Monthly Archives: February 2021

27th February 2021- Championship, AFC Bournemouth 1 Watford 0

BBC Sport: Bournemouth boss Jonathan Woodgate said the stoppage-time brawl which overshadowed his side’s win over high-flying Watford “happens all the time in rugby”.

Sky Sports: There was an edge to proceedings throughout the second half and it reached boiling point deep into stoppage time when Joao Pedro and Jack Wilshere were both sent off for second bookings following a late Pedro tackle on Jefferson Lerma.

BHappy: As it all kicked off in the dying minutes, a rolling brawl that ebbed and flowed and faded and reignited even in the tunnel on the way out  Philip Zinckernagel, who hadn’t on the pitch to calm João Pedro down this time, was at least able to protect Sarr from more than a yellow as it all kicked off.  Little chance of the Dane making it onto the pitch for this one, he’d have been blown away like a crisp packet in a gale.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56134784

24th February 2021- Championship, Blackburn Rovers 2 Watford 3

BBC Sport: The game came to life in 10 first-half minutes as Joao Pedro lifted the ball over Thomas Kaminski to give the Hornets the lead before Ismaila Sarr scored from close range five minutes later.

Sky Sports: Harvey Elliott spectacularly gave Blackburn hope before the break, but the Hornets regained control just after the hour through Ken Sema’s pinpoint finish. Ben Brereton made it a nervy finish but Watford should have had the game sewn up by that point, with Sarr thwarted by Thomas Kaminski, and one cleared off the line at 3-1.

BHappy: The evening was pretty brutal all round.  It was hammering down with rain on a heavy, tatty-looking pitch.  Blackburn were on the back of a four-match losing streak and missing players.  We, of course, are also missing players… Foster, Kabasele, Chalobah, Deeney is at the very least a respectable spine for a Championship side.  This is the point in the season where the depth of our squad ought to tell.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56093198

19th February 2021- Championship, Watford 2 Derby County 1

BBC Sport: Will Hughes scored against his old club as Watford beat Derby to move third and level on points with second-placed Brentford in the Championship.

Sky Sports: Watford defender William Troost-Ekong turned Nathan Byrne’s cross into his own net to reduce the deficit late on (77), before Byrne’s corner inside the final 10 minutes was kept out by a combination of the woodwork and goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.

BHappy: Saturday’s startlingly helpful results will have buoyed Hornets’ hearts still further;  Brentford’s recent collapse in particular having looked irresistible a couple of weeks ago perhaps a warning against getting too carried but we look formidable, and at this point of the season with shallower squads than ours suffering badly we have a real opportunity.  Of our first choice eleven only perhaps Hughes and Sarr would be critical misses in isolation.  The momentum is building, the conviction and the energy that we’ve been so badly missing is there, we have the squad and we’re strong all over the pitch.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56035702

16th February 2021- Championship, Preston North End 0 Watford 1

BBC Sport: Brazilian forward Joao Pedro netted the only goal from the penalty spot six minutes into the second half after he was tripped by Tom Barkhuizen.

Sky Sports: Watford started well and chances fell to Pedro and Ismaila Sarr but both managed to miss the target.

BHappy: Preston.  Where we never win.  In the cold, in the wet.  You can bet your life that if there had been fans there, more specifically if I’d gone up to Deepdale we wouldn’t have bloody won.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55990621

13th February 2021- Championship, Watford 6 Bristol City 0

BBC Sport: A stunning first-half performance helped promotion-chasing Watford blow away out-of-form Bristol City at Vicarage Road in the Championship.

Sky Sports: The margin of victory was Watford’s biggest for six years and the clean sheet made it 14 shut-outs for the season.

BHappy: Everything did fall for us though.  I mean, yes, brilliant, wonderful.  6-0, biggest league win since that day in September 1982 when my sister and I spent the evening using up our felt tips on posters depicting the boat sinking on the old Sunderland badge to greet Dad when he got home (Paolo’s first game, he never had a chance….).  But, you know.  If you’re not going to record a comfortable win in these circumstances…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55959619

6th February 2021- Championship, Coventry City 0 Watford 0

The game was played at Birmingham City’s St.Andrews as Coventry were in yet another dispute with the owners of the Ricoh Arena.

BBC Sport: Watford moved up to fourth in the Championship with a battling draw against an impressive Coventry City at St Andrew’s.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11710/12209214/coventry-0-0-watford-xisco-munozs-hornets-lose-ground-in-race-for-automatic-promotion

Sky Sports: Mark Robins’ men passed up a series of chances to break the deadlock in the first half but held firm as the Hornets – who saw captain Troy Deeney strike the crossbar – piled on the late pressure.

BHappy: I really really can’t face writing about this tedious bollocks again.  It’s painful enough to bloody watch it.  And yes there’s mitigation and no it’s not all bad, whatever social media warriors would have you believe (and incidentally, baselessly claiming to speak for the masses – “all supporters can see that” – “we all know that” – isn’t a good look.  Either your opinion stands on its own merits or it’s best left in the box).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55866859