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2nd November 2024- Championship, Sheffield Wednesday 2 Watford 6

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Report: Sheffield Wednesday 2-6 Watford – Watford FCDownload

BBC: Vakoun Bayo scored four second-half goals in an astonishing individual display as Watford netted five times after the break to crush Sheffield Wednesday and end a run of five consecutive away league defeats.

Sky: Michael Smith quickly cancelled out Ryan Porteous’ opener before penalties from Tom Ince and Bayo put Watford in the driving seat. Bayo bagged his second and claimed the match ball either side of Pol Valentin’s reply for the Owls and then claimed his fourth in the closing stages.

Watford Observer: RECAP: Sheff Wed 2 Watford 6

Sheffield Wednesday 2 Watford 6 – how the action happened

Cleverley happy if incredible away win leads to increased expectations

Brilliant Bayo is four-midable as Watford end away hoodoo in style

Ince is ‘the player we have been missing in some of our inconsistent days’

Cleverley happy away fans saw five goals at their end

Bayo’s beautiful chip a result of excellent opposition analysis

Fans at Hillsborough witnessed a slice of Hornets history

BHappy: Not confident, no.  Not with our away record.  Not with our soft underbelly, our demonstrated tendency to get overwhelmed by sides that put us under pressure.  I wasn’t here expecting this sort of outcome… 

Fran’s Watford Blog: The post-match celebrations were joyous. Bayo picked up the match ball from the referee and filmed himself and the crowd who were blasting out “Bayo’s on Fire”. I was so thrilled for him. He has been given so much grief by the crowd for his failures in front of goal but has never hidden. He was absolutely superb on this occasion, a little bit of confidence allowing him to score goals that you know he would have missed on another occasion. He was man of the match by a country mile, but there were plenty of other great performances. I was impressed by Dwomah who fitted in very nicely so that we didn’t miss Sissoko. I was disappointed that Ebosele did not start, but he did very well when he came on. The score doesn’t tell the full story of the game as Wednesday had been tough opponents until the second goal went in when they collapsed.

From the Rookery End: Watford scored a rare SIX on the road and FOUR Vakoun Bayo goals made the LONG journey to Sheffield oh so worthwhile.

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/03-november-2024/
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2nd November 2022- Championship, Cardiff City 1 Watford 2

WFC.Net Goal Commentary: 1  2

Attendance: 17,036

BBC Sport: Set-pieces proved key in south Wales as Watford came from behind to beat Cardiff City 2-1, with all three goals scored from corners.

Sky Sports: The Hornets replaced Swansea in sixth place with goals from Francisco Sierralta and Ismaila Sarr completing their fight back after Cedric Kipre had given the home side the lead.

Fran’s Watford Blog: This was a very good showing from the Hornets.  Some of the passing from the back can be scary, but when it is executed well it is a joy to watch.  João Pedro was absolutely magnificent, he was everywhere.  Sarr put in a decent showing and was good value for the goal.  The defence were well organised, and it was good to see Gaspar put in a decent shift.  Finally we are seeing some consistency from this team, they are working hard and playing as a team.  They are doing the dirty work, closing down the opposition, but also showing some great skill going forward.  The chants of “sexy football” were well merited.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63363846
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2nd November 2019- Premier League, Watford 1 Chelsea 2

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1-2

Watford host Chelsea in the Premier League as they look for first victory

Ben Foster almost snatches a dramatic draw for Watford against Chelsea

Watford head coach responds to fans’ booing during Chelsea defeat

Watford players rated after home defeat to Chelsea

Christian Kabasele claims Watford should not have to rely on Ben Foster after Chelsea defeat

Goalkeeper Ben Foster was denied a stunning headed equaliser in stoppage time as Chelsea hung on for victory at Watford to move third in the Premier League.

A spirited goalkeeping performance from Ben Foster – who made no fewer than eight saves – prevented Chelsea from extinguishing Watford’s challenge, which was boosted 10 minutes from time when a controversial VAR-awarded penalty was converted by Gerard Deulofeu.

Given that it was little more than a duel between Ben Foster and Chelsea’s forwards at times, it would have been a strange twist if the goalkeeper had rescued a point for Watford with the game’s final act. They were into the sixth minute of added time when Foster, who had kept his side in it with countless saves, decided to charge forward after Mason Mount conceded a free-kick deep on the left, and it would have been an extraordinary ending if the 36-year-old’s downward header had crept beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga.

When we give away a stupid goal after five reasonably positive minutes, albeit a goal carved by a remarkable through ball you can feel the stadium deflate. “Well, that’s that then”, which it sort of was and sort of wasn’t. But what a half-witted way to concede, no wonder Ben Foster screamed with frustration. When you can’t score goals keeping it tight, particularly against an opponent like this one, one that revels in playing away from home, is everything.

We arrived in Vicarage Road to be greeted with a number of touts and one merchandise stand that had exclusively Chelsea scarves and tat, which irritated me immensely.

