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Blues were very good in the first half. They played with a good tempo about their game and created numerous chances - two of which were converted.
Following a set piece after 20 minutes, Paul Devlin did well to keep the ball in play with a looped cross into the six yard box and after captain for the day, Tommy Mooney - back in his favoured striker position for the bed-ridden Geoff Horsfield - failed to connect with a header, former skipper Darren Purse strode in behind to head home from a couple of yards out.
Blues extended their lead just prior to the interval when good work by Darren Carter and Stan Lazaridis left Mooney with the simple task of sliding the ball into an unguarded net to double his former side's deficit.
Stern John also went close during the first half when he flicked a Mooney effort onto the crossbar.
Blues started the second half as they finished the first and should have extended their lead a few minutes into the second period when Youth International Carter was played through by John, only to run the ball out of play whilst attempting to round Alec Chamberlain in the Watford goal.
However, Carter was certainly involved in Blues' third, as again he impressively broke into the penalty area, only to be felled by Watford captain Phillipe Galli. The referee pointed to the spot and Mooney duly obliged from 12 yards out to kill the game off. Or so we thought!
After Mooney missed a gilt-edged chance for his hat-trick when clean through following an Ian Bennett punt upfield, Watford were let back into the game.
The impressive loanee Jermaine Pennant took a free-kick from wide on the left, and Bennett totally misjudged the cross/shot and allowed it to float over his head into the far corner.
Watford had been terrible until this point, with Blues in complete control, yet the balance of power in the game shifted considerably at this point with The Hornets attacking Blues at every opportunity, Patrick Blondeau going close with a far post header and live-wire substitute Tommy Smith thundering a 25 yard drive off Bennett's far post.
Watford's second finally arrived courtesy of a stunning Michael Johnson volley from 10 yards out. Yes, that's our Michael Johnson, who in attempting to clear the ball, finished sublimely and left Bennett watching as the ball flew past his left hand side into the back of the net. Blues had to hang on for the 5 minutes of stoppage time, and the introduction of both Nicky Eaden and Graham Hyde for the far more attacking Devlin and Lazaridis respectively highlighted the fears that Steve Bruce evidently had about a Hornets comeback.
In the end though, Blues held on, and can take a lot of positives from their performance for the first 60 minutes when they played some impressive football.
Another positive was the emergence of the central midfield partnership of Carter and Bryan Hughes, who I personally felt was Man Of The Match in a surprisingly deep and restrained role.
Hughes revelled in such a role and his all round aggression and distribution was a joy to watch from a player too often loathed to 'get stuck in'.
However, the one worry was the defending - again - which was atrocious at times, and the ease at which Watford were able to get back into the game.
All in all though, three vital points to lead into a month of vital games, starting with the trip to Turf Moor on Tuesday.
Bluenose Ron