READING'S hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Cup suffered a blow today when they were beaten at home by relegated Watford.

Despite dominating for much of the match, Steve Coppell's team could not find a way past Watford's outstanding goalkeeper Ben Foster, and they were sunk by secondhalf goals from Dan Shittu and Marlon King.

Reading were furious that Shittu's goal was allowed as there appeared to have been a foul on Ivar Ingimarsson, but King's close-range header - the fit-again striker's first goal since last October - was made possible by a handling error from goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann. This was only Watford's second away win of the campaign in the Barclays Premiership, and, although they rode their luck, it will give manager Adrian Boothroyd optimism for next season's promotion push.

To the surprise of virtually everyone at Madejski Stadium, Watford took the lead on the hour mark. When Williamson swung over the free-kick from the right, Ingimarsson appeared to be blocked by Darius Henderson as he tried to run out of the penalty area to catch King and Shittu offside.

With Ingimarsson stranded, the Watford pair were in a legal position, and Shittu had the simple task of stroking the past Hahnemann to put his team in front.

Watford kept their cool and, five minutes from fulltime, King made the game safe for his team with a closerange header. After scoring, King raced to celebrate with Watford's medical team as a thanks for their part in his recovery from the knee injury he sustained last November.