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Watford denied Championship title by late Sheffield Wednesday leveller

Watford missed out on the Sky Bet Championship title after Bournemouth won 3-0 at Charlton and the Hornets were held to a 1-1 home draw by Sheffield Wednesday.

Atdhe Nuhiu’s stoppage-time strike saw Sheffield Wednesday secure a dramatic draw against Watford to deny them the Championship title. Matej Vydra’s headed the hosts in front during a dominant first-half display.

As for the supporters… similarly, perhaps Watford’s best ever season in this regard (cap doffed again to the 1881) doesn’t deserve to be remembered for the cretin whose pitch invasion interrupted Wednesday’s free kick, for the vermin responsible for flares who deserve bans from the ground, for the vanity of those who decided that invading the pitch was more important that having a reason to invade the pitch.  Ed Perchard has penned a wordier assassination of these imbeciles in In the Wolf’s Mouth but in any case, choking as the narrowness of the margin was these were all irritants.  None should be used as excuses for our failure to put Wednesday away.

As Wednesday won a deep free-kick, the crème-de-la-crème of unneeded intrusions – some pissed-up toss pot waddling into the penalty area, waved through by the hundred lurking stewards – took the attention of the players when it was needed most.

What happened next came as no surprise, though maybe it did to those idiots crowding round the goal line before the final whistle had been blown. With a hint of offside the ball made its way to the back post. A header back across goal wasn’t cleared, and with Wednesday’s first shot on target they found the back of the net and with Bournemouth winning their game, this meant that Watford would no longer be champions.

I have to say that, while I am all for pitch invasions when the game is over, it was disappointing to see how many people were more concerned with getting selfies on the pitch than with the result of the game.  I felt totally deflated and, talking to many people afterwards, that was a common feeling.  Eventually the pitch was cleared and the players came out.  Jon Marks interviewed a number of them on the pitch and eventually reached Troy Deeney who said how p*ssed off he was but then launched into a chant of “Watford FC” which brought a smile back to my face.

More games from 2nd May at https://oldwatford.com/tag/may2