Tag Archives: Cucho Hernandez

A Surprisingly Lovely End to the Season

When I was putting together the Women of Watford booking for the Chelsea game, I sent a message to my family group of fans. I was surprised to receive a positive response from my sister and my two nieces. My response was “Are you insane?” But they had decided that they fancied attending our last Premier League game for a while. There was also a City ‘Orns booking for this game, so our group of away travellers, which has been quite depleted this season, was back to full strength and we booked a table for 11 for lunch. It was a nice, easy journey and the walk in the sun across Parson’s Green was just lovely. I met Pete and Julie on the way then spotted Glenn and Amy outside the pub. As they travel in from Norfolk, they had started their day a little earlier than we did, so were already rather jolly. I headed inside to find our group at the table where we were briefly joined by Richard Walker who wished us well and thanked us for our support this season. Wine was ordered along with a lovely roast dinner, we were determined to enjoy our day, at least until kick-off time. As we waited for our food, the server arrived with a bottle of champagne and glasses. We pointed out that we hadn’t ordered champagne but were told it had been ordered for our table. Rich Walker was identified as our kind benefactor. It was a really lovely gesture. The performances on the pitch this season may have been dreadful, but we are lucky to have some amazing people working at the club.

When we were suitably fed and watered, we headed for Stamford Bridge. It was a gorgeous sunny day, so we were delighted to find an ice cream van on the way that was doing a roaring trade in 99s. When we arrived at the ground, we had to negotiate a number of layers of security, but they were all pleasant and helpful and we were soon in our seats in the upper tier. I was delighted to bump into Sarah, who had missed out on a WoW ticket, as I was able to confirm that we had a spare seat in our section, so she came to join us.

Team news was that there were six changes from the Leicester game with Bachmann, Samir, Femenía, Kamara, Cleverley and King in for Foster, Ngakia Cathcart, Masina, Gosling and Kalu. So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Kamara, Samir, Kabasele, Femenía; Cleverley, Kayembe, Sissoko; Sema, King, João Pedro.

The home side had an early chance as Sissoko lost out to Mount in midfield, he played a ball over the top to Havertz whose shot was stopped by a good save from Bachmann. The next chance for the home side was a shot by Saúl from the edge of the area that deflected off Mount and out. Chelsea took the lead in the 11^th minute when Kenedy put a low cross in to Havertz who turned it in at the far post. The moronic chant of “How sh*t must you be, it’s only 1-0” was pleasingly drowned out, if only briefly, by an enthusiastic chorus of “Watford FC”.

Sema preparing for a free kick as Cleverley, Kamara and Mike Dean look on

Saúl had a decent chance to increase the lead for the home side, but his shot flew wide of the near post. Then a cross from Mount was caught by Bachmann. The Chelsea man then got his head to a cross from James, but his effort was wide of the target. It was 25 minutes into the game before the Hornets managed to mount an attack worthy of note. João Pedro battled into the box but was dispossessed, a shot from Cleverley was blocked, eventually the ball fell to Kayembe who exchanged passes with King before hitting a shot from the edge of the area that flew wide of the target. The travelling Hornets were in good voice at this point, “Que sera sera, whatever will be will be, we’re going to Coventry.” Then Havertz broke into the box and was stopped by a tackle from Kabasele, the ball rolling safely to Bachmann. At the other end, a low cross from Sema was put out for a corner. The best chance of the game so far for the Hornets came as a cross from Kamara rolled across the goal with nobody able to connect until it reached Femenía whose shot needed a decent save from Mendy in the Chelsea goal to keep it out. The home side should have had a second from a good shot by Mount, but Bachmann made the save. The home side continued to threaten as Havertz broke into the Watford box, but he was stopped by some good defending from Kabasele. Chelsea had one final chance to increase their lead before half time with a shot from Havertz that hit the bar, so we went into the break only a goal down.

The Hornets created the first chance of the second half as João Pedro exchanged passes with Cleverley before unleashing a shot that needed an excellent save from Mendy to keep it out. João Pedro then intercepted a back pass, but his cross into the box was caught by Mendy. Just before the hour mark Chelsea made their first change replacing Kenedy with Sarr. The Hornets nearly had an equaliser from an own goal as a poor back pass from Azpilicueta was drifting in until Silva got back to keep it out. The home side threatened again with a low shot from the edge of the area by Ziyech but Bachmann was equal to it. Chelsea made a second change bringing Barkley on for Rudiger. The substitute had a great chance to increase the Chelsea lead with a shot from just outside the box that Bachmann did very well to push over. The resultant corner came out to Mount who shot well over the bar. Hodgson made his first change bringing Hernández on for King. Soon after, Kamara picked up an injury and was replaced by Masina. The Hornets should have done better after Sissoko broke forward, Mendy came out to meet him, the ball went out to Kayembe whose shot was terrible and the empty net remained untroubled. Soon after that he was replaced by Gosling. Havertz had a chance to increase the Chelsea lead but was stopped by a great block by Kabasele. With three minutes of normal time remaining, the Hornets grabbed an equaliser as Masina crossed for Gosling who headed the ball across Mendy and in to send the travelling Hornets wild with joy. The goal was at our end of the ground, so we were all able to celebrate together. Chelsea made a late substitution replacing Mount with Chilwell. Sadly, the Hornets were unable to hang on to the point as, in time added on, a cross from James was met by the head of Barkley, Bachmann got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out. The home side had one more chance to increase their lead when Ziyech had a shot from the edge of the area, but Bachmann made the catch, and the Hornets were on the end of an unexpectedly narrow defeat.

Gosling being congratulated on the goal in front of an appreciative crowd

The players came over to applaud the travelling fans and were greeted with cheers, which was gratifying. It had been a decent showing, the players had put a shift in, and, after the late equaliser, we felt as if we deserved a point from the game, so went home relatively happy.

We said goodbye to the lightweights in our party before heading back to the pub, which was pleasantly empty, so we were able to toast the end of the season in comfort.

This is a season that has been almost unremittingly miserable. COVID meant that we missed out on the fun of a promotion season. This has been the most unpleasant reintroduction. We finished this season with the worst points total that Watford have had in the Premier League. Given the difference in apparent talent between the 99/00 squad and the 21/22 vintage that really is quite shameful. Roy Hodgson has come in for a lot of abuse and was regaled by some very unpleasant songs from a section of the crowd, but I don’t hold him responsible for what has happened this season, especially as we were obviously doomed when he arrived. This is all down to the players, a number of whom didn’t play to the best of their abilities or put in anywhere near enough effort.

