Do not be fooled by the scoreline or the table this morning. Villa may be second in the Premiership but they looked far from championship contenders in eking out a win against supposed relegation certainties last night.

Watford deserved better than to lose to Mark Delaney's second-half goal, and only an excellent 85th-minute save by David James from Tommy Mooney's volley kept them out in a frantic finish.

Villa had suffered a miserable eight days, conceding a last-minute goal in the 2-2 draw with West Ham and losing at Chelsea; Watford were buoyed by victories over Liverpool and Bradford.

Mooney, their match-winner on both occasions, had particular incentive to try to make it three in a row. Not only were Villa his first club, but he knew another goal would make him the first Watford player since 1987 to score in three successive top-flight games.

Not surprisingly, Graham Taylor, Watford's manager then and now, stuck with the team who had seen off Bradford on Saturday.

Villa gave a first start of the season to Paul Merson in place of Alan Thompson, but it was route one which provided their first chance, Dion Dublin flicking on a goalkick by James only for Julian Joachim to shoot hurriedly wide.

Villa's creativity was largely stifled with Steve Palmer rarely more than spitting distance from Merson. And it was James who was forced into the first save of the match, tipping wide Michel Ngonge's stooping header from Peter Kennedy's cross in the 26th minute.

Villa perked up briefly after the break but were still woefully short of ideas. When Delaney broke free down the right and sent in a dangerous cross, Dublin sent a free header wide from eight yards.

Only a slice of fortune prevented Watford going ahead in the 67th minute when Alan Wright's clearance bounced off Paul Robinson and over, but within a minute Villa were ahead. Robert Page tried to head Wright's cross clear but the ball fell to Delaney just inside the area and he volleyed his first goal for Villa.

Watford: Day, Lyttle, Williams, Page, Robinson, Hyde (Bonnot 77), Palmer, Easton (Foley 77), Kennedy, Ngonge (Gudmundsson 77), Mooney. Subs Not Used: Gibbs, Walker. Booked: Williams.

Aston Villa: James, Ehiogu, Southgate, Calderwood, Delaney, Taylor, Hendrie, Merson (Boateng 80), Wright, Joachim, Dublin. Subs Not Used: Watson, Oakes, Ghrayib, Vassell. Booked: Boateng. Goals: Delaney 68.

Referee: S Bennett (Orpington).