Tag Archives: Famous victories

24th April 2021- Championship, Watford 1 Millwall 0

The game where we clinched promotion back to the Premier League after just one season away.

BBC Sport: Ismaila Sarr’s composed 11th-minute penalty, after the Senegal winger was brought down in the box by Billy Mitchell, proved enough for the Hornets.

Sky Sports: Brentford’s win at Bournemouth earlier in the day meant that only three points would be good enough for Xisco Munoz’s Hornets to be promoted alongside Norwich, who came down with them last season.

BHappy: I sink into the sofa, close my eyes for a moment, smile…and wonder what to do. On the pitch, there are hugs, grins, a few tears being wiped away. A party getting started. In the stands, there are empty seats. At home, there’s dinner to be cooked, washing up to be done, life to get on with. It’s an odd way to end an odd season, and it feels as if the meaning of it all will filter through over time, a slow dawning.

From the Rookery End: You may have heard; the ‘Orns are going up! After Watford secured promotion with a hard-earned win against Millwall, Jon, Jason and Mike took a deep breath and try to do a monumental achievement justice.

Daily Telegraph, 26 Apr 2021

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56781828

29th February 2020- Premier League, Watford 3 Liverpool 0

Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 21,634

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Watford stun league leaders Liverpool in Premier League clash

Wonderful Watford inflict Liverpool’s first league defeat of season in stunning victory

Nigel Pearson hails Watford performance after Liverpool triumph

Watford players rated after sensational win over Liverpool

Abdoulaye Doucoure praises Nigel Pearson after Watford beat Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp says Watford victory ‘should be the headline’ after Liverpool defeat

Watford’s Gerard Deulofeu suffers ACL injury, Nigel Pearson confirms

Selection of images from Watford’s stunning Liverpool victory

Ismaila Sarr ‘disappointed’ to not score a hat-trick in Watford’s win over Liverpool

Troy Deeney promised Gerard Deulofeu Watford would beat Liverpool for him

Troy Deeney and Abdoulaye Doucoure speak of admiration for Ismaila Sarr after Watford beat Liverpool

Liverpool’s hopes of remaining unbeaten for an entire Premier League season were ended in sensational style by a rampant Watford at Vicarage Road.

This was supposed to be Liverpool’s day. It ended up being Watford’s.

Beating Liverpool could kick-start Watford’s season – Pearson

Why Watford’s win over Liverpool might be Premier League’s biggest ever upset

Sarr nipped in to break the deadlock after 54 minutes, before then racing through to double the Hornets’ lead six minutes later. With 18 minutes left to play, Watford captain Troy Deeney rounded off an incredible 18-minute spell by taking advantage of yet more sluggish defending from the visitors to add a third.

One of the greatest unbeaten streaks in the history of the English game had to end somewhere, but that it came against a club who have sacked two managers already this season and nursed a relegation death-wish since August, made this a truly surreal event.

Quite simply Liverpool were battered. From first minute until last Watford refused to display any sense of an inferiority complex against esteemed opponents and instead delivered a display of great togetherness, aggression and potency. They scored three and could have had more on a night that will be spoken about in these parts for years to come. That much could be taken from the thunderous roar that greeted the final whistle from the majority of those in attendance. A famous victory for Watford’s supporters to celebrate and one that also lifts their side out of the bottom three on goal difference and gives them renewed belief they can avoid the drop after all.

Minute by minute

“The most important thing is congratulations to Watford, well deserved,” said Klopp. “The first half there were football things that didn’t work out for us and overall we didn’t create enough and that’s what leads to a defeat. But it’s just one football game and we have to admit that Watford was the better team.”

Ismaïla Sarr. This was it, the game when he announced himself to the rest of the Premier League. We knew already, now everyone knows. Time will tell how he adapts to that, how he accommodates being targeted… today he was lethal.

Deeney, Deulofeu and Pereyra had all been disappointing at Old Trafford, but had been superb in this game with even Pereyra working his socks off. The performance of Femenía showed how much we had missed him. What was really impressive was that, after two months out, he looked as though he had never been away. Similarly with Sarr, who frightened the life out of the Liverpool defence, the only disappointment had been that he didn’t get his hat trick. The midfield three of Hughes, Capoue and Doucouré had worked tirelessly and been incredibly solid. Sometimes it is the silly things that give you immense pleasure and one of the memories that I will take from this game involved Capoue. I love him as a player, but he can blow hot and cold. Watching him when he is enjoying himself is utterly joyous and there was a point in the game when he sprinted from one side of the pitch to the other and back again, frustrating the Liverpool midfield and it was one of those moments that has me clapping my hands in glee.

As Watford fans we’ve had some great wins this season. We’ve also had some terrible performances. HOWEVER, today is up there with the best wins since we returned to the top flight – WE BEAT THE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!