One positive from the season has been the emergence of Women of Watford. When I appeared on Hive Live with Kate and Sophie on International Women’s Day last year, I had no idea that I would end up as part of a group of amazing women getting together to go to matches. Those that have joined us include mothers with children who liked the idea of being with a group of women, younger and older women who may have been going as a group, or on their own, but were happy for some extra company. The club has been very supportive in allowing us to make block bookings which have allowed us all to make new friends. It is always good to have more friendly faces to see at matches.

So we go into the close season, glad to see the back of the one just gone and looking forward to some cracking days out next season. However miserable the fare served up between kick-off and the final whistle, I have still had some amazing days out this season and I thank all the lovely people that I have spent time with for that. See you all at the end of July.

Sunshine on the South Coast

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After the horror of Thursday evening, I wondered why I was getting up early on a Sunday morning to travel to Southampton. But the sun was shining as I walked to the tube station and I arrived at Waterloo in plenty of time to get a coffee and croissant before boarding my train. The station was very quiet, but I did spot a Watford shirt on the concourse so knew that I wasn’t alone. As is often the case on South Western trains, the on train display was awry claiming that the train was going to Waterloo and the first stop was Dorchester. I had a brief panic that I was on the wrong train, but it left at the expected time and a glance at the board when we reached Clapham Junction eased my concerns. The usual line to Southampton was closed so it was routed through Fareham which added about an hour to the journey.

I arrived in St Denys bright and early and was not expecting the designated pub to be open, so I was delighted to find that it was, and I was soon sitting comfortably with a pint waiting for the rest of our party to arrive. I had booked a table, as it tends to get busy, and had been looking forward to a Sunday roast until they realised that it was a matchday and put on a menu of (massive) burgers instead.

We left the pub in good time and had a lovely walk in the sun along the side of the Itchen to the ground. As usual there was a massive queue to get through security and we just managed to make it to our seats before kick-off. The Women of Watford group were located just behind the Junior Hornets who were on their inaugural away trip since the relaunch of the group. It was lovely to see so many children looking forward to seeing their team. I only hoped that the lads would put on a good performance for them.

Team news was that there were three changes from Thursday with João Pedro back in place of King and Cleverley and Cathcart making way for Kucka and Kabasele. So, the starting line-up was Foster; Femenía, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara; Sissoko, Louza, Kucka; Hernández, João Pedro, Dennis.

The home side had an early chance from a free kick. My heart sank as James Ward-Prowse stepped up, and Alice expressed what I was thinking, that he always seems to score against us. Thankfully on this occasion, Foster punched his effort clear. The home side threatened again as Armstrong crossed for Elyounoussi whose header was headed off the line by Samir. The first chance for the Hornets came as a Dennis cross was blocked and fell to João Pedro but his shot was also blocked.

Celebrating the first goal, the home fans are not impressed

The Hornets took the lead in the 14^th minute as João Pedro just missed out on intercepting a poor pass from Forster and was, annoyingly, prostrate on the turf, but Cucho was lurking and latched on to a terrible back pass from Salisu before rounding Forster and finding the net from a tight angle to send the travelling Hornets behind the goal into wild celebrations. The Hornets threatened again as Kucka crossed for João Pedro, but the ball was cut out by Salisu before it reached the Watford man. At the other end, Walker-Peters went on a run along the goal line before putting in a cross that was blocked for a corner. Then Kamara released João Pedro who hit a shot that curled well wide of the target. A foul by Samir on Armstrong resulted in a free kick for the home side. The delivery from Ward-Prowse was met by the head of Salisu, but his effort cleared the bar. The Hornets scored a second goal after 34 minutes when a lovely cross from Kucka dropped to Cucho who volleyed past Forster. His joyous celebration was directly in front of us, so he was able to enjoy the adulation of the Junior Hornets. At this point, the crowd was streaming out of the stand next to us. It seemed a little early for half time refreshments but, clearly, they had seen enough. The home side had a great chance to hit back when a ball reached Walker-Peters on the edge of the box, his shot was impressive and needed a decent save from Foster to keep it out. The Hornets should have had a third when Sissoko played a lovely ball to Kucka, who found himself one-on-one with the keeper, but his shot was weak and Forster dropped to make the block. The home side had a chance to pull a goal back with a shot from distance from Perraud that flew over the bar. But they got their goal soon after, inevitably from a Ward-Prowse free kick which was flicked on by Adams to Elyounoussi who got behind the defence and turned the ball past Foster. This was just before half time, the worst time to concede a goal, so very frustrating. The Saints had another chance before the break as a run down the right finished with a cross that was cut out by Femenía. The resulting corner was met by Armstrong whose shot was high and wide. It was a relief to hear the half time whistle and to go into the break a goal to the good.

Cucho celebrating his second goal with the away fans

It had been an enjoyable half of football watched from a stand that was bathed in sunshine. We were certainly expecting to see more goals in the second half. The Junior Hornet group in front of us were enjoying their afternoon and it was lovely to see Ann Swanson back where she belongs wearing a coat bearing the Watford badge.

The home side made a substitution at the break replacing Smallbone with Broja. The first incident of note in the second half was a booking for Perraud as he fouled Louza to stop him breaking forward. The Hornets looked to restore their two-goal advantage when João Pedro went on a great run before battling his way into the box, but he went down under a challenge and the referee, rightly, waved play on. The first chance of the half fell to the home side, a great ball found Walker-Peters at the back post, but he shot wide. At the other end, Kucka played a lovely one-two with Louza but his cut back was cleared. Southampton threatened again from a free kick, on this occasion the delivery from Ward-Prowse was headed over by Salisu. The Hornets had a chance soon after when Dennis cut the ball back to João Pedro whose curling shot flew wide of the far post.

