Watford look set to secure their first victory in 11 outings in Beppe Sannino’s debut home game, with his side leading ten-man Millwall 2-0 at half time.

The new Golden Boys boss – who wants to be known as Beppe rather than Giuseppe - made two changes to his starting line-up, with the injured Daniel Pudil and Diego Fabbrini making way for Ikechi Anya and Fernando Forestieri.

The Hornets took the lead inside ten minutes when Lewis McGugan’s perfectly-weighted pass picked out Deeney and avoided the jumping Danny Shittu. Deeney was set to shoot when the ex-Watford defender hacked down the striker and received a straight red as well as conceding a penalty. Deeney dispatched the spot kick with relative ease, sending David Forde the wrong way.

But despite being down to ten men, the away side almost equalised immediately when Steve Morison was allowed to head goalwards from a corner and Anya needed to clear off his own line.

Millwall should have been down to nine men inside the opening quarter. Forestieri slid the ball through to Deeney, who got the wrong side of substitute Paul Robinson, and the Lions’ skipper clearly pulled back Deeney when he was one-on-one with Forde and the striker’s subsequent shot was then saved.

The Hornets did score the second goal their play deserved on 26 minutes when Sean Murray’s diagonal ball picked out Anya and his first-time cross reached Forestieri, who stabbed the ball past Forde from close range.

Follow the second-half action here.

Watford line-up: Almunia; Doyley, Angella, Ekstrand; Cassetti, Murray, Thorne, McGugan, Anya; Forestieri, Deeney.

Subs not used: Bond, Bellerin, Battochio, Fabbrini, Iriney, Smith, Nosworthy.

Millwall line-up: Forde; Hoyte, Shittu, Beevers, Lowry; Moussi (Robinson 13), Abdou; Easter, Trotter, Woolford; Morison.

Subs not used: Bywater, Dunne, Smith, Malone, Chaplow, McDonald.

Referee: Andy D’Urso.