IF Dean Bowditch doesn't have a special place in his heart for Watford, he should now.

When the striker first made his mark in an Ipswich shirt, it was as a fresh-faced 17-year-old - his hat-trick helping to sting the Hornets 4-1.

Now, a little over 12 months down the line, Watford provided the outlet for the on-loan Tractor Boy to break his duck in Burnley colours.

Four out of his nine career goals have come against the southerners, and how well the teenager clinched this one, breezing between central defenders Neil Cox and Jay DeMerit to slide the ball underneath goalkeeper Richard Lee in a truly composed manner belying his tender years and doing his manager, Steve Cotterill, proud.

"We've felt he needed to get more efforts on goal, which he has done," said a relexed and tanned Cotterill. "Before the game, though, we said 'you've got to go out and score a goal'."

Obedient Bowditch's 20th minute strike should have paved the way for the Clarets to make it a miserable beginning to Adrian Boothroyd's managerial career after he took over from the ousted Ray Lewington last week.

When James O'Connor made it D-Day - 'Debut Day' - all round with his first goal for Burnley, a rout was on the cards, especially against opponents who were showing signs of nervousness.

But it wasn't until the closing minutes that this game was put beyond complete doubt after Boothroyd's first half-time team-talk as Watford manager roused his troops.

The former Leeds United first team coach took the brave decision to make a triple substitution with less than 20 minutes to go and, moments later, it was game on as Anthony McNamee, who had replaced Chris Eagles, fired in a corner and Dominic Blizzard, who had replaced Brynjard Gunnarsson, did the honours with a header at the near post.

But selflessness beat bravery hands down as Ade Akinbiyi supplied substitute Jean Louis Valois with the chance to stab the ball into an empty net and wrap up a comfortable win.

It was a move which epitomised the striker's contribution to the game. What the former Stoke City front man lacks in guile and silky skills, he more than makes up for with his strength in holding the ball up and ability to bring his team-mates into play, not to mention the venom with which he can strike a ball himself at goal. His ninth minute volley from John Oster's clever flick was a case in point for that as he left goalkeeper Lee's hands throbbing and set the tone for the rest of the day for the Clarets.

Watford looked nervous, and a collision between Lee and left back Jack Smith as they both attempted a clearance on the edge of the box was a demonstration of their uncertainties.

Bowditch and the ruthless Frank Sinclair combined from a throw-in and Sinclair was unlucky to see his cross-shot swing away from the goalmouth with Lee at full stretch.

Chris Eagles set up Ashley Young for Watford's first real chance but the left sided player side-footed over the bar.

But Bowditch put the relegation threatened side on the back foot with his left-footed finish from Mo Camara's pump forward for his first goal since October last year, when he scored in a 2-1 win for Ipswich at Coventry.

He might have added a second on the half-hour but his powerful effort swerved over the bar.

Watford, meanwhile, struggled in most areas, but particularly up front as chances were few and far between. Hameur Bouazza fizzed a shot wide of Brian Jensen's left hand post, but that's about as good as it got for the Hornets.

Tactically, their only order carried out consistently was to have one player - often Bruce Dyer - standing in directly in front of any Burnley player trying to take a throw-in.

Ironically, it was their decision to waste a man in defence which could ultimately have led to the Clarets' second goal.

Camara took a run-up and launched the ball over Dyer and into the box. It was only half-cleared and O'Connor pounced to rifle it into the bottom right hand corner for the Dubliner's first goal in both spells with Burnley, indeed his first for almost three years.

Burnley, refreshed from their Mediterranean break, eased off a little in the second half. But credit should go to Watford for their part in that as they changed their approach to the game to become more attacking.

Smith fired over and Young should have done more to test Jensen with a good chance on the hour. Instead, Burnley's strapping stopper barely had to move a muscle to hold the wide man's drive.

Boothroyd made his triple change and it paid off four minutes later as Watford closed the gap through Blizzard's bullet header.

Cotterill, later, made changes with Tony Grant and Michael Duff replacing Bowditch and Graham Branch. Fresh legs instilled renewed vigour for the Clarets and they ended the game much the stronger.

Akinbiyi teed up Micah Hyde, and he was unlucky not to cap an impressive performance with a goal as his fierce strike was palmed away by Lee.

Striker Akinbiyi showed similar unselfish qualities after Burnley made their final substitution on 88 minutes as Valois was introduced for livewire Oster. Akinbiyi was in a decent position to fire at Lee. But Valois, bursting through on the left, was better placed, and when Akinbiyi rode DeMerit's challenge, he slid the ball through Ian Cox's legs for Valois to stroke into an empty net and make it a welcome return to Turf Moor, and league action, for Burnley.