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An own goal by Hayden Mullins consigned West Ham to an early Carling Cup exit at the hands of Watford.

The winner came when Hammers keeper Jan Lastuvka missed an Andy Williamson free-kick, which then struck Mullins and trickled over the goal-line.

Watford’s Jay DeMerit was injured and hobbled off five minutes to go but the 10-man home side held on.

Luis Boa Morte and Mark Noble had West Ham’s best chances but were denied by keeper Scott Loach.

The loss for the Upton Park side was the first under new manager Gianfranco Zola.

Their exit also came at the end of a day which started with the news an independent tribunal had ruled against West Ham over the Carlos Tevez affair.