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Matej Vydra has scored 12 Championship goals for promotion-chasing Watford

Watford moved into the second automatic promotion place in the Championship with a comfortable win over Reading.

Almen Abdi opened the scoring after 53 seconds and Matej Vydra doubled the Hornets' lead before half-time.

Vydra played in Troy Deeney to stretch the lead further, before midfielder Jem Karacan pulled one back for the Royals.

But substitute Fernando Forestieri wrapped up all three points for Watford with a powerful left-foot strike after being played through by Deeney.

The result leaves Watford second in the table, level on points with leaders Bournemouth and ahead of third-placed Middlesbrough, thanks only to Slavisa Jokanovic's side's superior goalscoring record.

Manager Steve Clarke made nine changes to the Reading side that beat Brighton on Tuesday ahead of the FA Cup sixth-round replay with Bradford on Monday.

The visitors were on the back foot throughout the game, with Marco Motta and Forestieri both having chances before Czech Republic international Vydra fired past Anderson shortly before the break.

A seventh-minute injury to Abdi was the only blemish in Watford's first-half performance, as they boosted their chances of returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2007.

Watford head coach Slavisa Jokanovic: "I must be happy with our performance today and, more importantly, we won three more points.

"We had some problems during the game but my team fixed this problem, so I must be happy with what we did today.

"After they scored the goal, it sometimes happens where my team starts playing a little bit slower and we start being a little bit relaxed.

"We must use the bench to help them fix this problem."

Reading boss Steve Clarke: "I thought the 4-1 only showed that Watford's forwards are clinical.

"I thought for long periods of the game we were good. We were in the game.

"We obviously had a terrible start, which wasn't in the plan, but the boys reacted well to that.

"The difference between the teams was that Watford were clinical and we weren't."