The Hornets were first to go close, the ball being worked down the left channel, before the ensuing shot was dragged well wide of the target.

The U's then broke down the left themselves, set on the way by a good Heath tackle. The ball was helped over the full back to Vincent, who could only lift his effort well over the bar.

Their next good move came down the other side, as White advanced into space and sent a teasing ball between keeper and defence, that Hackney was only just shy of getting onto.

Chances were limited early on though, as the quarter hour mark arrived with the game goalless, although James went close with a long distance effort that dropped just wide.

Hackney should then have opened the scoring with 19 minutes on the clock.

A long Bender throw was flicked on at the near post by Odejayi, and the winger came in at the back post with the keeper caught out of position, but his shot clipped the bar and went over.

The U's did get their noses in front three minutes later, though.

A Bender cross from the left was only cleared as far as Sanderson, whose low shot ricocheted in the box.

Odejayi was the first to react and kept calm to slot the ball beyond the keeper into the far corner.

Pentney, who had been striking the ball well with both feet, had been relatively untested in the opening half an hour.

However, he had to watch carefully as a Whichelow free kick at the edge of the box flew narrowly over the crossbar.

At the other end, the U's went close again as James whipped over a delicious cross that just eluded the diving effort of Beevers at the far post.

Then Sanderson benefitted from Odejayi's good play at the edge of the box, the striker laying it back for the young midfielder to fire well over.

The U's were well on top at this stage as their passing game clicked into gear, and Odejayi almost made the most of a defensive mistake, lifting a shot over the bar from about 20 yards.

Vincent then spurned an opportunity as the influential Odejayi set him off into the box, but the winger dragged his shot wide of the near post with only the keeper to beat.

The U's then were breathing a sigh of relief as a shot from distance crashed off the crossbar with Pentney beaten.

After a bright start by Watford at the start of the second half, the U's regained their dominance.

The next time that the U's went close was on 59 minutes, as a superb White cross was met with a powerful header by Odejayi, who saw his effort tipped over with an acrobatic save.

Tempers flared as the hour mark approached, Vincent was fouled by a late challenge on the U's left and reacted angrily, having taken a knock to his ankle in the first half.

Most players got involved in the subsequent scuffle, but Vincent and Thompson were both booked.

The Hornets then went close with a chance similar to Odejayi's, but the header flashed over the bar.

The U's made their first change with eighteen minutes remaining. Vincent came off with Elito being introduced for the remainder of the game.

Chances were becoming rarer as the game entered the final quarter of an hour, but with six minutes remaining, Beevers did well to see away a dangerous cross that skipped across the six yard line.

At the other end, Hackney escaped the Hornets offside trap from a ball over the top but, having spun his man, he couldn't steady his feet to get his shot away.

Elito then picked the ball up in injury time and, from a central position, drove a shot narrowly over the crossbar.

But the U's settled for one goal as they got all three points.

U's: Pentney, White, Heath, Baldwin, Bender, Beevers, James, Sanderson, Hackney, Vincent (Elito 72), Odejayi

Subs: Phillips, Rafter, Arnott