Troy Deeney scored a hat-trick as Watford moved top of the fledgling Championship table and signalled an early warning of their promotion credentials with a 6-1 win against Bournemouth, yesterday.

Gabrielle Angella, the Italian defender who moved to Vicarage Road from Udinese in the summer, gave Gianfranco Zola’s side the lead before Watford were pegged back by Lewis Grabban’s equaliser.

Angella and Deeney scored in quick succession to put Watford back in control and the Hornets, who were the leading goalscorers in the division last season, then turned on the style.

Lewis McGugan scored the fourth before Deeney completed his hat-trick with a powerful 20-yard strike into the corner and a last-minute penalty.

N. Forest and Blackpool are the only other teams so far to have opened their Championship campaign with two victories but both left it late to win yesterday.

Forest snatched the points against Blackburn Rovers with a last-minute strike from Darius Henderson after a mistake from Rovers goalkeeper Jake Kean, while an own-goal from Barnsley’s Scott Wiseman sealed a dramatic late victory for Blackpool.

Barnsley’s defeat leaves them as one of six teams yet to win a point in the Championship and they are joined down the bottom of the table by Millwall, who were beaten 3-0 by Ipswich Town.

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