The Hornets should have increased their lead when Kucka got the ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a tremendous shot that was pushed clear by Forster. At the other end, the Hornet nerves were jangling as Broja just missed connecting with a dangerous cross into the box. With a quarter of an hour remaining, the home side made their second change as Redmond replaced Romeu. His appearance was greeted with Alice and I saying, in unison, “He always plays well against us.” The Hornets should have increased their lead and Cucho should have had a hat-trick when he exchanged passes with Dennis before blasting his shot over the bar when he really should have hit the target. The Hornets threatened again when Cucho played a crossfield ball to Dennis who advanced and took a shot from just outside the area that flew wide of the near post. Nerves jangled among the travelling Hornets as Ward-Prowse stepped up to take a free kick in what would be considered to be “his territory”, so we were very relieved to see his delivery land on the roof of the net. With 3 minutes left of normal time, Hodgson made his first substitution bringing King on for Dennis. The home side had a chance to draw level when a cross from Redmond was met by the head of Adams, but Foster tipped the ball over the bar. There were appeals for a handball from the resultant corner. The consensus among us was that the hand involved had belonged to a Southampton player and, following the VAR check, nothing was given. The fourth official indicated seven minutes of added time to the disbelief and horror of the Watford faithful. Southampton won a corner and, before it was taken, Hodgson made his second change bringing Cathcart on for Femenía. Foster punched the delivery clear but, in the process, Broja was injured and was down for a long time receiving treatment. He was able to walk off the pitch but had to be replaced by Long. There was a series of Southampton corners that were repelled until, finally, the Hornets took possession of the ball and launched a counterattack which finished with King crossing for Louza who tried an overhead kick that was easily caught by Forster. Hodgson made his final change deep into injury time when he brought Sema on for Cucho. The home side had one final chance to rescue a point with a shot from Redmond, but it was deflected into the gloves of Foster, so the final whistle went with the Hornets winning a precious three points.

Cucho and Joao Pedro celebrating the second goal

The celebrations in the away end and among the players were joyous. Cucho and Kamara took it in turns to get the away stand cheering and many of the players came over to hand their shirts to the Junior Hornets. Their day out had been a cracker.

We walked back to the pub bathed in glorious sunshine with our smiles as bright as the day was. What a difference three days and two goals makes. This performance could not have been more different from that on Thursday. On this occasion, the lads fought for every ball, played as a team and looked as if they were enjoying themselves. Cucho, with his brace, was obviously the man of the match but there were great performances all over the pitch. Kucka and Louza had great afternoons, as did Kabasele. But there wasn’t a bad performance and we all left St Mary’s loving football again.

There were mixed results at the other grounds. We could have done without the late winner at Leeds, but we are now level on points with Everton, although they do have games in hand. So, the despair of Thursday turns into a little kernel of hope that we may escape. But, as we all know, it’s the hope that kills you. But the highlight of the day was the Junior Hornets away trip. To see so many youngsters enjoying an away game in a safe environment was a delight, and the performance was one which will ensure that they are badgering their parents to let them go again. The proud photos on social media of the kids with their heroes’ shirts were just lovely. The next generation are being looked after and it is wonderful to see Ann Swanson as a key part of that. Sunday was a day that made me very proud to be a Watford fan.

A Dark Evening in the Black Country

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The postponement of the game on Boxing Day hadn’t been a great disappointment. The idea of getting up at the crack of dawn to get a coach to Wolves for a lunchtime kick-off was really not that appealing. Needless to say, I still bought a ticket, but I was going to be on my own for that one. For the rearranged fixture I decided to take the train instead. My ridiculously overpriced first class ticket bought me a couple of glasses of wine and an afternoon tea (scones with clotted cream are always a good idea). I was joined on the train at Milton Keynes by Ian, who disembarked at Birmingham, as all sensible people do, as there is no pre-match establishment that I would want to visit in Wolves. There is construction at Wolverhampton station, so I failed to find the way out to the Premier Inn and ended up taking a ridiculously long detour.

I left for the ground at 6ish and was pleased that I remembered the way and knew where the away coaches would be parked before I spotted them. Wolves have a good selection of food vans, so I paused to enjoy chicken tikka in a naan, which hit the spot. When I reached the ground, I found that we had been moved from our usual spot in the lower tier along the side of the pitch to the upper tier behind the goal. Imagine my delight on arrival to be greeted by a sign warning that it was 96 steps to the top. Still, that would work off the afternoon’s refreshments. When I arrived in the concourse, I spotted Don Fraser and, knowing that he was without a PA for the evening, decided to join him on the disabled platform. It has to be said that there was a stunning view from there and we were able to observe the pyrotechnic display, rather than being singed by it.

Team news was that there was one change from the Arsenal game with João Pedro having tested positive for COVID on Wednesday he was replaced by King. So, the starting line-up was Foster; Femenía, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Sissoko, Louza, Cleverley; Hernández, Dennis, King.

The teams emerged from the tunnel together, like old times, which I rather enjoyed. We were visited before kick-off by Laura, the Wolves SLO, who came to make sure that we were doing OK.

The home fans were vocal from the kick-off, booing Ben Foster, who will never be forgiven for his time at West Brom.

The first action of note was a great cross into the Wolves box, Cucho went down under a challenge and the referee pointed to the spot, but changed his mind when the flag went up for offside against Dennis. That was to prove to be one of the rare highlights of the game for the Hornets. The home side took the lead on 13 minutes, and it was down to terrible defending by the visitors. Hwang won the ball from a Femenía throw-in, he passed the ball through Samir’s legs to Jiménez who, despite being challenged, was able to fashion a shot and beat Foster.

Watford were two down on 18 minutes as a cut back from Aït-Nouri was turned past his own keeper by Hernández, who was under no pressure as there was no Wolves player anywhere near him. The first booking of the game went to Louza for pulling Jiménez down. The home side scored a third after 21 minutes, a terrible back pass put Foster in trouble, his rushed clearance went straight to Podence who showed great composure to loft the ball over the stranded keeper and into the empty net. The home fans took great delight in this and “Foster, what’s the score” rang out across the stadium. A moment of relief for the Hornets as Sissoko went on a great run and found King in the box, but the shot was awful, flying well over the bar. “That’s why you’re going down” rang out from the home stands and it was hard to argue. On the half hour, Hodgson made a change bringing Kabasele on for Femenía, I can only assume that the change was due to an injury. A lovely run through the middle by Dennis was stopped by Aït-Nouri who was booked for his trouble. Cucho stepped up to take the resulting free kick and fired well over the target. The next booking of the game went to Samir who, in similar fashion, tripped Jiménez in order to prevent a break. The Hornets had a chance to break back as a series of shots were blocked in the Wolves area, the ball finally fell to Kabasele whose shot went wide. This effort was greeted with a gleeful chant of “We’ve had a shot” from the Watford faithful. The home side had a chance to grab a fourth before half time as Jiménez cut the ball back to Hwang in the box, but Samir was on hand to make the block. The half time whistle went to the inevitable boos from the away end. It had been a dreadful half of football and there were a couple of guys in the stand near me who had spent most of the half screaming their displeasure at the players. I just felt rather numb. Our platform was right behind Foster’s goal, so we had a grandstand view of the carnage.

