JAY DEMERIT described the team's performance at the start of the match on Saturday as "fantastic" despite Watford going on to lose 4-2 at home to QPR.

The Hornets were 3-0 down at half-time and goals from Damien Francis and Danny Shittu could not prevent another defeat at Vicarage Road. The reverse leaves Watford without a win at home for seven matches dating back to October 20.

But the Watford skipper said: "I felt for the first 20 minutes we were fantastic. I don't think they even got in our half. When they did they got a penalty and had the advantage. And unfortunately for us we found ourselves again in that situation where we are down.

At the moment we are finding it hard to come back from those. It's disappointing but there is obviously a long season left to play.

"It was funny. You look at that, we lost 4-2, but we totally dominated the game. They scored their four goals in their first five shots. We bombarded them and created all the chances but they scored the goals. But that's football sometimes.

"Sometimes balls don't bounce your way, and things like that happen. It was kind of an eerie feeling, it's not like we came in and had been played off the park. It was exactly the opposite."

The Hornets have a quick opportunity to respond to the latest setback when they visit Southampton in the Championship tomorrow. Watford have the best away record in the division and DeMerit knows the importance of a winning start to the New Year.

He said: "The good thing about the Championship is that you get another game within three days and a chance to make it right and we will look to do that in the next game.

"I think most importantly we need to worry about Southampton because if we get three points in that game we will be right back where we want to be.

"We need to make sure we keep doing the right things which we did on many occasions at this game. We have to make sure we are right for the next game.

"We are all under no illusions about what is going on. A team that is at the top of the table should be winning at home. At the end of the day things happen and people start getting mixed up. It's all about trying to find your form. Our away form needs to stay the same and our home form needs to get much better and there is nothing left to be said about that."