Kit Symons has told his Fulham players to learn their lesson from Friday's 5-0 demolition by Watford at Craven Cottage.

Almen Abdi opened the scoring on 15 minutes before a red card for goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli four minutes later gave the Cottagers a "mountain to climb".

Troy Deeney converted the resulting penalty, before adding two more to seal his hat-trick later in the clash, and Symons says that his troops paid the price for a poor start.

"You've got to learn from it and there's quite a lot we can learn from that," he told Sky Sports News. "There is a lot of hard work and a lot of improving to be done.

"We started very poorly and Watford came out all guns blazing. We gave a way bad goal and then the sending-off makes life difficult. We had a mountain to climb.

"After the break there was a wonder strike and a sloppy late goal, but the players showed good character in the second half."

Fulham, who sit 16th in the Championship table, 10 points adrift of the playoff spots, travel to Elland Road for a clash with Leeds United next Saturday.