7th April 2019- FA Cup Semi Final, Watford 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 (After Extra Time, at Wembley Stadium)

Pre-Match Build Up

Watford captain Troy Deeney has said the FA Cup semi-final is less exciting than the chance to build a legacy

Will Hughes says Watford won’t take Wolverhampton Wanderers game for granted after victory earlier in the season

Watford vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Richard Lee would toss a coin to decide whether Ben Foster or Heurelho Gomes starts FA Cup semi-final

Watford vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Javi Gracia says reaching FA Cup final would be the best achievement of his career

Watford vs Wolverhampton: Nuno Espirito Santo predicts ‘very close’ FA Cup semi-final

Watford vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Joao Moutinho issues warning ahead of FA Cup semi-final

Watford vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ben Foster thinks it would be harsh to leave Heurelho Gomes out of the semi-final

An insight into the Hornets’ FA Cup semi-final opponents

Andre Gray has forgiven Wolverhampton Wanderers for releasing him as a young academy player

Jose Holebas is proud of Watford’s team mentality and wants fans to make noise at Wembley

Watford vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Jave Gracia praises Nuno Espirito Santo ahead of FA Cup semi-final

FA Cup: Man City, Brighton, Watford and Wolves compete in semi-finals

Before the season began, Watford were joint-third favourites for relegation, considered by bookmakers to be better only than Cardiff and Huddersfield. Javi Gracia was fifth in the betting to be the first top-flight manager to be sacked. General opinion was clear, and scathing. Fast forward eight months and Watford are jostling with Wolves for both seventh place in the top flight and, on Sunday, a spot in the FA Cup final.

Referee:
Michael Oliver
Attendance:
80,092

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Full Time

Watford come back to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in FA Cup semi-final

Hornets astonishingly come from two behind to reach FA Cup Final

Javi Gracia’s pride in players and fans after FA Cup semi-final triumph

Gerard Deulofeu says first goal was his most important

Javi Gracia felt Gerard Deulofeu was ‘angry’ when he scored first FA Cup semi-final goal

Watford players rated after beating Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup semi-final

Hornets celebrate their FA Cup semi-final success

Javi Gracia told Watford players to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers and avoid cup final regret

Watford’s FA Cup third round opponents Woking have offered their congratulations after incredible semi-final victory

Andre Gray believes ‘anything can happen’ against Manchester City after Watford’s FA Cup semi-final triumph

VIDEO: Watford players and fans celebrate their FA Cup semi-final triumph

Heurelho Gomes does not mind who plays in Watford’s FA Cup final

Watford captain Troy Deeney has drawn praise for emotional and open interviews following FA Cup semi-final win

FAN PICS: How Watford fans celebrated FA Cup victory over Wolves

Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster has said Javi Gracia will not need convincing to select Heurelho Gomes for the FA Cup final

Gerard Deulofeu delivered a sensational display after coming on as substitute to inspire Watford’s dramatic comeback from two goals down to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers after extra time in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

All was lost but we showed character, says Javi Gracia

‘Not just a great footballing story, a great sport story’ – relive an FA Cup classic

Deulofeu claims your star man award

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo says ‘we had it and it got away’

The FA Cup has still got it. Try as some might to kill it off and downgrade its significance, Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers produced a classic Wembley semi-final as a reminder that this great old competition can still touch all the sport’s senses.

Jake Humphrey tweet sparks donation surge for Watford fan

Jake Humphrey’s charity FA Cup tweet a ‘minor miracle’

Wolves had held a 2-0 lead until the 79th minute when Deulofeu chipped in a curling shot to spark hope for the Hornets whose captain Troy Deeney then won and scored a 94th-minute penalty.

The Rocket Men have lift off. It has been a long, long time since Watford were in the FA Cup final but they produced one of the greatest-ever comebacks in the history of this grand old competition to shatter Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Javi Gracia and his players simply refused to lose, to buy into the script that had Wolves continuing their fairytale season with a march into the final against Manchester City. It took a moment of magic to revive them and one of the highest drama to force extra time. And, with the tide of a tumultuous semi-final turned, there was a degree of inevitability about the winning goal, which was scored by Gerard Deulofeu.

Minute by minute

Gerard Deulofeu took out his anger on Wolves after being dropped from the starting Watford line-up, according to his manager, Javi Gracia, to inspire one of the great FA Cup comebacks.

As a manager you know it is definitely and incontrovertibly your day when you are faced with one major selection decision, get it demonstrably wrong and then win the game because of it. Javi Gracia’s first full season at Watford is going so well that even his mistakes work out.

Our first small victory comes with the visual display. Wolves’ tableau is impressive, but static. A statement. But it doesn’t compare to the frenzied energy of the waving of 33000 plastic flags, like insects swarming over the away end. You can hear our lot now. We’re fighting back. The game hasn’t even started, obviously. But we’re in it.

It was all falling apart, visions of that day against Crystal Palace came flooding back into my mind. I had given up, Wolves don’t throw away two goal leads. On came Deulofeu to help try and salvage something from the game, hopefully he was able to give us the little bit of magic we needed.

