Category Archives: March

6th March 2021- Championship, Watford 1 Nottingham Forest 0

BBC Sport: Adam Masina’s strike earned Watford victory over Nottingham Forest as a sixth win in seven Championship games sent the Hornets second.

Sky Sports: Adam Masina scored the only goal of the game with a fizzing drive after Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba had struggled to deal with a cross from Ismaila Sarr (17) and, while Lyle Taylor had a late strike ruled out for offside, the visitors could not mark their second-half improvement with an equaliser.

BHappy: Sarr flayed Bong on the right, Samba beat Gray to his cross but the deflection fell to Masina who slammed a shot between the recovering Samba’s legs and in from the edge of the area.  The left back had been abandoned by his marker…  I was watching Hive with Jon Marks’ comms, but reports described Sky’s commentator exclaiming “Where’s Knockaert?”, for pundit Keith Andrews to reply “He’s cheating!”, two words which elevated his popularity in Hertfordshire to levels he didn’t achieve during his brief loan six or seven years ago.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56219573

3rd March 2021- Championship, Watford 2 Wycombe Wanderers 0

BBC Sport: Andre Gray’s first brace in almost four years helped Watford beat Wycombe Wanderers in the Championship and go level on points with second-placed Brentford.

Sky Sports: Two goals from Andre Gray were enough for the Hornets, who now have an automatic promotion place in their sights following the Bees’ defeat at leaders Norwich.

BHappy: The other eye-catching addition to the eleven was Andre Gray, starting his first game for almost a month in the absence of the suspended João Pedro.  Not a given that he’d get the nod I don’t think, but fourteen minutes in he made a mockery of his meagre form this season by clinically finishing off a move that, like so many, rolled down the right wing via Kiko and the irrepressible Sarr.  No surprise, I guess, that a striker should enjoy playing in a confident attacking side creating plenty of chances more than he does the constipated Watford team that he struggled in front of for much of the season, but nonetheless.  Surprising how easy he made it look, suddenly.  In common with our best moves at the moment, particularly down that flank, we looked mercilessly precise.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56178053

13th March 2020- Suspension of the Premier League until April

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In the week after our game with Crystal Palace the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak that had started in January and had rapidly spread around the world started to effect football in England. Nottingham Forest’s owner tested positive followed two days later by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Three Leicester players reported symptoms and at a meeting of the Premier League on 13th March it was agreed to postpone all remaining games until April. It was the first time football had been suspended since the Second World War.

Before the decision was announced Nigel Pearson gave his usual pre-match press conference ahead of our planned game with Leicester which was due to be played on 15th March.

7th March 2020- Premier League, Crystal Palace 1 Watford 0

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Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 25,461

Watford lose by one goal away at Crystal Palace

Jordan Ayew goal condemns Watford to Crystal Palace defeat

Nigel Pearson’s laments Watford’s missed chances in Crystal Palace defeat

Watford players rated after Crystal Palace defeat

Craig Cathcart felt Watford deserved points in Crystal Palace defeat

Cathcart insists Watford are still confident after Crystal Palace defeat

Crystal Palace recorded a third successive Premier League victory as they beat relegation-threatened Watford to climb into the top half of the table.

In a bitty and niggly encounter with eight yellow cards, including one for Wilfried Zaha who was in the thick of things not for the first time against Watford, Jordan Ayew’s stunning first-half goal (28) separated the teams.

The match had begun in the style of two zealously polite individuals standing in a doorway; after you, sir; no, please, after you. With both teams preferring to counterattack, neither really wanted the ball. For a while this suited Watford better as they created the early chances. But the clarity they showed in driving forward was not matched by decisiveness in front of goal.

So, after the euphoria of last week, this was an unwelcome return to what has been the reality of most of this season.  It was a very disappointing game.  The Hornets had been the better team for most of the first half but, as so often this season, did not make the most of their chances and the home side scored after a counterattack.  Once they were ahead, Palace defended well and, apart from a brief spell in the second half, Watford never really looked like winning the point that their performance deserved.  Thankfully results elsewhere meant that we stayed out of the relegation zone on goal difference, but it felt like a wasted opportunity and, again, I worry that we won’t get the points that we need from the upcoming “winnable” games.

30th March 2019- Premier League, Manchester United 2 Watford 1

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Referee:
Stuart Attwell
Attendance:
74,543
Goal 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGnmrJHaZfc

Watford score late goal against Manchester United, but can’t prevent the defeat

Fine Watford display ends with harsh Manchester United defeat

Manchester United vs Watford: Javi Gracia believes defeat was due to details

Watford players’ performances rated after Manchester United defeat

A selection of images from Watford’s narrow Manchester United defeat

Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defends Watford after ‘disrespectful’ comments by journalist

Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster said the team are not afraid of facing anyone

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first game in permanent charge of United was far from comfortable as Watford dominated for large periods and had 20 shots compared to eight from the home side.

The victory was harsh on the visitors, who dominated possession for long periods and had superior chances, but it lifts United into fourth place above Arsenal, who play on Monday.

“It is difficult to explain because I think we had a good performance,” said Gracia.

We were absolutely fabulous, to a man and from the very off.  Not least the “reserves” at the back;  Janmaat, only arguably a downgrade on Kiko in any case, and the dogged, focused Adam Masina in comfortably the best I’ve seen him in a Watford shirt rampaged up the wings.  Miguel Britos has been unfairly demonised over the last twelve months, splendid that if he is to return to Uruguay in the summer as trailed it’ll be on the back of thoroughly solid, competent displays like this.  And Christian Kabasele… he’s good at the stuff he’s good at, the brainfarts are what lets him down there was none of that today.  Aggressive, disciplined defending, as aggressive in fact as any situation permitted, often quite enjoyably so.

Despite their disappointment at the defeat, the travelling Hornets roared their appreciation of the team’s performance with the songs reaching a crescendo as Gracia came over to applaud the crowd.  It had been a tremendous performance by the Watford lads.  It isn’t often that you play away against one of the top six and find the home team playing a defensive game hoping to score on the break.  The Watford midfield ran the game and, in a season in which Capoue and Doucouré have excelled on a weekly basis, it was great to see Hughes put in a superb performance.

https://oldwatford.com/2019/04/02/2nd-april-2019-premier-league-watford-4-fulham-1/