Tag Archives: Dec26

26th December 2022- Championship, Watford 0 Millwall 2

Attendance: 20,204

BBC Sport: Andreas Voglsammer scored his first goal in English football to set Millwall on the road to a vital victory over Watford in their fight for a Championship play-off place.

Sky Sports: The home side were reduced to 10 men in the 38th minute when Hassane Kamara was sent off but they were comprehensively outplayed on their own turf.

BHappy: The first half was a one-sided farce. Daniel Bachmann, for all that he almost gave an opening goal away with a sloppy clearance before redeeming himself by throwing himself across goal to block Bradshaw’s resultant shot, kept us in the game with a number of brave stops, none better than a reaction save to deny Voglsammer after yet another Cooper knock-down. By that stage however we were already a goal down after a rare Cathcart error contributed to Bradshaw setting up Voglsammer to stroke past Bachmann. “That had been coming”, said everyone in the stadium.

Fran’s Watford Blog: There was then a long break in play after João Pedro was fouled by Saville and seemed to slip as he went down. After treatment on the field, he limped off the pitch and was sat on the sideline while his ankle was strapped up. In the meantime, the Hornets won a corner, the delivery from Sema was met by Ngakia whose header was straight at Long in the Millwall goal. While João Pedro was being treated, Asprilla had stripped and was ready to come on, but the Brazilian returned to the field even though he was limping heavily. It didn’t look like there was any chance that he could run it off, so it was no surprise when he went down again. He was clearly distraught as he left the pitch to be replaced by Asprilla. Losing our best player was pretty upsetting, but Christmas was properly ruined soon after when Kamara chased a ball in the Millwall box and collided with the goalkeeper. An altercation with McNamara followed, Kamara lashed out and the referee showed a straight red. It was an utterly stupid thing to do and there was no sympathetic applause as he left the pitch, instead he received a smattering of boos.

26th December 2020- Championship, Watford 1 Norwich City 0

BBC Sport: Ismaila Sarr got new Watford head coach Xisco Munoz off to the perfect start with a winning goal that ended Championship leaders Norwich City’s five-game winning run.

Sky Sports: Just a few minutes before the break, Watford took advantage. Ken Sema darted to the left-hand byline and pulled the ball back across the face of goal to the far post, where Sarr timed his run to perfection, sneaked past Jacob Sorensen and tucked the opener past stranded Norwich goalkeeper Michael McGovern.

Official site: City pressed but never had that golden chance and Foster wasn’t overly-extended in the Watford goal.

BHappy: Xisco Muñoz hits the right notes straight away, even if he does come across a bit Joey Tribbiani. Positive, energetic. likeable. Watford supporters should long since be immune to What Other People Think, in particular that sort of guffawing sub-pub bore nonsense churned out by Chris Sutton on 5 Live. There are concerns in his lack of managerial experience of course, but then the likes of Boothroyd and Rodgers came in with comparable experience and both did alright for themselves with us and elsewhere, in different ways. It’s unlikely that the Pozzos picked his name out of a hat after all.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55373502

26th December 2019- Premier League, Sheffield United 1 Watford 1

Referee: David Coote
Attendance: 30,222

1-0

Match Report: Sheffield United 1-1 Watford

Watford off the bottom with draw at Sheffield United

Ben Foster saves help Watford draw with Sheffield United

Nigel Pearson praises Ben Foster after Watford draw with Sheffield United

Watford players rated after draw with Sheffield United

Images from Watford’s draw at Sheffield United

Nigel Pearson says he has renewed hope his Watford side can avoid relegation after they moved off the foot of the Premier League table with a draw at Sheffield United.

Pearson praises Hornets for ‘digging deep’ to earn draw

Blades couldn’t find final bit of quality – Wilder

Gerard Deulofeu had given Nigel Pearson’s newly-buoyed side a 27th-minute lead against the run of play, before Oliver Norwood’s spot-kick (36) restored deserved parity for the hosts.

Gerard Deulofeu’s first‑half strike was vital but the heroics of Foster at the other end were equally important. Foster’s form has been a rare highlight throughout a largely miserable season and fittingly his magnificent saves – the pick a sensational point-blank effort to deny John Fleck – ensured their upturn in form continued.

It says plenty about Sheffield United’s season that Watford will see this as a well earned point while Chris Wilder will view it as a chance missed, given that his team have occupied the European places in their fairytale campaign.

