Troy Deeney scored his first Premier League goal as Watford ended a run of three league games without victory by winning 2-0 at in-form Stoke City on Saturday.

In manager Mark Hughes's 100th game at the helm, Stoke were seeking to record a fourth consecutive league win for the first time since December 2011 in what was the two teams' first top-flight encounter since April 1985.

But it was Quique Sanchez Flores's side who prevailed at the Britannia Stadium as goals from Deeney and Almen Abdi gave Watford their first ever away win in the Premier League in the month of October.

Further spoiling Hughes's day, he saw Watford move above Stoke, who fell three places to 14th in the table.

Deeney went into the game having had more attempts at goal without scoring than any other player in the division and he was quick to make a nuisance of himself, forcing Glen Johnson into a last-ditch block.

Stoke were forced into an early change when Geoff Cameron went off in the 10th minute with an apparent thigh injury, which saw Marc Wilson came on, but they made most of the early running.

Charlie Adam twice went close from range, while Xherdan Shaqiri picked out Marko Arnautovic, only for his cross to strike the Austrian forward on the shoulder and fly over the crossbar.

But shortly before half-time, Watford sprang to life when Odion Ighalo and Deeney hit the bar in quick succession, and in the 42nd minute they went ahead.

Ighalo's flick was collected by Deeney on the edge of the box and the Watford skipper took a touch before steering a low shot into the bottom-right corner.

Ighalo, Watford's leading scorer with five goals, took an accidental boot to the head from Adam early in the second half, but after leaving the pitch for treatment he was able to continue.

The visitors continued to attack, with Ighalo and Ikechi Anya denied penalties, before Ighalo robbed Wilson and teed up Abdi to fire home at the near post in the 69th minute and double Watford's advantage.

Only a save by Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland prevented Juan Carlos Paredes making it 3-0, while Jon Walters, back after a groin injury, shot wide at the other end.