Watford Under-18s coach Dave Hughes singled out his defenders for praise after Saturday’s 1-0 away win over local rivals Luton Town.

Midfielder Kurtis Cumberbatch scored the decisive goal in the first half to give Watford their first win in three games but it was the Hornets' rearguard action that pleased Hughes most.

“For the lads to keep a clean sheet was very pleasing and a real positive for them in terms of their confidence,” Hughes told the club’s official website.

“The three centre halves were really solid dealing with physically strong centre forwards and gave the team a platform to spring forward from.”

“We stuck to our task in terms of moving the ball and dominating possession, but what we added on Saturday was that real mental strength when we didn’t have possession.

He continued: “The lads knew it was a derby, but irrespective of who we play, our philosophy and the way we want to go about it will not change.

“I really thought the lads were excellent Saturday; it was a good competitive game and they can be really pleased with the way they went about their work.”

Elsewhere, Watford Under-21s will host Bristol Rovers at Vicarage Road in the inaugural Under-21 Premier League Cup on Thursday, October 3.

Should they win the Qualifying Round 1 tie they will travel to the South-West to face Plymouth Argyle.

Category One clubs join the competition in the following round, potentially giving Watford the chance to showcase their talents against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.