Then a throw-in from Holebas was knocked back to Deulofeu, it didn’t look particularly dangerous for the opposition until Gerry nonchalantly lifted the ball into the top far corner. It was a gorgeous goal out of nothing and suddenly it was game on with 10 minutes remaining.

She wore a yellow ribbon…

There are moments, as a football fan, that you will never forget and moments. And Watford’s win over Wolves, in the FA Cup Semi Final, is the sort of game that will live long in the memory. This podcast is our story, from around the world, and our reaction to the win. We also talk to Hanson, you may have seen his story on Twitter, about becoming a Watford fan and his first two games.

Watford’s road to the FA Cup final: Gerard Deulofeu comes off the bench to sink Wolverhampton Wanderers

13th March 2016-FA Cup Sixth Round, Arsenal 1 Watford 2

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Watford stunned FA Cup holders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium to book their place in the semi-finals at Wembley.

Odion Ighalo and Adlene Guedioura goals dump holders out of FA Cup

It’s 4pm. We’ve opted against the scrum for the tube in favour of a leisurely walk in the sunshine back to Kings Cross. There’s a workman painting a doorway on Caledonian Road, the Kinks’ “Sunny Afternoon” rumbles out of his radio. It’s a perfect soundtrack for what is a necessary but overlooked feature of stunning days like this one… the dazed post-match taking-it-all-in thing.

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The second goal was a thing of beauty. Deeney did tremendously well to hold the ball up in the box then he passed it out to Guedioura and WELLY!!! The shot nearly burst the net and would have knocked out someone in the upper tier if it had. If the first goal celebration had been joyous, this one was truly mental and, suddenly, the Watford fans started thinking that we could actually win this, and those of us who had been calling for Adlene’s replacement were left with egg on our faces.

It was no less than the Hornets deserved for what was an outstanding away-day performance, in front of an incredible 8,300+ travelling contingent, who were in fine voice throughout at the Emirates Stadium.

Watford’s joy was unfettered at the end of it all and rightly so. What a coup to accompany a promising Premier League season as a newly promoted side! Their players danced in front of the supporters after the final whistle. Even some of the home fans felt able to applaud them off, appreciative of their efforts on the day.

25th April 2015- Championship, Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Watford 2

The game was televised so kicked off earlier than the other Championship games but our win coupled with Norwich drawing at Rotherham and Middlesbrough losing to Fulham meant we were promoted to the Premier League.

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To mark the 50th anniversary of Brighton’s Fourth Division Championship title they repeated the programme from the match that won them the title.

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http://watford.fcdb.info?id=5167

Goal: 1 2

Watford clinched promotion to the Premier League after they beat Brighton and other results went their way.

Middlesbrough slumped to a 4-3 defeat at Fulham and Norwich could only draw 1-1 at Rotherham, sealing Watford’s return to the top flight after an eight-year absence.

Watford’s lunchtime win on the south coast put them four points clear of the chasing pack thanks to Troy Deeney’s first-half goal and a stoppage time second from the substitute Matej Vydra.

Football is about waiting for moments that might never arrive, about playing them through in your imagination over and over, about being there to see if it happens…and then finding Matej Vydra taking what seems like an age to control the ball, threatening to let that moment slip away, and then sliding it calmly into the bottom corner before the whole world turns yellow and red and inside out and upside down.

The Watford Observer produced a supplement marking the Hornets promotion which included several pictures from the game and the celebrations that followed.

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https://oldwatford.com/2015/05/02/2nd-may-2015-championship-watford-1-sheffield-wednesday-1/

12th May 2013- Championship Playoff Semi-Final Second Leg, Watford 3 Leicester City 1 (Watford won 3-2 on aggregate)

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=5066

If you’ve come for a calm, balanced perspective on things you’ve come to the wrong place. Surely nobody with a vested interest is capable of anything approaching objectivity this evening, in the context of the quite extraordinary last eight days… your best qualified candidate for this is in Cornwall, of all places, so you’re stuck with me. And just a few hours ago I was shuffling up a dazed Occupation Road with a bouncing six year old proclaiming that we were “definitely going to win the final. For certain. If they score a hundred goals, we’ll score a thousand….”. That result, for one, is no longer in doubt, but don’t expect cold analysis here. We’re far too far gone for that.

Troy Deeney scored Watford’s aggregate winner in an extraordinary finish to their Championship play-off semi-final against Leicester. Twenty seconds after Anthony Knockaert had a debatable penalty saved at the other end, Deeney thumped in a shot.

Watford put themselves within touching distance of the Premier League after an extraordinary climax to their Championship play-off semi-final, which was decided by Troy Deeney’s 97th-minute goal.

A quite astonishing finish to this play-off semi-final second leg saw the game swing from apparently certain success for Leicester to a Watford victory in less than 20 seconds.

Almunia, Deeney and the 18 seconds that led to Watford ecstasy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Football_League_play-offs

The View From The Vic Extra: Watford v Leicester Play-Off Semi-Final