COVENTRY City's season ended on a sour note after quickfire doubles in each half handed the Hornets all the points at the Ricoh Arena.

Hornets top scorer Danny Graham put his side ahead with a 16th minute spot kick after being brought down by Leon Barnett and Henri Lansbury doubled the lead just 60 seconds after with a low long range effort which beat Keiren Westwood.

Graham then grabbed his second of the game after poking home a low cross from Lee Hodson on 78 minutes with second half substitute Martin Sordell rounding off the scoring for Watford a minute later with an individual effort.

With both sides partaking in some early sparring it was the Sky Blues who threatened first after nine minutes when Martin Cranie lifted a ball in the Watford penalty area for Aron Gunnarsson who popped his header over the bar.

Gunnarsson went close again four minutes later when a sweeping cross field ball from Sammy Clingan was headed back into the box from Stephen Wright for Gunnarsson to glance his own header just wide of Scott Loach's post.

It was the visitors who took the lead though on 16 minutes when Graham was adjudged to have been brought down in the box while involved in a tussle for the ball with Barnett, the Watford top scorer eventually dusting himself off to cooly dispatch the resulting spot kick into Westwood's top corner.

No sooner had the visitors took the lead they were two goals up, Lansbury unleashing a 25-yard daisy cutter on Watford's very next attack to double their lead.

Lansbury registered another shot on target on 23 minutes, a first time shot on the edge of the area following on from Richard Wood's clearance, Westwood this time parrying and then collecting the loose ball.

David Bell went close for the Sky Blues just before the half hour mark, a quick break freeing Wright on the right flank, his low ball across the box finding Bell who slid an effort at goal only for Jon Harley to deflect the ball wide.

Freddy Eastwood went even closer on the Sky Blues' next attack, slicing a shot with the outside of his right boot from ten yards out but just bending it the wrong side of Loach's post.

Morrison went equally close ten minutes before the break when Bell chipped a cross into the box for the striker to head across the goalmouth and just wide of the foot of the far post.

Westwood was required to come off his line for the Sky Blues with six minutes of the half to go though when a ricocheted ball in the City area fell to Lansbury who fired from a tight angle but could only watch as Westwood blocked a first and follow-up effort with his legs.

City almost clawed a goal back seven minutes after the break when good link up play between Morrison, Eastwood and half-time substitute Carl Baker allowed Eastwood to tee up Morrison who guided an effort just wide of the post.

Westwood had to be at full stretch at the other end on 56 minutes though when Don Cowie stuck out a leg to tap a shot goalwards in the six yard area from a floated cross, Westwood pushing the ball wide with his fingertips.

Morrison went close again two minutes later when Wright ran free on the breakaway down the right flank and cut back a cross for Morrison who pushed his header across the goalmouth and just wide.

Lansbury went close on 62 minutes with a free kick which he curled over the wall but just over Westwood's bar as well.

Lloyd Doyley was just a foot away from adding a third goal for Watford on 72 minutes when a whipped in ball hit him on the thigh and rolled wide of Westwood's post.

It was three with 12 minutes to go though when Graham slid into the six-yard area to poke home a low cross from Lee Hodson.

Substitute Martin Sordell then added a fourth for the Hornets just a minute later, latching onto a through ball and then stopping in his tracks just inside the area to slide a ball past Westwood.

Sordell went close again on 83 minutes, catching Westwood outside his area and lofting an effort at goal only to see his effort land on the side netting with a backtracking Martin Cranie covering for his 'keeper.

But that was the last notable event of the afternoon as the Sky Blues made a handful of skirmishes into the Watford area in the closing stages but never managed to grab a late consolation.

Attendance: 19,103 (1,879 away)

Teams

Coventry City: Westwood, Wright (c) (Clarke 70), Cranie, Wood, Barnett, Gunnarsson, Clingan (Bell 45), McIndoe, Bell, Morrison, Eastwood (Jeffers 70)
Subs: Konstantopoulos (GK), Hall, Hussey, Sears

Watford: Loach, Mariappa, Lansbury, Cowie, Graham (Massey 84), Doyley, Harley, Tyler, Eustace (c) (McGinn 89), Bryan (Sordell 60), Hodson
Subs: Lee (GK), Bennett, Henderson, Oshodi

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