Hull passed up a chance to ease their relegation worries after Moussa Sissoko’s second-half goal earned Watford a 1-0 win at Vicarage Road.

Former France midfielder Sissoko, 35, netted in the 55th minute to give the Hornets’ slim chances of making the play-offs a timely boost.

Ruben Selles’ Tigers put in a tepid performance that leaves them with much work still to be done before the end of the season.

Edo Kayembe almost fired Watford ahead after barely half a minute but saw his thunderbolt from the best part of 30 yards bounce back off the angle of the goal frame.

It took a while for Hull to muster a reply but Charlie Hughes, scorer of a brilliant stoppage-time winner at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, eventually fired a long-range effort at home goalkeeper Egil Selvik.

Matt Crooks then burst through down the inside right channel but his drive from the edge of the box flashed well away from the Watford goal.

Sissoko was booked for a challenge that saw Hull forward Joao Pedro scream in apparent agony, with the home fans then booing a speedy recovery that saw him head at Selvik soon after.

The final throes of a disappointing half saw Watford’s Rocco Vata miscue a decent opportunity from 12 yards and City’s Steven Alzate fire over acrobatically from further out at the other end.

Jeremy Ngakia fired across goal and wide within 20 seconds of the restart as Watford again started with intent. Vata then saw an effort deflected behind before Ngakia was again off target from distance.

James Abankwaah’s error at the back almost cost the Hornets but when Crooks played Pedro in he fired straight at Selvik.

It was to prove costly as Watford opened the scoring at the other end in the 55th minute. Caleb Wiley, the 20-year-old Chelsea loanee, exchanged passes with Vata down the left and crossed for Sissoko to leap and flick home from close range.

Hull struggled to create any clear opportunities to level, although Sean McLoughlin sent a back-post header into the gloves of Selvik with just over 10 minutes remaining.

McLoughlin then missed his kick after ex-Hornet Nordin Amrabat, on as a substitute, had found him in space in the box. Alzate fired over soon after and that was that for Hull, who saw relegation rivals pick up points elsewhere.