26th January 2021- Championship, Millwall 0 Watford 0 BBC Sport: Watford climbed into the Championship automatic promotion places despite being held to a goalless stalemate by draw specialists Millwall at The Den. Sky Sports: The Hornets were looking to make it four straight wins after a great run of form under new boss Xisco Munoz but met a resolute Lions side who dug their heels in for their first point at home since late December. BHappy: In every respect Millwall are as advertised. Solid, hard-working but limited going forward, relying on the mobility of Wallace to win enough set pieces to give them a puncher’s chance from set pieces. Tough, too, and none the less so for the recruitment of Maikal Kieftenbeld from Birmingham who, four months into our return to the second tier is already indisputably in the guileless clogger box. He’s in the book in under half an hour, the first of six yellows in the game and is the target of more than one revenge hack in the second half, a second half which also sees Troy hurl Hutchinson to the floor after more unpunished grappling at a set piece. Our indiscipline is occasionally understandable, but we’re racking up yellow cards. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55406585 Share this:TwitterFacebook
22nd January 2021- Championship, Stoke City 1 Watford 2 BBC Sport: Troy Deeney scored one and made another in the space of four second-half minutes as Watford maintained their Championship promotion charge at Stoke City. Sky Sports: Substitute Steven Fletcher pulled one back (83), but the Potters couldn’t force an equaliser in a nervy final few minutes, allowing Xisco Munoz’s men to pick up just their third away win of the season. Share this:TwitterFacebook
19th January 2021- Championship, Watford 1 Barnsley 0 BBC Sport: Troy Deeney’s first-half penalty was enough for Watford to beat Barnsley and move up to third in the Championship. Sky Sports: Callum Brittain’s bizarre decision to stick out an arm when Deeney crossed in the 26th minute ended up costing Barnsley. The ball reared up off his leg but Brittain’s right arm was in such an un-natural position that referee Tim Robinson had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. BHappy: We were fifth before today’s game, third afterwards. Tiny violins and so forth. But it’s been so long since we attacked with any verve that even this halfway house, this decent stab at it was a whole lot of fun. We might have scored more goals at home than anyone else (and fewer away than anyone else, which is a ridiculous pair of statistics) but it hasn’t felt like it. This was…. “yeeeeah, I remember this! This used to be fun, right?”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55627724 Share this:TwitterFacebook
16th January 2021- Championship, Watford 2 Huddersfield Town 0 BBC Sport: Second-half goals from Tom Cleverley and Joao Pedro gave Watford a deserved victory over Huddersfield, whose away woes in the Championship continue. Sky Sports: The midfielder opened the scoring in the 54th minute by charging down Ryan Schofield’s clearance straight into the Terriers’ net, after the goalkeeper had reacted far too slowly to a backpass. Joao Pedro doubled the lead 10 minutes later as the Hornets moved above Reading and into fifth place in the table. BHappy: The trajectory is positive, even up front, and we’re too good here for a Huddersfield side that, albeit with a stronger eleven themselves and the help of us shooting ourselves in the foot twice, beat us comfortably only a month ago. Only four surivivors from our starting eleven that day incidentally. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55598476 Share this:TwitterFacebook
9th January 2021- FA Cup Third Round, Manchester United 1 Watford 0 BBC Sport: Scott McTominay’s fourth-minute header was enough to give Manchester United an unconvincing victory in their FA Cup third-round tie against Watford on Saturday. The Guardian: McTominay headed into the ground, the ball bounced and spun away from Watford’s goalkeeper, Daniel Bachmann, and went in off the left post. BHappy: The game ends with Hornets heads held high and yet no real suggestion that the course of the evening was about to change at any point beyond the fifth minute. A cynic might say that, in the circumstances, honourable defeat which doesn’t mash our confidence but doesn’t add fixtures to an already congested January and February is a very decent outcome. There’s truth in this, but we wouldn’t have had any reservations had we pulled it out of the bag. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E2%80%9321_FA_Cup Share this:TwitterFacebook
2nd January 2021- Championship- Swansea City 2 Watford 1 BBC: Swansea City rose to second place in the Championship as Jamal Lowe scored twice to help them overcome rival promotion contenders Watford. Sky: The home side struggled to clear after being caught out playing from the back and Cleverley’s drive from outside the box was too hot for Freddie Woodman to handle. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55450045 Share this:TwitterFacebook