Chris Hughton identified Watford’s goal-scoring ability as the difference between the two sides at the Amex Stadium and believes that is why the Hornets are capable of finishing the job and winning promotion to the Premier League.

The Hornets beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 through Troy Deeney and an injury-time Matej Vydra finish to open up a four-point lead at the top of the table ahead of the 3pm kick-offs. A return to the big time could be secured today if results go Watford’s way but Slavisa Jokanovic’s men know that if they beat Sheffield Wednesday next Saturday they will go up as champions.

The struggling Seagulls gave their all against Watford but some good approach work went unrewarded due to a lack of a cutting edge.

The Brighton boss said: “Unfortunately I think as the season’s gone on we’ve had some good performances, or some performances that perhaps weren’t so good but we’ve been able to maybe keep a clean sheet, but the fact we’ve found it difficult to get the goals always puts pressure on the team.

“I look at the goal that they (Watford) scored. It’s a poor goal from our point of view but before this game they’ve got two strikers that have both scored 20 goals apiece this season and the type of goal they scored, they find a way of doing it. [Even if] it’s a scrappy ball in the box, they still have to show great control at the end of it to pass and the finish. That we’ve found very difficult to do.”

Hughton continued: “When the game gets stretched and they’re really pushing for it, it’s a different type of game but I don’t think there’s anybody that watched the game that would have felt Watford were better than us.

“I thought in the first half we were good, I thought we started very well and I don’t think we had any less ball in the box and in the final third than they did, but what they have got at the moment is to find a way of getting that goal.

“The second goal I think is almost immaterial, we’re pushing to get back in the game and getting bodies forward but they have got the know-how, the guile and the quality to score goals and we’re finding it very difficult.”

Hughton knows what it take a team into the top flight, having achieved promotion with Newcastle United, and asked about Watford’s prospects, he responded: “If I look at the four teams that are probably pushing for those two players they all have outstanding qualities.

“I can remember watching the game against Blackpool at home and I think they were 2-0 down at half-time and then within ten minutes of the second half they were 3-2 up. They can do it. They’ve got two strikers who have got 20 goals each and that’s without Vydra, who has probably got 15. They can score goals. Are they capable of winning their last goal and going up? Of course they are but all four of those top teams are.”

Brighton did have a couple of strong penalty appeals during the game. Hughton claimed he hadn’t seen the incidents involving Juan Carlos Paredes and Joe Bennett and, later, Matthew Connolly and Craig Mackail-Smith but added: “I thought – and I might be wrong on this one – there was a blatant block and a foul on Beram Kayal just before they scored which left Beram on the ground. I will look again but my first impressions were there was a blatant block on him.”