Hodgson made a change at half time bringing Kalu on for King. A group behind us decided to cheer themselves up with a chant of “We’ve lost/got the ball,” as appropriate for the current situation as the game went on. There was a bright start to the second half for the Hornets as Cucho took a free kick from the left touchline that needed a punch from de Sá to keep it out. At the other end, Foster’s mare continued as another clearance reached Podence, but this time the Watford keeper was able to catch the lob. There was more good work from Cucho as he won the ball by the corner flag and escaped from the defender before passing to Dennis who had the ball nicked off his feet. Dennis then went on a tremendous run through the middle but was pulled down on the edge of the box by Saïss, who went into the referee’s book. Louza took the free kick which hit the wall and deflected out. Louza also took the resulting corner, his delivery was met by the head of Kabasele who could only direct the ball wide of the target. Wolves made their first substitution at this point as Neto replaced Hwang. Laura, the Wolves SLO, then reappeared to ask how we were doing. Er, not well. She said that she had been to a few Watford games and thought we would be all right. It turned out that her son is a Watford fan. I could only pity the poor lad and certainly did not share her positive view of our prospects this season.

The home side had a chance to increase their lead as a clearance from Kabasele was blocked by Podence and the rebound flew just wide. The group behind me tried to keep our spirits up with “Most nutmegs in Europe, you’ll never sing that.” Wolves thought that they had scored a fourth as, from a corner, a shot was blocked and the follow-up from Neves was in the net, but the whistle had already gone for an infringement. With about 20 minutes to go, each side made a substitution, Silva replacing Jiménez for the home side and Cleverley making way for Etebo for the visitors. Cucho was still working hard as he went on a run down the right, but he slashed at the shot and failed to test the Wolves keeper. At the other end, Jonny crossed for Neto whose header was caught by Foster. Silva had a chance to increase the lead for the hosts, but his shot flew just wide of the far post. The home side continued to threaten as, from a corner, the ball fell to Neto who shot over the target. The Wolves fans behind the goal wouldn’t give the ball back to Foster for the goal kick until, inevitably, he already had a replacement ball lined up. Lage made his final substitution replacing Jonny with Chiquinho. In a move that typified our evening, Louza had a chance to release Dennis but decided to go for goal himself with a shot that was nowhere near the target just flying out for a goal kick. The inevitable fourth goal came when the ball fell to Neves on the edge of the area who lofted a gorgeous shot over Foster. As the clock ran down, I was just wishing for the final whistle so was relieved when the fourth official indicated that there would be only two minutes of additional time.

Don applauded the players at the end, but he is a better person than I am. That performance had been soul-destroying. There was just nothing to redeem it. A lack of ideas, a lack of any cohesion. A rag-tag group of players who didn’t look like they had met before that evening and certainly couldn’t find a teammate with a pass. The mistakes for the goals were dreadful. In all honestly, it was a performance that was characterised by a complete lack of confidence, and I don’t know how you remedy that. The poor performance on the pitch is met by fury from many in the crowd which, while understandable, just makes the experience worse.

On the way out of the ground, I heard a Wolves fans telling a family with him that he would have to bring them again as it’s not usually like this. Sadly, it is for us.

So we have a trip to the south coast on Sunday, which I am not expecting to be any more fun, and then we have two weeks to recover before a trip to Liverpool. You have to wonder if Roy will still be in charge for that one. Relegation is looking like an inevitability. I am just keeping everything crossed that Barnsley stay up.

An Encouraging Performance Against the Gunners

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The 1881 Display in the Rookery in support of Ukraine

After 10 days away, in which I missed three matches with very mixed performances, I didn’t know what to expect from the visit of Arsenal to Vicarage Road. The likelihood of getting anything from the game seemed low, but we do tend to play better against the top teams, and we have a history of being a bogey team for the Gunners. Also, being out of practice, a two-o-clock kick-off on a Sunday afternoon was very confusing. But I found myself on a train out of London full of lads drinking beer, so knew that my timing was fine. The West Herts was quiet when I arrived, but Jacque was there and had nabbed a table, so all was good. It was even better when Drummy arrived bearing jerk chicken baguettes and then the icing on the cake was a late appearance from Glenn with a bag of pork scratchings. You don’t get those in Belize.

We headed for the ground and Mike stopped off to donate some books that his grandchildren have outgrown to the Children’s Book Project collection. It was good to see that the box was rather full. We had been warned during the week about the new turnstiles. Thankfully they worked well, and I was greeted by name as the green light allowed me entry to the Rookery.

Team news was that there were three changes from the Manchester United game with Femenía, João Pedro and Hernández in for Ngakia, Sarr and King. So, the starting line-up was Foster; Femenía, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Sissoko, Louza, Cleverley; Hernández, Dennis, João Pedro. A very attacking line-up.

When I got to my seat, I found a roll of yellow paper underneath it. I also found that the guy in the seat next to me was wearing a red shirt, not a replica kit but a bit of a giveaway. As the teams came out to Z-cars, the crowd in the Rookery held up the sheets to display the Ukrainian flag. The players then lined up around the centre circle, with the teams alternating players, for a show of solidarity, and there was a minute’s applause while we held up our yellow sheets (my Arsenal friend applauded but clearly did not want anything to do with a yellow sheet).

