped in their own half as one after the other, it seemed as though all of the Watford players had at least one attempt on goal.

Damien Francis' effort went straight down the middle, but wasn't placed well enough to trouble Camp.

With eleven minutes gone, the referee pointed to the spot when Dexter Blackstock was brought down in the box by Jordan Stewart. When Rowlands stepped up and sent Lee the wrong way, to say it was an injustice would be somewhat of an understatement.

Normal service was resumed from there on in as Watford returned to battering the QPR goal. Ellington blazed Williamson's ball over as he shot on the turn and then Gareth Ainsworth returned to action sporting a Terry Butcher head bandage.

Then followed a succession of shots from Watford men, Henderson, Smith, Ellington and then Francis all rained shots in on the QPR goal - how they were staying out one can only wonder.

With 29 minutes gone, Lee had his first open play work to do, palming away Blackstock's effort for a corner. From the ensuing set piece, Stewart rose to head home into the roof of the net.

This was a 2-0 massacre - a massacre from Watford however. They say football's a funny old game. Not so funny when you're on the receiving end.

Matt Jackson was the next to try his luck, but his header took a deflection and sailed wide for a corner. One after the other the Hornets lined up to attack Camp's goal and a combination of poor finishing and dogged defending kept the Golden Boys at bay.

With their third attack, Rangers went 3-0 up. Rowlands gathered his brace with a superb finish, shooting past Lee from just inside the box after neat build up play involving youngster Angelo Balanta and Adam Bolder.

Camp then has to go full stretch to deny Williamson from scoring from outside the area, batting his effort away for a corner.

Half time couldn't come quick enough for Watford as it looked as though they would need a serious talking to.

The major change made at the break was the introduction of Shittu for Matt Jackson. The arrival of the former Rangers man saw clapping from all corners of the ground.

With five minutes of the second half gone, Watford gave themselves a chance of getting back into the game. Doyley's cross had to be cut out by Stewart and from the resulting corner, Zesh Rehman's hashed clearance seemed to ricochet off of Camp and into the back of the net.

What had started out as a game with Watford playing their football steadily, hoping the goals would come, descended into desperate battling from both teams. Watford knew they were on the brink of nicking something if they kept it up and Rangers were even more dogged knowing that the game could slip away from them if they weren't careful.

The outcome of which saw both teams fighting scrappily out of frustration and desperation on Watford's part and fear on QPR's.

With 68 minutes gone, Boothroyd introduced King into the fold in the hopes that he would find the back of the net. He every nearly did as his first shot flew just over the bar.

Henderson was the next to go close as he somehow chested the ball into Camp's hands.

The Watford battering ram didn't let up and Camp's hands were stung again as McAnuff searched for his third goal in as many outings.

But when it's a bad day at the office, it really is. As substitute Akos Buzsaky searched for the goal, DeMerit tried desperately to deny him and in doing so, stuck the ball into the back of his own net as he tried to turn it away from goal.

Shittu struck back with seven minutes to go against his old club when he latched on to a knock down in the box and drilled home in dramatic fashion.

Blackstock had a great chance to grab a fifth but he dragged his effort well wide after showing a fresh pair of legs to the Watford defence.

A bad day indeed and as the clock ran down, Watford were left bitterly disappointed from this unfathomable game.

WATFORD (4-4-2): Lee; Doyley (O'Toole 79), DeMerit (c), Jackson (Shittu 46), Stewart; Smith, Williamson, Francis, McAnuff; Henderson, Ellington (King 68). Subs not used: Mariappa, Ainsworth.

QPR (4-4-2): Camp; Barker, Malcolm, Rehman, Stewart; Bolder (c), Rowlands, Ainsworth (Vine 63), Balanta (Buzsaky 74); Blackstock, Nygaard (Walton 90). Subs not used: Cole (gk), Moore.

BOOKINGS: WATFORD; Doyley (unsporting behaviour, 34), Smith (75). QPR; Nygaard (foul, 44), Barker (dissent, 55), Bolder (85).

SENDINGS OFF: WATFORD; none. QPR; none.

GOALS: WATFORD; Camp OG, 52, Shittu 83. QPR; Rowlands 12, 38 Stewart 29, DeMerit OG 80.

REFEREE: C Foy

ATTENDANCE: 18,698 (2,279 QPR supporters)