Four days since Manchester United but a very different challenge… the two United’s might occupy similar areas of the table but there’s a world of difference between a vaunted side that’s less than the sum of its parts and a less glamorous opponent fully exploiting theirs, even if it leaves them in the same place.

26th December 2018- Premier League, Watford 1 Chelsea 2

Referee:
Martin Atkinson
Attendance:
20,415

Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary Goals: 1

Match Report: Watford 1-2 Chelsea

Cathcart: “We Pushed Them All The Way”

Gracia: “You Need To Take The Chances You Have”

Highlights: Watford 1-2 Chelsea

Affleck’s Angle: A Rare Gift

Gallery: Watford v Chelsea

Relive our coverage of Watford’s Boxing Day defeat to Chelsea

Eden Hazard scores twice as Watford lose to Chelsea

Javi Gracia reflects on Watford’s defeat to Chelsea

Images from Watford’s defeat against Chelsea at Vicarage Road

Watford vs Chelsea: Christian Kabasele posts injury update

Eden Hazard scored both goals for Chelsea as they beat Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road to move back into fourth place in the Premier League.

Watford will feel they had enough chances to get something from the match at Vicarage Road as they suffered their first loss in four Premier League matches.

Like Sarri, Watford manager Javi Gracia had named an unchanged team, but, having tried to carry on, Kabasele had to be replaced by Adrian Mariappa in the 16th minute.

It took until first-half stoppage time for the game to witness its first shot on target, whereupon two goals were scored in three minutes. First Étienne Capoue gave the ball away in midfield. Mateo Kovacic took control, played in Hazard and the Belgian rounded Foster before passing into the net. A minute later Watford might have equalised after Deeney’s header set up Abdoulaye Doucouré, who had already seen one effort blocked and another go high, for a shot this time saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga. From the corner José Holebas lifted the ball to the edge of the area and Roberto Pereyra rifled a volley into the corner of the net, the second time this season that a similar routine has led to a goal.

The visitors however always looked dangerous and shortly before the hour mark, Watford gifted the Chelsea the chance to take the lead. A ball over the top of the Watford defence found Hazard. Foster came out of his goal in an attempt to win ball, but instead clattered into Hazard and the referee had no choice but to point to the spot. Hazard took the spot kick and sent Foster the wrong way.

Yet again, we were ruing missing our chances as we could easily have won a point in that game. But, on the positive side, we were reflecting on a game in which we had matched one of the best teams in the country. Watford no longer look like plucky underdogs in these games, but are playing with a similar quality to these household names. There were regrets regarding the two penalties. Watford’s would have been given on another day. Chelsea’s was an unnecessary challenge by Foster but, given how well he has done for us this season, it is hard to criticise.

https://audioboom.com/posts/7127241-undone-by-hazard-9-25

26th December 2017- Premier League, Watford 2 Leicester City 1

clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary Goals: 1 2

Watford Observer

Watford v Leicester City live: Kasper Schmeichel own goal adds to Molla Wague goal as Hornets come from behind to beat Foxes

Watford come from behind to beat Leicester City and end six-game winless run

Marco Silva believes Watford showed ‘great character’ in Leicester City win

Heurelho Gomes singled out for praise by Watford head coach Marco Silva after saves in Leicester City win

Watford fans’ view: Hornets looking back to their best in Leicester City win

Heurelho Gomes relieved after helping Watford to Leicester City win

Watford v Leicester City ratings: Heurelho Gomes, Molla Wague and Andre Carrillo superb in Hornets’ comeback victory

Ben Watson delighted to seize Watford chance after ‘tough’ 18 months out of the side

Watford boss Marco Silva says he was never worried about their bad form, as they beat Leicester City to end a six-game winless run.

Watford picked up a first win in seven games after coming from behind to earn a 2-1 victory over Leicester at Vicarage Road on Boxing Day.

Watford have bemoaned their misfortune in recent weeks but here Marco Silva’s team were grateful for the unwitting assistance of Kasper Schmeichel as they fought back from a deficit to end a miserable series of results. The Leicester City goalkeeper turned a cross by Abdoulaye Doucouré into his own net in the 65th minute to complete Watford’s comeback after Molla Wagué had negated Riyad Mahrez’s opening goal for the visitors.

Little more than an hour had passed of another stodgy Watford performance when Marco Silva’s side contrived to waste a promising free-kick so spectacularly that the resulting shot from Abdoulaye Doucoure flew out for a throw-in.