The game started really well for the Hornets as João Pedro played a lovely ball to Dennis who had the ball in the net after 17 seconds, but the celebrations were cut short by the linesman’s flag, as helpfully pointed out by my neighbour in the stand. But it was the visitors who took the early lead as Ødegaard played a one-two with Saka before beating Foster. The goal was greeted with celebrations from a group of 4 sitting a few rows in front of us in the middle of the Rookery. They were quickly ejected. My Arsenal friend whipped his phone out to celebrate with mates but, when I commented, thought better of it. The first chance for the Hornets to break back came as Dennis won a free kick, Hernández stepped up to take it, but his effort was straight at Ramsdale. He soon made amends and the Hornets were level on 11 minutes through a gorgeous goal. Dennis played a clever ball to Femenía whose cross was met by a brilliant overhead kick by Hernández that gave Ramsdale no chance. The visitors tried to strike back as Partey tried a shot from the edge of the area that flew just wide of the target. The Hornets then won another free kick in a decent position, this time it was Louza who took it but, again, it was straight at Ramsdale. Watford had a chance to take the lead when Sissoko found Dennis who cut inside before shooting, Ramsdale made the block and just managed to keep the ball away from the feet of João Pedro. The visitors immediately broke down the other end where Xhaka volleyed over the bar. Then a clearance from Femenía found its way to Partey whose shot was just wide of the near post. The next chance for the Hornets fell to Sissoko whose shot flew over the bar. But it was the visitors who regained the lead when Cleverley was caught in possession just outside the Watford box, Saka nicked the ball away and exchanged passes with Lacazette before hitting a lovely shot that beat Foster. Arsenal had the momentum now and had another decent chance as a cross from Tierney was met by the head of Lacazette and flew wide. They threatened again with another cross that was caught by Foster under challenge from Xhaka. The visitors finished the half strongly as a shot from Martinelli was charged down by Cathcart. From the resulting corner, Soares crossed for Gabriel who headed over the bar.

At half time there was a video showcasing a poem on gender equality that had won a competition from the Watford CSE Trust. It was read by various people including players from Watford Women and a couple of stalwarts from Women of Watford, Kate and Laura, who will also feature in a piece to be released on International Women’s Day when they are interviewed by Christian Kabasele. I am looking forward to seeing that.

There was also an interview with Robert Page who recalled being mooned as he stepped up to take his penalty in the play-off semi-final at St Andrews. He also said that he had come to Watford because of Tom Walley, who was there to greet his protégé.

The second half started in dramatic fashion when Ramsdale came out of his area to pick up an overhit pass, his clearance went to Sissoko, he passed to Dennis who took too long to fashion a shot by which time Ramsdale was back in position. Hernández then went down after a collision with White, it didn’t look like a deliberate contact from the Arsenal player and the referee waved play on.

Cleverley congratulates Sissoko on his goal

The visitors increased their lead after 52 minutes, Arteta was a long way out of his technical area when he retrieved the ball and threw it to Saka to ensure that the throw-in was taken quickly, after some lovely one touch passing the ball reached Martineli who curled a great shot past Foster. The Hornets looked to hit back almost immediately as João Pedro went on a tremendous run but, having broken into the box, he went down under what appeared to be a very soft challenge. The referee was not impressed (nor was I). But the move continued as the ball broke to Hernández who got into shooting position on the edge of the box, but his shot was blocked. João Pedro then played a lovely through ball for Kamara who shot over the bar. The Hornets had a great chance to reduce the deficit when a poor clearance by Ramsdale went straight to João Pedro, he passed to Dennis who played a lovely ball to Cleverley, but Ramsdale redeemed himself by blocking the shot. The first booking of the game went to Soares for a foul on João Pedro. The Hornets threatened again with a lovely move down the right, Hernández found Dennis, who got himself into scoring position, but his shot was blocked by White. Hodgson made his first substitution on 64 minutes replacing Louza with Kayembe. This did not go down well with the home fans as Louza had been playing well, so the announcement of the man to be replaced was greeted with loud boos and Imran was given a standing ovation as he walked past the Lower GT and Rookery on the way back to the dugout.

Dennis really should have reduced the deficit when a low cross from Femenía reached him on the far post but he somehow miscontrolled and the ball spun away from goal. The visitors made a couple of substitutions replacing Martinelli and Lacazette with Pépé and Nketiah. Watford had a chance to strike back when a poor pass from the visitors reached Dennis who broke into the box but his pass to Kamara was intercepted. Arsenal then broke down the other end and the substitute, Nketiah, had a shot that hit the post. But the next goal of the game was scored by the Hornets as Sissoko brought the ball down in the box, beat the defender and squeezed the ball under Ramsdale to reduce the deficit to a single goal. Each side made a substitution at that point with Cleverley making way for debutant Kalu for the home side and Holding replacing Ødegaard for the visitors. When five minutes of added time was announced, it was the Hornet faithful cheering. Could we get a point from this game? Kalu had a great chance to grab the equaliser when he played a one-two with Sissoko and tried a shot from distance which was caught by Ramsdale. Kalu impressed again with a lovely ball towards Dennis that was intercepted. But the most notable thing during added time was the timewasting from the visitors which was most irritating when Tierney was thrown the ball by Hernandez and decided to drop it. Cucho’s follow-up throw was a little more vigorous but did not merit the Arsenal player collapsing as if he had received an upper cut and shame on the referee for booking the Watford player for his opponent’s play-acting. The final whistle went on a defeat for the Hornets that was greeted with applause from the home fans.

On the way out of the Rookery, it was disappointing to see quite so many Arsenal fans streaming out of the home stand.

Back to the West Herts and the post-match analysis was very positive given that we had lost the game. It had been a very encouraging performance with the players battling until the end. João Pedro and Cucho had been very lively and the goal was superb. Dennis seems to be suffering from a crisis of confidence, a confident Dennis would have buried at least one of his chances. Kamara worked his socks off again and the cameo from Kalu was very impressive, I look forward to seeing a lot more from him. But, sadly, we had only ourselves to blame for the defeat as there had been too many mistakes from the Hornets. The goals were all excellent though and it had been an entertaining game. But the refrain that was constantly repeated was, “Why can’t we play like that against Norwich?” It is all very well putting in these plucky performances against the teams at the top of the division, but our current position in the league is a result of a series of abject performances against the teams that are around us in the division. Still, at least the home fans got to see a decent performance for once.

We now have a trio of away games, none of which will be easy. But I will travel in the hope that we can continue our decent away form and pick up a couple of points.

