The home side had the majority of the ball in the first half but neither team created any clear chances
Pascal Gross opened the scoring when Heurelho Gomes let his right-footed effort slip through his grasp
Stefano Okaka had a golden opportunity to equalise at the death but he managed to poke over the bar
The much-needed victory sees Chris Hughton's men move up to 12th in the Premier League table
Pascal Gross (2nd left) shoots to open the scoring during the second half of his side's clash against Brighton on SaturdayAnthony Knockaert (top) shows his delight after watching Heurelho Gomes (bottom) fail to deal with Gross' strikeGerman midfielder Gross celebrates in front of the home supporters after finally giving the Seagulls the leadThe 26-year-old is mobbed by his team-mates after netting his third goal in the Premier League this seasonWatford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes shows his dejection after his poor mistake allowed the home side to take the leadWatford right-back Daryl Janmaat (left) attempts to clear the ball to safety under pressure from Pascal Gross (right)Peruvian forward Andre Carrillo unleashes a shot during a tight first half at the American Express Community StadiumTomer Hemed of Brighton sticks his foot out in an attempt to open the scoring in the Premier League clashBelgian defender Christian Kabasele desperately attempts to block as Hemed fires a shot toward the Watford goal