Sparky’s Fletch & carry job STOKE FURY OVER DIG FROM DEENEY

in which no quarter was given and no tackle shirked.

There were two melees as frustrations boiled over late on and referee Michael Oliver booked eight players, including Deeney.

But that should take nothing away from top-class defending by the Potters to earn three crucial points from a match in which Fletcher stood out.

Hughes said: “It was an excellent away performance.

“We understood what Watford were likely to do and the game plan was spot on.

“I was delighted for Fletch to get the goal and I thought his general performance was excellent too. He was back to his influential best.”

Charlie Adam and Saido Berahino had chances to make the scoreline more convincing, while Richarlison missed two sitters for Watford.

But in the end it was Fletch’s 16th-minute stunner, straight from the training ground, which separated the sides and meant no repeat of Watford’s heroics against Arsenal last week.

Hornets boss Marco Silva said: “It’s two different games, you can’t compare.

“Nobody expected us to win against Arsenal, maybe this time we felt the pressure.

“We knew they would come to play with 10 men behind the ball and wait for a mistake and that’s what they did. We gave them a big gift with the goal.”