Watford 3 – 0 Birmingham

Tom Ince’s first league hat-trick in a decade gave Watford an emphatic 3-0 victory over a dismal Birmingham side at Vicarage Road and continued his side’s surge towards the Championship automatic promotion places.

Ince should even have added a fourth goal when he fired over an open net inside the six-yard box with 20 minutes remaining.

He still collected a deserved match ball for his first Championship hat-trick for 10 years and 17 days, since he netted a treble for Derby against Bristol City in December 2015.

Ince’s hat-trick showcased his full range of talents. His first goal arrived after nine minutes when he delightfully cushioned his volley off a Giorgi Chakvetadze cross into the bottom corner.

Chakvetadze found him again in the 20th minute, but this time Ince’s clipped shot struck the side-netting from a tight angle.

Birmingham manager Chris Davies was watching on from the stands following his red card in Monday’s 1-1 home draw with Southampton.

The sight of Patrick Roberts racing clear on the right just past the half-hour only to tread on the ball and leave it behind him will not have looked any better to Davies from on high.

While Birmingham were ponderous in possession and consequently frequently faced by 10 Watford outfield players to play through, the hosts were able to quicken the tempo at will.

Othmane Maamma did just that after 38 minutes, tricking his way into space and sending over a low cross which was met by Ince.

Birmingham keeper James Beadle brilliantly parried that effort away, but Ince was able to steer the rebound past him with his left foot to make it 2-0.

In spite of his earlier mis-step, Roberts looked the only Birmingham player willing or able to make something happen.

He flashed a right-foot shot wide of the far post just before the break and saw a left-footed effort saved by Egil Selvik three minutes into the second half.

Stung by the boos of the travelling Birmingham fans at half-time, Davies had introduced Marc Leonard and Lyndon Dykes at the interval.

The changes made little difference, however, and Ince completed his hat-trick in thrilling fashion just before the hour.

A driving run by Watford substitute Nestory Irankunda gave Ince a shooting opportunity which he seized in emphatic fashion with a stunning left-footed drive that was still rising as it found the back of the Birmingham net.

He then side-footed an easier chance over the bar after being set up by Vivaldo Semedo, but still left the field to a standing ovation when he was taken off with 13 minutes remaining.

Birmingham were booed off again by those Blues fans who remained at full-time.

The managers

Watford’s Javi Gracia:

“I am delighted for Tom because all the players deserve their reward of scoring goals. He’s a high-quality player.

“He can play on the left or the right, can play on both sides and he’s always involved in the planning of the game.

“If we need to defend more on one side, he is always ready to do that job and he’s an example for all the players.

“They were all different goals because Tom is able to do that. He has the quality to do it. He scored three goals today but I know that tomorrow he will be the first one in the training session preparing the next game. He will accept it if he is in the team or on the bench and we need this kind of behaviour.”

Birmingham’s Chris Davies:

“It was very disappointing. We were nowhere near the level required to win a football match. We didn’t defend well enough at all in the first half and we conceded soft goals.

“When we got into their box, it kind of fizzled out. We put ourselves in a really difficult position against a good team when we are playing away from home.

“We’ve had games recently where we’ve narrowly lost or where we’ve drawn when we deserved to win a match but on this occasion, we didn’t deserve anything from the match.

“It was well short of the level you expect from a Birmingham City team.”