A Decent Showing on a Cold Night in Burnley

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So, finally, we were to have our game against Burnley. It has to be said that the evening that we spent there before Christmas had been great craic. We were in the bar at the hotel when we heard that the game had been called off, but we decided to head to the cricket club anyway. When we got to the ground, the supporters’ coaches were still in place and the fans who had travelled were given the chance to get something to eat and have a pint before starting on the long journey home. Dave and Meg were handing out souvenir scarves to those who had made the journey, having just finished draping them on the seats in the away end. We went into the cricket club and treated ourselves to a pie and mushy peas, which were being sold at a discount, I added a bit on to the asking price to compensate them for their loss. We then settled down for a few drinks and forgot to leave. Richard had told us about Bene’n’hot (Bénédictine and hot water), which soldiers from the 11^th Battalion from East Lancs had developed a taste for during the First World War. It was brought back to Burnley where the consumption of Bénédictine is greater than anywhere else outside France. We sampled this local delicacy in the company of Ross, who had travelled from Ayrshire for the game. It was after midnight when we returned to the hotel and one of our party has no idea how he got there!

There had been moans about the 6pm kick-off, but it did mean leaving London at a very civilised hour and I already had a hotel room booked from the previous postponement (I had been able to change the check-in date), so it suited me very well. I arrived in Burnley to wind and rain and really should have taken a taxi rather than walking to the hotel as I was extremely bedraggled when I arrived.

After checking in, I dried myself off, grabbed my notebook, camera and replica shirt and headed for Turf Moor. On arrival at the cricket club, I found that Graham was in place having a late lunch/early dinner and Ross from Ayrshire was at the same table accompanied by his daughter on this occasion. It was as if we had never left. I was delighted when Sophie then appeared. I have ‘known’ her for years, but never really sat down for a good chat, so it was lovely to catch up. As we enjoyed our pre-match refreshments, I spotted a familiar face. It was Tony Coton. When he spotted me, he smiled and waved. I have met him a good few times, but decided that he was being nice because I was staring at him. Imagine my surprise when I went to say hello and he greeted me with a cuddle and “Hello, Fran, are you still following them all over the country?” I was gobsmacked and delighted in equal measure. He was in really good form. I asked him about Mick Harford, who is still having treatment for prostate cancer, but has been very heartened by the support he has had from football fans from all over the country (including WD18). Tony was certainly well received, with loads of people stopping for a chat and a photo, so I am sure he was glad that he made the journey to see us.

Before the game we heard that Burnley were selling tickets for the game for a tenner, in order to get a full house. It was pleasing to hear that £2 from each ticket would be donated to Tommy’s, a charity that helps families affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth. A lovely gesture and one that could pay dividends for them as strong support was going to be very important for this game.

Following the Norwich debacle, the departure of Ranieri had been unsurprising, but I don’t think any of us were expecting him to be replaced by Roy Hodgson. As soon as his name was mentioned, I was thrilled at the thought that Ray Lew would be returning. The media appearances since Roy’s arrival have been very positive. I was particularly impressed to hear that he has been speaking to the players in their own languages, including Ken Sema, although “he speaks better English than I do.”

Team news for Roy’s first game in charge was that he had made four changes from the Norwich game. Foster and Cathcart were both back from illness replacing Bachmann and Kabasele. The other changes were greeted with some surprise as Sema replaced the suspended Dennis (obviously Roy is enjoying practising his Swedish) and Kucka was preferred to Cleverley. So, the starting line-up was Foster; Femenía, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Sissoko, Kayembe, Kucka; Sema, King, João Pedro.

When we took our seats, I was delighted to find that we were located next to the Happy Valley Orns, a lovely coincidence. As they had for the previous game, the club had draped souvenir scarves over the seats in the away end to thank those that made the journey, so I now have a matching pair. We saw the Burnley team emerge from the corner to our left. I was waiting for the Hornets to follow them out, having completely missed the fact that our lads had entered from the opposite corner of the stadium, so the teams met in the middle.

Kayembe and Sissoko battling with Weghorst

The home side started well and had an early chance as McNeil tried a shot from distance that flew high and wide. The weather was filthy, and we could hear the wind and the rain battering the roof of the stand. Foster was called into action quite early on after Weghorst found Cornet, Cathcart and Kamara both did their best to put him off as he drove into the box, but he found space to shoot and the Watford keeper pulled off a great save. The home side continued to threaten as a throw-in from Roberts fell to Pieters whose shot was deflected just wide. Watford’s first attack of note came as João Pedro played a one-two with King but was stopped from shooting by a wonderful tackle by Tarkowski. The first booking of the game went to King who was cautioned for knocking Tarkowski over. It seemed a harsh decision. Then a lovely ball from Kucka found João Pedro in the box, but his cross went begging. At the other end, a great tackle from Kamara stopped Weghorst, who was further frustrated as a cross meant for him was headed clear by Cathcart. The Hornets were showing much more endeavour now and created another half chance as Kucka cut the ball back to King, but he couldn’t find the finish. Then Kamara played a lovely ball to King whose shot was saved by Pope at the near post. From the corner, there was a goalmouth scramble, we were sure that someone would poke the ball across the line, but Tarkowski kept it out. The Hornets threatened again when João Pedro found Kucka but his shot flew high and wide. In time added on at the end of the half there were shouts for handball in the Burnley box. The Watford players were still complaining, and the big screen was showing that VAR were looking at it, when the whistle went for half time and the Burnley players went haring off the pitch.

It had been a decent half for the Hornets. The home side had dominated in the first 15 minutes, but for the rest of the half the visitors had been on top.

At half time, I saw Don who told me that Rich Walker had brought Roy Hodgson over to say hello before kick-off.

