ROVERS 3

Dunn 5, Blake 17, 87

WATFORD 4

Hyde 19, 37, Helguson 35, Mooney 65

ROBERT Louis Stevenson must have had a twisted mind to come up with the freaky story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

But even he couldn't have been wharped enough to dream up a script like this which saw Rovers destroyed by Mr Michael Jones and Micah Hyde.

Fans saw the best and worst sides of Blackburn Rovers last night in a mini cameo of Stevenson's famous story about split personalities.

For 18 glorious minutes, the Blackburn End were in dreamland as Graeme Souness's men were 2-0 up and cruising thanks to a scintillating spell of football which made a mockery of Watford's promotion credentials.

But referee Jones then chose to intervene, deciding to let a couple of vital indiscretions go unpunished, and midfield man Micah Hyde took maximum advantage.

It was Hyde who launched his team's heroic fightback by lashing home a stunning drive.

Then, after Heidar Helguson had profitted from Mr Jones's second gaffe, Hyde notched a brilliant third as the Hornets went on to complete an astonishing comeback.

Understandably, Souness was seething afterwards, claiming his side had been mugged by the match officials.

And he clearly had a point.

But to blame Rovers' first defeat of the new season solely at the feet of the referee does Graham Taylor and his plucky Watford side a major dis-service.

During an ill-fated spell as England boss, Taylor was famously branded a turnip by the tabloids after a failed European Championship campaign. But he continues to prove there is no-one better at getting the best out of a crop of average players at domestic level.

And his well-drilled platoon taught Rovers a major lesson in the art of survival.

"Wherever he has been, Graham Taylor's club record has been excellent," admitted Craig Short.

"I think he's a decent manager to play for, I've got a lot of respect for him, and his team worked very, very hard for him -- they never gave in.

"Credit must go to them for that but I'm sure they'll be thinking they got out of jail.

"We cannot play much better than that going forward, yet we conceded a couple of dodgy goals, we were disappointed with a couple of decisions in the build up to them, and they caused us problems all night.

"So there's obviously things to pick out and criticise, like conceding a goal from a set-piece.

"We have lads who are big and strong and we shouldn't be letting in goals like that.

"But fair play to Micah Hyde -- his third goal was good, he took it well."

Had anyone suggested Watford would end up with all three points after 17 minutes of this contest they would have sent for the men in white coats.

Rovers were cooking on gas from the first whistle and delivered a clear message of intent inside 52 seconds when Garry Flitcroft's sizzling 20 yarder thumped against the foot of the post.

Unperturbed, they set about the visitors like a pack of thirsty bloodhounds, racing into a 1-0 lead four minutes later.

Jason McAteer laid the ball off for Matt Jansen on the right and he whipped over a teasing centre for David Dunn to plant a bullet header past Espen Baardsen at the near post for his sixth goal of the season.

Jansen should have made it two, himself, when he challenged Baardsen for a John Curtis cross but he was harshly penalised by Mr Jones who blew for a freekick. That was soon forgotten, though, when Rovers' second did arrive on 17 minutes.

Curtis was again the instigator, swinging over another inviting centre from the right which Nathan Blake gleefully gobbled up at the second attempt after his initial header came back off the post.

At that point it looked a case of how many.

But, after a Gifton Noel-William handball went unpunished, Watford then won a throw-in which Allan Nielsen launched towards the penalty spot, the ball fell to Hyde on the edge of the area, and he lashed it past Alan Kelly into the bottom left corner.

Worse was to follow for Rovers as Jansen was stretchered off after going over on his ankle.

And the Hornets spyed their chance to wrestle back the initiative.

Helguson headed them level 10 minutes before the break, meeting Paul Robinson's deep cross from the left, after the referee had again failed to spot a clear foul on Stig Inge Bjornebye.

And, in a complete reversal of fortunes, they somehow found themselves ahead two minutes later when Hyde this time belted a right footer past Kelly from 25 yards.

Did I not like that!

Chances continued to fall to either side after the break.

Blake headed over and a Kaba Diawara effort flashed just wide of the far post before Watford struck again on 65 minutes when Tommy Mooney pounced on slack marking to head home Robinson's left-wing corner.

Still Rovers kept pouring forward as Baardsen made a brilliant triple save to deny Blake (twice) and Dunn.

And they were handed a lifeline with three minutes left when Lee Carsley won a drop ball on the edge of the box, allowing Blake to slot home his second of the night with a deft chip.

In a frantic finale, Blake could even have salvaged a point but just failed to connect with a cross-shot from the right which flashed agonisingly across the face of goal.

So Rovers' unbeaten record has disappeared. Now Graeme Souness will find out if his side really have learnt any lessons from last season by showing the mettle to bounce back from a set-back.