16th September 2023- Championship, Watford 2 Birmingham City 0

https://www.skysports.com/football/watford-vs-birmingham-city/teams/484773

Official site: Match dashboard

https://www.watfordfc.com/match-report/match-report-watford-2-0-birmingham-city

BBC: Birmingham City’s unbeaten start to the Championship season came to an end as two stoppage-time goals from Mileta Rajovic and Ryan Andrews gave Watford their first win since the opening day.

Sky: The visitors had started brightly, threatening inside the first minute when Oliver Burke’s pass from the right set up Fulham loanee Jay Stansfield for a low right-foot shot from outside the box only for Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann to save.

Watford Observer: Live Feed

It looked increasingly like the home side would have to settle for a point from a frustrating goalless draw, but with two minutes of normal time remaining the Blues were reduced to ten men when left-back Lee Buchanan was sent off for a second yellow card.

Head coach Valerien Ismael heralded the patience of the Watford fans as being a contributory factor in yesterday’s late, late show victory over Birmingham.

BHappy: It’s a tremendous header.Ā  A Duncan Ferguson header.Ā  Under challenge from several opponents, with the significant distraction of Dion Sanderson flying in to try to clear and having achieved very little in the game to that point – indeed one wonders if, had Vakoun Bayo been on the bench, he would have made it that far – Rajović kept his eye on it, held off the multiple distractions and directed a header cruelly beyond the helpless Ruddy (for whom this may have triggered an uncomfortable flashback to Wembley 2019).

Fran’s Watford Blog: The game seemed to being winding down when Chakvetadze squared for Andrews, but the youngster hit a low shot from distance that took a deflection and beat Ruddy.Ā  He ran to the 1881 section of the Rookery and celebrated with Harry the Hornet while the crowd sang ā€œHe’s one of our ownā€.

From the Rookery End: The trio talk Val’s best XI, Dan Bachmann and supporter patience and try to work out just how much credit shoukd go to the Head Coach for that much needed home win against Blues.