PREMIER LEAGUE

Tormented

Part of a defensive unit stung by the relentless Hornets SUBS:

Hoilett (Murphy 56) Mendez-laing (Ralls 67) Zohore (Niasse 71) Force SUBS:

Quina (Pereyra 71) Cleverley (Capoue 79) Gray (Deulofeu 86) GERARD DEULOFEU’S dazzling hat-trick put a dent in Cardiff’s survival hopes.

The former Barcelona starlet stole the show with a brilliant three-goal salvo to finally fulfil his true potential.

He even managed to set up his strike partner Troy Deeney before Sol Bamba grabbed a late consolation.

But Deeney had the last laugh as he completed a late double to send the Watford fans wild.

Javi Gracia’s side controlled the early exchanges without really threatening Neil Etheridge’s goal until Bamba clattered Deeney.

Roberto Pereyra’s curling free-kick failed to beat the wall from the dangerous position and the Bluebirds’ keeper picked up the pieces.

Watford were almost caught cold moments later when Callum Paterson played a delicate lob over the defence into Oumar Niasse.

The striker got his toe to steer it on target, but Ben Foster closed down the space to stop it, before scrambling the rebound away.

And Cardiff ’s defending was as bad as their finishing to open the door for Deulofeu after 18 minutes.

Returning captain Sean Morrison, Bruno Manga and Joe Bennett all failed to wrestle the ball off Deeney on the edge of the area, before he laid it off for the Spanish forward to find the bottom corner.

Neil Warnock’s men should have had a chance to equalise after Daryl Janmaat got the wrong side of Josh Murphy and brought him down with a clumsy challenge in the box. But ref Simon Hooper waved away the protests before blowing for half-time.

Deulofeu had not scored for eight matches, but looked like he was back playing for Barcelona as he ran riot in the second half.

Abdoulaye Doucoure headed Joe Bennett’s free-kick clear and into the path of the Spanish forward, who knocked the ball past a flailing Manga on the halfway line, before taking it around Etheridge and slotting home.

He completed his hat-trick on 60 minutes. This time Etienne Capoue robbed Harry Arter of possession and slipped him in behind the defence.

Deulofeu cruised towards goal and waited for Etheridge to make the first move, before lifting a delicate lob over the keeper to seal a first hat-trick in English football.

The Hornet left a final sting on Cardiff when he danced past the defence and set-up Deeney for an easy tap-in after 73 minutes.

There was still time for Bamba to bundle home a consolation with 10 minutes to go, before Deeney wrapped up the 5-1 thumping from close range.

6 5 4 5 6 6 5 5 5 6 6 6 5 57 5 6 6 6 8 8 7 7 10 8 6 5 WAT A NIGHT Deulofeu nets his third (above) and Deeney completes the rout (below)