A DREADFUL back-pass by Watford's Matthew Spring allowed Manchester United to maintain their 100 per cent start to the Premiership season. The Hornets were holding the leaders 1-1 at Vicarage Road when Spring's carelessness allowed stand-in United captain Ryan Giggs to round Richard Lee and clip home shortly after half-time.

It was made worse by Darius Henderson's terrible closerange miss moments earlier, which would have completed a turnaround begun by Damien Francis.

Francis tapped in Ashley Young's low right-wing cross to cancel out Mikael Silvestre's opener, the full-back having burst forward on the overlap before drilling a low strike into the far corner.

Watford began the game with the same purpose and tenacity that characterised their 1-1 draw with West Ham in midweek and, briefly, the Premiership leaders looked rattled. In the second minute, Wes Brown sliced Hameur Bouazza's left-wing cross into the path of Young, who lifted the ball to the far post where Marlon King could only head it into the arms of Edwin van der Sar. Young's cross dipped just over the crossbar in the fifth minute, and two minutes later Henderson tested Van der Sar with a left-footed drive from 20 yards. But having negotiated the opening stages, United began to make their superior passing and movement tell.

Michael Carrick's curling cross in the 10th minute forced Lee to back-pedal quickly and tip over, and from Giggs' resulting right-wing corner Cristiano Ronaldo headed just wide. United had to wait only two more minutes before they took the lead with a goal of beautiful simplicity. Giggs made a menacing run from inside his own half before releasing Louis Saha, who slipped the ball to his left for Silvestre to burst into the penalty area before drilling an angled, left-footed shot just inside the right post.

The Red Devils' slick attacking play made Watford jittery at the back, and Lloyd Doyley . . . under no pressure . . .

headed the ball behind for a corner in the 26th minute.

Watford boss Adie Boothroyd, perhaps recognising the visitors' superiority in midfield, brought off wide man Bouazza and sent on Spring to give his team more bite and resolve in the centre of the pitch.

The move paid off within three minutes as Watford equalised in the 34th minute.

Young tricked his way past Silvestre on the right and drove the ball low across the face of goal where Francis, whose run from midfield had gone untracked, tapped in his second goal in three matches since his summer move from Wigan. Soon after Spring sent a far-post header straight at Van der Sar after Young had once more outwitted Silvestre on the Hornets right.

In the 51st minute, Watford should have taken the lead . . . and paid the ultimate penalty when they fell behind 60 seconds later. Only Dan Shittu and Francis will know why they failed to pounce after Henderson had steered Marlon King's deflected freekick back across the face of the United goal, with keeper Van der Sar stranded.

The pair simply stood and watched instead of intervening, and they were quickly punished for their error by Giggs. Collecting Spring's under-hit back pass, the Welshman evaded goalkeeper Lee with remarkable ease before steering the ball into the empty net with his right foot.

On the hour mark, Ferguson sent on Park Ji-Sung, who took his place on the left of a revamped five-man, twotier midfield. Two minutes later, Giggs was released by Saha but, after outpacing Jay DeMerit, he could only direct his angled effort straight at Lee. Two minutes later, Giggs was released by Saha but, after outpacing Jay DeMerit, he could only direct his angled effort straight at Lee.

With 25 minutes remaining, Boothroyd replaced forward Henderson with Jordan Stewart and pushed Young forward to partner King in attack.