PREM: Watford 3-2 Cardiff
Domingos Quina curls in his first goal for Watford to make it 3-0
Watford ended a run of six games without a Premier League win with a 3-2 victory against Cardiff in an entertaining contest at Vicarage Road.
In torrential conditions, the hosts raced into a deserved 3-0 lead courtesy of brilliant goals from Gerard Deulofeu (16), Jose Holebas (52) and Domingos Quina (68).
Cardiff pulled a goal back with 10 minutes remaining through another stunning strike from Junior Hoilett and, two minutes later, Bobby Reid poked in a second to set up a nervy finish.
But Javi Gracia's side held on to move up to 10th in the Premier League as Cardiff slip to 16th - still four points above the relegation zone.
Deulofeu was the game's stand-out performer, and the former Everton and Barcelona winger might have broken the deadlock before he eventually did, with his curled shot after six minutes just bending wide of the post.
Cardiff were bidding to win consecutive top-flight games for the first time since 1962, but they fell behind when Deulofeu picked up Abdoulaye Doucoure's pass, ran between Bruno Ecuele Manga and Sean Morrison before tucking his low shot to the left of Neil Etheridge.
As for Cardiff, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing dropped to the bench as Junior Hoilett returned to the side in the one change from the 1-0 win over Southampton.
Cardiff offered very little as an attacking threat in the opening 45 minutes, and they were fortunate not to trail by more at the interval, with Roberto Pereyra's free-kick in stoppage time tipped around the post by the busy Etheridge.
Watford still have not lost three top-flight home games in a row since April 1988, and the hosts deservedly doubled their lead seven minutes after the re-start as Deulofeu turned provider for Holebas to curl in his third goal of the season from the edge of the area.
Watford by now were playing full of confidence, and Quina underlined their dominance by stretching the lead 16 minutes later as he received Ken Sema's pass before bending his shot high to the right of Etheridge, much to the delight of the home supporters.
There appeared little sign of life in Cardiff, but Hoilett restored hope in the 80th minute when he cut inside Doucoure and bent an unstoppable shot beyond Foster - a finish that was reminiscent of his goal against Wolves a fortnight ago.
Two minutes later, the visitors halved the arrears as Reid pounced on a loose ball to stab his shot beyond Foster, but a point would have severely flattered Cardiff and Watford weathered the storm to return to winning ways.