Watford’s run in the Carabao Cup came to an end at the hands of Stoke City, with two late goals in the wake of Ashley Fletcher’s 61st-minute equaliser succumbing the Hornets to a 3-1 defeat at Vicarage Road.

While Watford fashioned many of the first half’s best chances - with Dan Gosling and Adam Masina both going close - the visitors took a 1-0 advantage into the break thanks to a Nick Powell strike in the 25th minute.

Fletcher evened matters 16 minutes after the break following a sustained period of Watford pressure, but Potters forward Sam Clucas restored the visitors’ lead before Josh Tymon added a third in the closing stages.

In the wake of the cup disappointment the Golden Boys’ attention will quickly turn to Saturday’s home encounter against Newcastle United, when they will look to record back-to-back Premier League wins.

Following a minute’s applause in honour of England great Jimmy Greaves, the game began at a ferocious pace with Stoke’s Alfie Doughty firing over Rob Elliot’s bar in the opening moments.

Watford gradually gained control of possession and some neat link-up play between Jeremy Ngakia and Cucho Hernández almost fashioned a chance, before Imran Louza slashed a shot over after a loose pass from the visitors.

Fletcher - who notched the winner in the second-round win over Crystal Palace - held the ball up effectively on several occasions to create space out wide, while at the other end skipper Christian Kabasele was alert to steer a teasing Stoke ball to safety.

The Potters demonstrated their threat in attack just ahead of the 20-minute mark, Powell latching onto a Tymon pass and shooting comfortably wide from the edge of the box.

Minutes later Powell put the away side in the ascendency with the evening’s opening goal, finishing off at the near post to make it 1-0 after some strong work out wide from the lively Doughty.

The Hornets responded immediately and Stoke stopper Adam Davies produced a stunning save to deny Gosling at point-blank range, before the latter then headed over with the game’s next attack.

Ngakia opened up the Stoke defence with a sumptuous ball over the top in the 33rd minute, and while Kabasele’s neat knock-down header found Masina the Moroccan couldn’t find the target with his effort.

Back in the Watford goal Elliot held a tame Tymon shot well, before Masina shot wide of Davies’ upright with a first-time volley and then Ken Sema won a corner after a mazy run down the left.

As half-time loomed recent arrival Ozan Tufan tried his luck with a stinging effort from 20 yards, but Michael O'Neill’s Stoke held firm to retain their lead at the interval.

Watford burst out of the blocks following the restart and Fletcher came close to netting his second goal of the season almost instantly, his piercing header being parried by Davies after a looping Hernández cross.

Stoke continued to showcase their credentials with Doughty again shooting high and wide, and as the game gradually opened up Hernández worked his way into the Potters box but couldn’t quite get his shot off.

Davies turned away another Fletcher header in the 53rd minute, and the Wales international then kept out both Tufan and Sema with the Golden Boys now carrying much of the game’s momentum.

Clever work from Hernández and Tufan caught out the Stoke backline and opened up some space for Gosling near the penalty area, but the 31-year-old narrowly shot over with a fizzing drive close to the hour mark.

But the pressure would eventually tell with Fletcher grabbing the goal he had been threatening, the 25-year-old back-heeling home on the rebound following a Davies save from Hernández’s effort.

Colombia star Hernández came within inches of putting Watford ahead when his shot crashed off the post in the 71st minute, and Fletcher’s follow-up was desperately turned away as Stoke clung on to their share of the spoils.

And then against the run of play Stoke substitute Clucas put the travelling team in front, the 30-year-old’s deflected shot eluding Elliot and rolling into corner to make it 2-1 with 10 minutes to go.

Tymon added gloss to the scoreline with a third five minutes from time, and though Moussa Sissoko and Tufan pushed for a second Watford goal Xisco Muñoz’s charges couldn’t prevent a third-round exit against their Championship opponents.