Yes, Swansea on Saturday looked a winnable fixture, maybe, but the gentle descent in our recent run from the forgivable through the slightly unfortunate to the downright appalling hadn’t left us banking on anything much.

After a lovely Christmas day with the family, it was off to Vicarage Road to see if we could arrest the recent slump. The Boxing Day game is one of the first that I look for when the fixtures come out. I always look forward to them, even if they rarely give us anything to cheer (I am still smarting from the injury time goal by Kirk Stephens in 1979).

After four defeats on the bounce, Watford returned to winning ways on a tense Boxing Day afternoon at The Vic.

https://audioboom.com/posts/6569158-8-26-merry-wagumas

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26th December 2016- Premier League, Watford 1 Crystal Palace 1

Previously v Crystal Palace

clips of Jon Marks BBC 3CR commentary
Goal 1

Official site Matchday review

WO image

Relive all the action from the Hornets’ clash against Crystal Palace

Deeney reaches Hornets scoring century as Watford battle back for Boxing Day point

Mazzarri unhappy with performance in Palace draw

Allardyce laments Benteke penalty miss – and brands Harry the Hornet ‘out of order’

Watford captain Troy Deeney admits he deserved to be dropped before scoring 100th goal

Hornets keeper Heurelho Gomes hails attitude of 100-goal captain Troy Deeney

Watford v Crystal Palace: How did the Hornets fare in their draw at Vicarage Road?

Zaha awards his marks on Harry’s dive

The fifth member of Watford’s scoring century club

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26th December 2013- Championship, Watford 4 Millwall 0

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26th December 2011- Championship, Watford 1 Cardiff City 1

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4990

Adrian Mariappa’s late own goal gave Cardiff City a point as former Watford boss Malky Mackay returned to his former club.

BBC-Sport-Watford-1-1-Cardiff Download

And for most of the first half, there was an awful lot that was familiar about the visiting side. It’s never a good idea to successively read two novels by the same author I find; however impressive the first I begin to get irritated by an author’s habits and style when they begin to emerge in the second. And lo… here was a visiting team paying expansive football across the full width of the pitch, rendered get-attable at the back by their refusal to sit back but leaving us chasing shadows for the most part. And Don Cowie at the centre of everything, scurrying this way and that, on the end of crosses as well as providing them and coming close more than once, most memorably a diving header to a right-wing cross that brought a fine save from Loach. The riposte to the fist-chewingly tedious chorus of boos that greeted the Scot’s every touch seemed inevitable. It didn’t come, but to say that we were rather fortunate to be on level terms at the break would be something of an understatement.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2011-12-26

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/26-december-2011/

26th December 2009- Championship, Watford 0 Nottingham Forest 0

The club message in the programme relates to the Russo brothers quitting from the Watford board and then demanding back the money they had loaned the club. Various media outlets reported we were on the verge of administration but this was averted due to Lord Ashcroft paying off the £4.9 million demanded.

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4892

Nottingham Forest extended their unbeaten away record but had to survive a spirited Watford display. Watford’s Don Cowie came closest to breaking the deadlock when his 77th-minute shot struck the post.

BBC-Sport-Football-Watford-0-0-Nottm-Forest Download

First off, one should perhaps (in the absence of Peterboro thunks) acknowledge that it’s rather good to actually have a club to trundle out to watch at silly’o’clock on Boxing Day. However genuine or otherwise the threat to the club’s future presented by Russo’s disgusting posturing in the wake of the AGM, it felt real enough. We’re here, watching football. That will do for starters; the future comes later.

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2009-12-26

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/26-december-2009/

26th December 2008- Championship, Watford 2 Bristol City 4

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=4843

Maynard struck from the corner of the six-yard box after 23 seconds and doubled his tally after Scott Loach parried a shot from Ivan Sproule.

BBC-SPORT-_-Football-_-Championship-_-Watford-2-4-Bristol-City Download

Straight from the kick off their intentions were clear. No silly passing it back, or hoofing it out by the opponents corner flag. An instant attack resulted in a throw in. From it, they beat our offside trap and put the ball past Loach for 1-0. They continued the first half in the same manner and scored a second after Bromby failed to clear.

I’m almost glad they scored their fourth. Almost. Would have been too cruel to see City protect a one goal lead by jockying around in the corner to the cheers of their fans for five minutes. After all, it was ten years to the day since Gifton was doing precisely that to them, in the same corner of the pitch…

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=2008-12-26

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-championship/26-december-2008/