The home side almost took the lead at the start of the second half. Weghorst broke into the box, Kamara blocked the shot, the ball bounced off the crossbar and Kayembe stopped the rebound from going in. The Hornets should have done better when João Pedro went on a lovely run, but he waited too long to pass to King on his right, so the angle was too narrow, and his shot cleared the bar. The Hornets had a decent chance to take the lead as Kiko played the ball back to Kucka who crossed for João Pedro but the header was soft and straight at Pope. Then Kucka got the ball in a dangerous position, managed to make space for a shot, but blasted over the bar. On 66 minutes, Dyche made the first change of the game replacing Lennon with Rodriguez. Watford had a chance to break the deadlock after a terrible goal kick from Pope was met by the head of Sema who released King, he played in João Pedro but, again, his effort was soft and easily dealt with by Pope. Hodgson then made his first change bringing Cleverley on for Kayembe. Watford won a free kick in a good position, Femenía’s delivery was decent, but Mee was on hand to head it out. From the resulting corner, Mee headed clear again, although it was close to sneaking past Pope. The follow-up corner was taken short and was dreadful allowing Burnley to launch a counterattack which, to the relief of the travelling Hornets, finished with a terrible shot from Weghorst, which was greeted with a chant of “What a waste of money” from the away end.

Then an ill-advised back heel from Cleverley was intercepted allowing Burnley to launch a counterattack, Rodriguez played a crossfield ball to Cornet who fired goalwards, but Foster made the save and the follow-up from Westwood flew wide of the far post. Burnley were having a decent spell of pressure and had another chance to take the lead as Rodriguez met a cross from Roberts with a header that flew just wide of the target. Then Pieters tried a shot from distance that flew wide of the near post. A decent chance for the Hornets came to nothing when a lovely free kick from Femenía was handled by Kucka. Hodgson then made his second substitution bringing Hernández on for João Pedro. There were some boos at this change, presumably for the decision to take João Pedro off. Another chance for the Hornets went begging when a cross from Femenía was met by King, but his header had no power and was easily gathered by Pope. The best chance of the game for the Hornets came when Cucho went on a run down the wing and hit a shot that was blocked, it fell for Cleverley whose shot took a nasty deflection and needed a save from Pope to keep it out. Then Burnley won a free kick on the edge of the area and my heart sank. I was relieved to see Cornet’s shot hit the wall and fly out for a corner. There were only two minutes of added time, the referee clearly wanted to get in out of the rain. This gave time for Cleverley to find his way into the referee’s book, but neither goal was troubled.

Kamara rejoins play after taking a throw-in

The final whistle went and there was warm applause from the travelling Hornets. The Yorkshire contingent made a speedy escape to get their train home, so I was left on my own. I caught up with a few people on the way out of the ground and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. It had been a decent performance in difficult conditions. The wind was incredibly strong, at times the corner flag was almost horizontal, which certainly affected the flight of the ball. The defence had been very well organised, which was great to see, but we were let down by our finishing. If either King or João Pedro had had their shooting boots on, it would have been a comfortable win for the Hornets. Also, it was lovely to see Kamara come over at the end of the game, with a big smile on his face, to give his shirt to a young Watford fan. These are small gestures that mean a lot to the fans.

I commented on the City ‘Orns WhatsApp that it had been a cracking game. This was greeted with the observation that you had to be there, and I think that was true. It was the archetypal cold night in Burnley, but the travelling Hornets had been magnificent roaring the team on, the lads had battled against difficult opponents and difficult conditions, and I left Turf Moor with a smile on my face. And not just because of the cuddle from Coton. It felt as though the fans and the players were all playing their part and that was something to be cherished.

A Long Journey Made Worthwile by a Late Goal

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A stained glass window at the Crown Posada

The journey to Newcastle is always a long one, but this weekend we had the added complication of engineering works on the line to Peterborough, meaning a diversion via Cambridge and a three hour journey stretching to 4.5 hours. The alarm went at an ungodly hour, my self-pity was slightly tempered by the knowledge that Don and the other coach travellers would already have boarded at that point. I left home in darkness for the tube journey to Kings Cross only to find out that there were no trains running beyond Euston on the Bank Branch. I thought about switching to the Victoria line for the final leg, but decided to walk instead. The injection of fresh air followed by a strong coffee woke me up.

There were a couple of unexplained stops early in the journey and, when I looked at my watch on reaching Peterborough, we had already been on the train for 2 hours. Still, they made up some time, we arrived only a couple of minutes behind schedule, and I was soon in the pub. Our designated pre-match pub is a lovely establishment. It is very narrow, which makes social distancing a challenge, so had been closed for a lot of the pandemic but reopened just before Christmas. It was great to be back. I had arranged the Women of Watford group again, but most of those who booked were not joining us in the pub. It turned out to be only Jane and I and I was delighted to be able to introduce her to the North West/Yorkshire/Happy Valley Horns in attendance. We were also joined by Meg and Simona, our SLOs.

We gave ourselves plenty of time for the walk up the hill to the ground and, more to the point, for the 140 steps up to Level 7. It is quite a trek, but there is a great feeling of achievement when you get there. As I looked around the stand, I saw lots of friendly faces. It was lovely to be greeted by so many smiles and waves. Even better, lovely Mike was next to us in the stand. All the better to be surrounded by good people on what was likely to be a challenging afternoon.

Dennis, Kayembe and Joao Pedro prepare for a free kick

Team news was that there were six changes from the Tottenham game. Foster returned from injury to replace Bachmann, and the three new boys came in to replace the AFCON absentees. In addition, Ngakia and João Pedro were preferred to Sierralta and Sema. So, the starting line-up was Foster; Ngakia, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Kucka, Kayembe, Sissoko; João Pedro, Dennis, King. Newcastle included their recent signings, Trippier and Wood, in their starting XI. The vast distance from the away stand to the pitch made it difficult to see the numbers on the back of the red shirts, so it was going to be a challenge to identify the new boys.

There was a huge roar when the Newcastle team took to the pitch. Their fans were clearly up for this game. Although who wouldn’t be happy hearing “Local Hero”. There was a nervy start for the Hornets as a shot from Saint-Maximin took a deflection and Foster had to make a save to keep it out. At the other end, after a nice exchange of passes between Kucka and João Pedro, the ball was with King, who didn’t take the opportunity to shoot. The Hornets had a free kick on the edge of the box after Shelvey made a robust tackle on Kucka. Dennis stepped up to take it, but it was a disappointing effort that hit the Newcastle wall. He had a chance to make amends when the ball rebounded to him, but his follow-up flew over the target.

