Watford striker Troy Deeney eased their relegation fears with two second-half penalties as they beat Newcastle United 2-1 on Saturday for their second straight Premier League victory.
Deeney blasted his spot kicks straight down the middle in the 52nd and 82nd minutes to give the home side a win which leaves them 17th on 34 points with three games to play, six ahead of third-bottom Bournemouth who have a game in hand.
Dwight Gayle had put mid-table Newcastle – who were the better team in the first half – ahead after 23 minutes when he steered the ball home after a glancing header from a corner by teammate Federico Fernandez which looked to be heading in at the far post.
Watford manager Nigel Pearson insisted the mission to avoid relegation "isn't finished yet."
"We've had a difficult season," he said. "When players are dealing with disappointment on a regular basis it's hard to go out and play with confidence.
"We have to keep focus, don't think the job is done. We are working hard – back in December it didn't look possible but throughout it all we have tried to remain positive."
Newcastle manager Steve Bruce felt his team were harshly treated by the penalty calls. “From where I was, the first penalty looked soft and they are the big defining moments in games," he said.
"To lose that game on two penalties, the way they were, you could say we are a bit naive but they were both really, really soft and when they are given against us, you do scratch your head at times and think what’s the point of the [VAR] technology for?"
