Henderson sees Watford go top

JIMMY Floyd Hasselbaink scored his first goal for Cardiff but was eclipsed by the free-scoring Darius Henderson as Watford stormed to the top of the Coca-Cola Championship with a 2-1 win over Cardiff.

The former Chelsea marksman, a free signing in the summer, had seemingly silenced critics of his sizeable wages by canceling out Henderson’s first-half opener with a 61st-minute thunderbolt.

But Henderson, who came off the bench before scoring twice in the 3-2 win over Southampton on Sunday, justified Adrian Boothroyd’s decision to drop Marlon King by smashing the winner with just 12 minutes to go.

The goal, Henderson’s fifth in three games, sends the Hornets three points clear of second-placed Bristol City in the standings, while Cardiff continue to linger in mid-table with only seven points from six games.

The irony, however, is that the fortunes could easily have been reversed if Hasselbaink had converted a fraction of his chances into goals.