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2nd November 2013- Championship, Watford 0 Leicester City 3

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BBC SportLeicester City recorded their 14th win from 19 games this season by beating Watford at Vicarage Road.  The visitors took an early lead when a clearance by Watford keeper Manuel Almunia hit Chris Wood in the face and rebounded into the net.

skyThe build-up to the match was dominated by memories of last season’s dramatic final day clash at Vicarage Road, when Knockaert’s missed penalty proved costly as Troy Deeney netted the winner down the other end, meaning the Foxes missed out on the play-off final.

BHappy imageYou could see this coming from several miles – and months – away. Frankly, I’d braced myself for a season’s worth of this back in August. Has there ever been a campaign in the club’s history when the current level of expectation has ended in something other than a train wreck? Certainly not in the Premier League era, when expectation has generally been accompanied by foolhardy over-spending, weighing up the cost of not getting promoted as if it were tangible on the balance sheet, and followed by a grand washing-of-hands by the supporters who demanded it. “Yeah, but we didn’t mean Nathan Ellington.”

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=35179&id=5084
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2nd November 2002- New Division One, Watford 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

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Wolves salvaged a point with an injury-time goal by Kevin Cooper after Neil Cox had given Watford the lead.

Bad luck tends to follow swiftly on the heels of manager-of-the-month awards. For Ray Lewington, a home draw against the might of an ever-improving Wolves side may have felt like a defeat but third place in the First Division should be sufficient consolation.

Here, everything that we’ve achieved so far was to be tested. For the first time since our unbeaten start to the 2000/01 season, we were defending a place in the top six against one of the First Division heavyweights, in form and ready to take us down a peg or three. This was something different, a new challenge.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=35179&id=4523
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2nd November 1996- New Division Two, Watford 2 Brentford 0

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43b6wPDar84&t=18m14s
BSAD imageBSAD report: All in all, Saturday went well. The day started badly – I missed my bus to Watford, and so the first ten minutes of the match – but after that things looked up. A lot. By the time I arrived, as I say, things were already underway, and this meant that I didnšt know who was actually playing; this proved rather amusing when I praised a Devon White layoff aloud only to be told by the person next to me that it was actually a Gifton Noel-Williams layoff. He was very nice about it.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=35179&id=4215
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2nd November 1983-UEFA Cup Second Round Second Leg, Levski Spartak Sofia 1 Watford 3 (After Extra Time, Watford win 4-2 on aggregate)

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http://watford.fcdb.info?s=35179&id=4215
Daily Telegraph, 3 Nov 1983
Guardian, 3 Nov 1983
Evening Standard, 3 Nov 1983

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https://oldwatford.com/2013/11/02/2nd-november-2013-championship-watford-0-leicester-city-3/

24th October 2026- Championship, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Watford 0

Watford Observer: Kenny Jackett to be remembered as Watford travel to Molineux

Alessio Dionisi says Watford squad in high spirits

Alessio Dionisi issues positive Watford fitness update

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY LIVE: Wolves 1-0 Watford: Hornets fall to defeat

Match report: Wolves 1-0 Watford: Hornets get dominated

Alessio Dionisi frustrated by lack of courage in Wolves defeat

Alessio Dionisi offers Watford fitness update after Wolves loss

BBC: Adam Armstrong scored the only goal as Wolves edged out struggling Watford at Molineux to cut the gap to the Championship promotion places.

Sky: Defeat for Watford – one of only two Championship teams without an away win this season – left them with one point out of 18 on their travels. They have lost seven of their last nine games, conceding 17 goals, and they forced just one save out of Jose Sa.

Fran’s Watford Blog: The conditions were appalling with strong winds and a swirling rain, but both teams had to deal with the same conditions, so the Hornets cannot use that as an excuse. We have another game on the road next week and I fear that Norwich will be another team who will have their season kick-started by a visit from the Hornets. I hope I am wrong.

From the Rookery End: Another away day, another defeat—and the same familiar questions. Jon, Adam, Charlie and Colin reflect on Watford’s 1–0 loss at Wolves, a woeful first half and the mounting pressure on Alessio Dionisi.

17th October 2026- Championship, Watford 2 Charlton Athletic 0

Watford Observer: Alessio Dionisi slams ‘fake news’ after sack claim

Alessio Dionisi unaware of Watford ownership frustrations

Mattie Pollock led Watford support of boss Alessio Dionisi

Gino Pozzo discusses everything Watford-related

Alessio Dionisi braced for ‘very strong’ Charlton Athletic mentality

Watford Observer: Matchday as it happened: Watford 2-0 Charlton Athletic: Hornets bounce back

Match report: Watford 2-0 Charlton Athletic – Hornets bounce back

‘Today, I drink’ – Alessio Dionisi celebrates Watford win

Sir Elton John hails bounce-back Watford triumph

BBC: Watford ended their run of four straight Championship defeats as goals from Luca Kjerrumgaard and Jordan Zemura gave them victory over Charlton Athletic.

Sky: Despite the mood of insurrection swirling around Pozzo on social media, protests against his 14-year ownership outside the ground before kick-off were limited.

