Stern will earn it

John started but later confessed that manager George Burley wanted to change the system and opted more a more mobile forward. It didn't help though.

Henderson scored two late goals as Watford came from behind to win and go to the top of the table

Danny Shittu headed the Hornets ahead before Grzegorz Rasiak toe-poked an equaliser from 18 yards.

Nathan Dyer spectacularly put Saints ahead from outside the area before Henderson guided home Lloyd Doyley's driven low cross at the far post.

And Henderson then tucked the ball home from six yards in injury time.

It was no more than Watford deserved after a superb performance in which they repeatedly tested Saints keeper Kelvin Davis, who made a series of brilliant saves and can consider himself unfortunate to be on the losing side.

Southampton had won their previous two games and would have moved from 19th place to fourth had they held on to their 2-1 advantage.

But on the balance of play a victory would have been a extremely fortunate result for  Burley's side.

For all Watford's dominance they almost conceded after 11 minutes when Shittu deflected a free-kick towards his own goal, forcing Poom to make an excellent low save.

But there could have been no complaints when Shittu scored after 42 minutes, converting Smith's precise cross after Davis had come for a cross but made poor contact.


By this stage Davis, excellent in the opening stages, has become increasingly uncertain in his handling and the home side looked a good bet to score the next goal.

However, after a quiet opening half, Rasiak allowed a threaded pass from Dyer to run across his body in injury time before slotting home.


King should have restored his team's advantage within seconds of the restart but, after heading a long clearance from Shittu into space, his early strike was brilliantly saved.


And Davis was soon into action again, denying Ellington after the Hornets striker wrong-footed the Saints defence with a deft turn.


But it was Saints who scored the third, Dyer collecting a ball from substitute Bradley Wright-Phillips before curling the ball across goal with a superb right-footed strike.

John in action for Southampton vs Queen's Park Rangers


And it looked as though it might have earned  Burley's team a scarcely deserved win before Henderson struck twice after 81 and 90 minutes.


John later spoke, saying "It was obviously disappointed to lose. We came here confident of getting something and I was pleased to get my first start. We didn't do particularly bad in the first half but we also were not in charge of the game at that stage," John said. "I thought I did okay but the manager said he wanted a different approach and I had to to make room for a striker who was more mobile and getting more movement up top. I understood the move so it wasn't like I was mad for being taken off. I think we need to keep on working as a team and the results will come. The team isn't playing badly," John added.