Goals from Andre Dozzell and Idris El Mizouni saw Watford’s Under-23s fall to a 2-0 defeat against Ipswich Town at Vicarage Road.

The visitors were the better side for much of the Professional Development League clash as goals in either half handed them a comfortable victory.

Watford’s better moments came in the first period and they will hope for an improved result when they return to action against Charlton Athletic in a week’s time.

The Hornets opted to hand starts to both Pontus Dahlberg and Nathaniel Chalobah with the latter looking to get some valuable minutes under his belt.

Chalobah, who suffered a fractured kneecap last September, has so far this season started the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Reading and been handed a brief cameo in the Premier League win over Spurs.

He looked slightly off the pace on an afternoon where prolonged possession proved hard to come by for both sides, but will nonetheless be happy to have got 78 minutes under his belt.

A lively start saw both sides look to get forward early on with the energetic Harry Forster flashing a volley wide of the mark from the edge of the box before Town’s Jack Lancaster’s drive from 10 yards was well blocked.

Much of Watford’s better moments came down the right side in the first period with Forster providing a willing runner and Andrew Eleftheriou offering support from right-back.

They were let down by their final pass which was often found lacking, but were almost gifted an opener with a quarter of an hour played as Michael Folivi’s pressing forced a mistake from Ipswich keeper Harry Wright.

The Town number one took too long on the ball and saw his clearance cannon off Folivi and fly a yard or so wide of the post.

Dahlberg was called into his first piece of action soon after as a clipped cross from the left found the head of Shane McLoughlin, but his effort was easily held by the 19-year-old Swede as he got down low to his left.

He would be powerless to deny Ipswich the opener in the 23rd minute, however, as the visitors produced an excellent piece of link up play to cut through a static Watford defence.

A smart exchange of passes put Lancaster in on goal, but, instead of taking aim himself, the number nine played a perfectly weighted pass inside for Dozzell to slide a low finish into the net with a simple finish.

The goal was fair reward for the best piece of attacking play produced by either side, but did elicit a response from the home side as they saw Folivi’s shot deflect wide of the mark.

Ipswich still posed the more considerable attacking threat, though, and could have doubled their lead when Dahlberg only managed to parry a low Ben Folami shot into his six yard box, but Watford were spared by the offside flag.

Watford would have the final meaningful act of the first half as Ryan Cassidy first raced clear on the left and saw his low cross deflect to Forster, who returned the ball to the striker.

The teenager couldn’t get his feet sorted in time and saw a volleyed effort deflect into the ground and Town cleared to ensure they led at the break.

Town carried their overall control into the second period and should have punished a slack Watford defence when Jordan Roberts was played through on the right wing.

With Lancaster waiting in the middle, Roberts could only pick out the hands of Dahlberg as he passed up the chance to put the ball on a plate for his team-mate.

The missed opportunity signalled the start of a cagier period in the game as both sides looked to exert a measure of control but had little joy in doing so.

Chances were few and far between with Watford in particular finding it hard to find a breakthrough against a well-drilled Ipswich defence.

Roberts was once again involved in the action when latching onto a ball over the top, but his volleyed effort from range again provided little more than food and drink for Dahlberg.

The rustiness shown by Chalobah in the first half reared its head once more in the 70th minute as he made a smart turn in his own half, only to misplace a simple five yard pass from which El Mizouni fired wide.

Ipswich would all but settle matters moments later as firstly Lancaster raced through to be denied by Dahlberg, who did well to keep a low shot out with his legs.

Unfortunately for the keeper Watford could only partially clear and El Mizouni was able to take the ball down in the box and fire a left-footed shot home.

From then on Ipswich were comfortable and other than a Cassidy shot, which came after a claver turn from the 17-year-old and was well saved by the legs of Wright, Watford failed to muster much as they fell to defeat.