Watford boss Roy Hodgson said that his side did not deserve to lose to Crystal Palace by four goals to one.
The Hornets were in the contest for much of the game, but were undone by two late goals from Wilfried Zaha, who put the game beyond doubt.
While Hodgson admits his side has to produce a lot more if they are to avoid relegation, he felt this game was closer than the scoreline suggested.
He told BBC's Match of the Day: "We were punished harshly for having ability to block the crosses and shots from the edge of the box, for large parts it was fairly even, the problem was when the ball arrived they took their chances and scored goals.
"The last two we can't complain about, but we didn't do enough to block the shot or cross - it was a comfortable win for Crystal Palace without them having to outplay us.
"Wilf (Zaha) is a very good player and is playing very well this year, it bodes well for them in the games that come because with the form he is in they can look forward to more victories.
"We had two good spells, quite a good spell during the second half as well, moving the ball quicker and playing through midfield, but we weren't able to make good enough chances and
"It is a harsh defeat in terms of the scorleine, to win by 4-1 was harsh on the Watford players today and the effort they put in.
"When you get a very good away win, everyone expects you to come out and win because that is what the dreams are made of, unfortunately it doesn't always work that way. That is something we have to accept and musn't allow it to affect what we do in future matches."
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