Watford maintained a six-point lead at the top of the Championship by winning 2-0 at Crystal Palace.

US center back Jay DeMerit went the full 90 in front of 13,986 at Selhurst Park as the Hornets registered their fifth straight win to stay in pole position in England’s second tier.

Tommy Smith gave the league leaders the advantage just after the half hour when he stabbed home from close range and Marlon King doubled their advantage in the 67th minute when he drilled the ball into the corner from 12 yards for his fifth goal in five games.

Third-to-last Palace, who handed a debut to 15-year old John Bostock on the night, fought hard but were outclassed by a Hornets team who now have 10 wins under their belt from 13 attempts.

The victory marked a happy return for DeMerit to the stadium where he scored an own goal in a 3-1 defeat for Watford against the Eagles in March 2006.

The Hornets host third place West Brom on Saturday at Vicarage Road.

Scoring
WAT - Tommy Smith 2 32'
WAT - Marlon King 7 (Adam Johnson) 67'

Line-ups
CPL - Juliás Speroni; Matthew Lawrence, Mark Hudson, Jose Fonte, Jeff Hughes (Clinton Morrison 72'), Lee Hills, Carl Fletcher, Ben Watson (John Bostock 72'), Franck Songo'o, James Scowcroft, Dougie Freedman (Besian Idrizaj 66')

WAT - Richard Lee; Jordan Stewart, Danny Shittu, Jay DeMerit, Lloyd Doyley, Gavin Mahon, John O'Toole, Adam Johnson, Tommy Smith (Jobi McAnuff 68'), Marlon King (Nathan Ellington 75'), Darius Henderson (Tamás Priskin 75')