Craig Cathcart’s stunning goal gave Watford a narrow victory over Birmingham as they moved top of the Championship and ensured automatic promotion is in their own hands.
The Hornets went into the game knowing a win would take them back into the automatic promotion places following Middlesbrough’s victory at Norwich on Friday.
We’ve not half had some games against this lot.  Some will remember victory in the Cup in 1960…  Cliff Holton helping the fourth division newly-christened Hornets to knock top-flight Blues out in front of 31,000 at the Vic.  In 1984 perhaps the most impressive single result of our run to the Cup Final came at St Andrews; Ron Saunders’ aggressive side came into the game on the back of a twelve-match unbeaten run in the top flight and had the majority of a 40,000 crowd behind them.  John Barnes ripped them to bits.  In 1999 a play-off semi-final concluded with an epic penalty shoot out that resulted in our second trip to Wembley.
Tag: Birmingham City
3rd August 2013-Championship, Birmingham City 0 Watford 1
 BBC report: Troy Deeney’s goal earned Watford an opening day win at Birmingham as they reacted in positive fashion to last season’s play-off final defeat.
25th August 2012-Championship, Watford 2 Birmingham City 0
The date shown on the youtube video is incorrect.
Watford’s on-loan Udinese pair Almen Abdi and Matej Vydra were both on target in an impressive win over Birmingham City.
Watford produced a blistering first-half performance to secure a 2-0 victory over Birmingham and hand Gianfranco Zola his first home win.
Birmingham City travelled to Watford on Saturday and, for both sides, goals for or against had come mostly in the final minutes their first two games. But on this occasion Watford went in front after just two when Almen Abdi converted a penalty following Steven Caldwell’s hapless shove on Matej Vydra.
Watford started the game at a furious pace and rapidly dispelled fears of a re-enactment of Tuesday on the pitch.
Martin Taylor scored an injury-time equaliser as Watford snatched a point against Birmingham City.
Martin Taylor’s late equaliser against his former club, during a thrilling finale, compounded a bad weekend for Birmingham manager Chris Hughton, whose transfer target Nile Ranger was arrested the night before.
So the first half of today’s game was a turgid embarrassment.
 Watford are a Wembley win away from a return to the top flight they left 11 years ago after a dramatic spot-kick win at St Andrew’s.
 Last night is incomprehensible, even with the aid of a notebook. Just absolutely gargantuan. My brain is currently refusing to process all the information for fear of overload, but my heart knows the score. Which is probably why I nearly started crying when we appeared on the news this morning – one of those moments when realisation hits, and you can do nothing but crumple. This may not be the most coherent report I’ve ever written.