BHappy: In the distance, walking away from me, someone is holding up a placard. He does an impressive job of keeping his arms raised until he reaches the Red Lion, at which point he turns to reveal the slogan that had been guessable from the outset. He keeps his arms raised for a few seconds, scouring the area defiantly as if waiting for the club’s owner to emerge from behind a burger van, before heading into the pub for a pint.

Fran’s Watford Blog: After shipping nine goals in the last two games, it was a relief to get a win as well as our first clean sheet of the season. It was a very good performance from the Hornets and a well-deserved win. Charlton were very physical, so it was great to see the lads unfazed by that and unafraid to fight for the ball. It was an energetic, attacking performance, which was a throw-back to the start of the season and lovely to see. There were some excellent individual performances. Bravo was a joy to watch, constantly breaking forward and creating chances. When he went off injured, my friend commented that he had been a victim of bullying. He wasn’t wrong. He had been targeted all game, and Skipp had to be withdrawn as he was in danger of seeing red while dealing with him. Kyprianou also had a good game, acting as the midfield fulcrum that we know he can be but haven’t seen much recently. Kayembe had his best game in some time, another player who was making regular forward breaks and he wasn’t afraid to shoot and was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet. Ravaglia had very little to do, but what he did, he did very well. The defence were solid and this was certainly partly a result of the cohesion in the midfield. All in all, it was a very good team performance, which was pleasing to see after the recent games when we saw a disjointed group of individuals.

From the Rookery End: Watford responded to a turbulent week with a much-needed 2-0 victory over Charlton, giving supporters something to smile about after a difficult run of results.

13th October 2026- Championship, Cardiff City 5 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Alessio Dionisi calls for hard work to improve Watford’s form

Watford Observer: Matchday LIVE: Cardiff City 5-1 Watford: Kyprianou pulls one back

Match report: Cardiff City 5-1 Watford: No change, no response

Alessio Dionisi insists questions over Watford future are not for him

Alessio Dionisi set to stay as Watford head coach

BBC: Cardiff City thrashed Watford 5-1 as the Hornets’ worrying slump continued and prompted fans voicing their anger at the club’s ownership.

Sky: This was a fourth defeat in a row and the sixth in the last seven games. With Burnley continuing their revival with a draw at home against Charlton it meant Dionisi’s side slipped to 22nd in the table while the Bluebirds flew up to 18th.

Fran’s Watford Blog: A Cardiff fan before the game had said that both teams would probably lose, but it would be a goal fest as both defences were woeful. He was right on one point. It was another poor performance by the Hornets. I can accept being beaten by a team that is clearly much better than us, but that has not been the case in recent games. Moylan was clinical in front of goal, but the goals were all the result of lapses in concentration giving the ball away, or the failure of the defence to deal with balls into the box.

From the Rookery End: After two humiliating defeats, nine goals conceded and a remarkable few days that have seen Sir Elton John and former players speak out, Jon, Jason, David and Mike come together for a very different kind of Debrief. There’s anger and frustration, but also a deep sadness about what supporting Watford has become. Has the club reached a tipping point? Can the growing unrest among supporters bring about meaningful change? And what, if anything, can Gino Pozzo say to restore the trust that appears to have been lost?

10th October 2026- Championship, Watford 0 Burnley 4

Watford Observer: Alessio Dionisi confirms major Watford fitness boost ahead of Burnley clash

Alessio Dionisi excited for Watford’s Vicarage Road return against Burnley

Watford to pay tribute to Kevin Miller ahead of Burnley clash

Watford Observer: Matchday as it happened: Watford 0-4 Burnley

Match report: Watford suffer heavy home defeat against Burnley

“I’m sorry” – Alessio Dionisi issues apology after Burnley thrashing

Sir Elton John says he is “very upset” about recent Watford decline

BBC: Burnley thrashed Watford at Vicarage Road to secure a first league victory of the season and climb off the foot of the Championship.

Sky: When Stoke won 2-1 at Vicarage Road last month, it ended 251 days without a win on the road for the Potters. Here, Watford extended more charity to the Clarets, who ended 241 days without an away win comfortably.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for Kevin Miller who recently passed away at a tragically young age. It was impeccably observed.

From the Rookery End: A disastrous afternoon at Vicarage Road saw Watford fall to a 4–0 defeat against Burnley, leaving supporters with plenty of questions about where the Hornets go from here.

Following the game Troy Deeney made this comment on Instagram about the club’s current direction.

Watford Observer: Troy Deeney says ‘the writing is on the wall’ for Watford after Burnley thrashing

Troy Deeney issues Watford captaincy advice after Burnley loss

Sir Elton John then made a comment on Instagram that was widely reported.

BBC: Elton John ‘upset and disappointed’ with Watford form

Watford Observer: Sir Elton John says he is ‘very upset’ about recent Watford decline

The 1881 and Proud Hornets supporters group as well as the Watford Supporters Board released statements exprssing concern about the current direction of the club.