The Hornets threatened again as King put a low cross into the box, but there was no Watford player in position to take advantage. The home side could have taken the lead when a cross from Fraser was deflected to Joelinton, his instinctive shot hit the angle of the post and bar. The Hornets then launched a counterattack with Joäo Pedro releasing King whose shot was wide of the near post. A mistake at the back by the Hornets allowed Wood to escape, Cathcart sped back and put the ball out for a corner. The resultant delivery reached Joelinton, who shot wide of the target. Fraser then broke forward and crossed for Wood whose header cleared the bar. The Newcastle new boy had another chance to break the deadlock, this time from a cross from Joelinton but, again, his effort was over the bar. The home side won a free kick in a dangerous position. Trippier’s delivery was met by the head of Schär, who did no better, directing his effort wide of the target. The Magpies continued to threaten the Watford goal. This time Saint-Maximin broke into the box and played the ball back to Longstaff who shot over the bar. At the other end, a cross from Ngakia was headed goalwards by Samir, but it was an easy save for Dúbravka and we went into the break goalless.

Most of the chances in the first half had fallen to the home side, but the Watford defence had put in a decent shift, and the home side were missing their shooting boots, so Foster hadn’t been tested. Kucka had a bit of a mare, so I expected him to be replaced at half time.

As it happened there were no changes at the break. The home side took the lead four minutes into the second half. A mistake from Ngakia gifted the ball to Saint-Maximin who broke into the box, found space and hit a gorgeous shot past Foster. It was disappointing, but there was an inevitability to the goal given the amount of pressure that the Watford defence had been under. I took comfort in the lovely sunset that was visible over the opposite stand. The Hornets had a chance to break back when King found João Pedro in a dangerous position, but his shot was easily gathered by Dúbravka. Then Kayembe played a lovely through ball to King, Dúbravka came out to meet him and the Watford man should have done better than shooting straight at the keeper. Then Dennis broke forward and fed King who crossed for João Pedro, again the header was gathered by Dúbravka. 20 minutes into the half Ranieri made his first change, bringing Femenía on in place of Ngakia. The Hornets should have been level soon after when Dennis broke forward and found Sissoko in space, the Watford captain should have tested Dúbravka, but blasted his shot high and wide. In the 68^th minute, there was applause in memory of David Harrison, a Newcastle season ticket holder and volunteer at the food bank. It was impeccably observed in all corners of the ground. The Hornets were having a great spell and had another chance to draw level when a corner was cleared to Kayembe, but his shot flew just wide of the near post.

With 15 minutes to go, each side made a substitution. Murphy replaced Fraser for the home side and Kucka made way for Cleverley for the Hornets, a change that we had all been calling for. The home side then had a half chance as Shelvey tried a shot from distance, but his effort was well over the bar. Both sides made a late substitution. Hernández replaced Dennis, who had had another disappointing afternoon, for the Hornets and Almirón came on for Saint-Maximin for the home side. Just when the Hornets looked to have run out of time, they grabbed an equaliser. Femenía played a one-two with Hernandez before putting in a lovely cross, João Pedro rose to meet it and beat Dúbravka to send the travelling Hornets wild. At that altitude, we really should have conserved our energy, but it was a goal to gladden our hearts and well worth the energetic celebration. There was four minutes of added time and there looked to be only one winner but, despite the action mostly being in the Newcastle half, the nearest the Hornets came to a winner was from a corner that went straight to Dúbravka.

There were boos at the final whistle from the home fans, while the travelling Hornets were quite happy with their hard-fought point. The aim of the afternoon had to be to avoid defeat and there were some very promising signs. All of our new boys put in a good shift. The two changes to the back four had certainly not weakened it, Samir and Kamara both showed up well. Kayembe had a decent game in the midfield, linking up well with King. Despite the mistake for the goal, Ngakia played well, but it was still good to see Femenía back on the pitch. João Pedro was a menace and deserved the goal as much as the team deserved the point. Psychologically, this will have done the Watford players a power of good while the Newcastle team will have come away disappointed at losing the points late on.

With Burnley’s game at the weekend postponed due to unavailability of players, the match on Tuesday must be in some doubt. Much as I enjoyed the 6 hours we spent in the cricket club on our previous visit, I am not sure that a repeat would do my liver any good, so I hope that the game goes ahead. Again, our aim must be to avoid a defeat, but a result that leads to complaints from Dyche will suit me very well indeed.

A Game Worthy of Kicking a Wall

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On Friday, I was reading the preview of the game on the official website. It included the fact that the last time we had faced Leicester in the FA Cup was in the fifth round in 1982 when we lost 2-0. I was at that game, but the only thing that I can remember about the day is that I was so frustrated at the end that I kicked a wall at Filbert Street. It hurt. Both the result and my foot.

The short train journey for this game meant that I was able to leave home at a very civilised time. Our usual travelling group was rather depleted, but it turned out that Jacque and I were booked on the same train, so I had delightful company in a deserted first-class carriage. On these journeys, the catering can be very hit and miss, so the offer of a sausage sandwich was gladly taken up. For any Danny Baker enthusiasts, I have mine with brown sauce. When I booked my trains, there were still going to be replays for third round matches. When this changed, I realised that I would struggle to make my booked train if it went to extra time and penalties, so we would just have to win it in normal time.

Our usual pre-match pub had been closed for the league game, so we were glad to find it open on this occasion and were soon settled at a table in the back with a pint. Since we were occupying a table far too big for the two of us, we were very happy to be joined by our friends Mike, Tony and Kevin for some pre-match chat. There was a group of Watford fans at another table who had arrived with a replica trophy, which was rather lovely, so I had to get a photo. The guy who had it told me that his sister had made it in 2003 and that it had been on quite a journey since then. Although he caveated that with the observation that it hadn’t been that much of a journey of late as we keep getting knocked out in the third round.

It had been my privilege to arrange the Women of Watford group booking for this game. This had also had a small take-up, but it was lovely to meet those that made the journey. I have always loved FA Cup 3^rd round day, but it now seems to be a weekend that many take off. This was made obvious by the lack of a crowd in the pub, which is usually heaving, and the fact that the section that the Watford fans occupied at the King Power was very small indeed. This saddened me.

Team news was that there were 7 changes from the Tottenham game, the most notable of which was a debut for James Morris. The starting line-up was Bachmann; Ngakia, Cathcart, Sierralta, Morris; Cleverley, Tufan, Sissoko; João Pedro, Fletcher, Hernández.

There was a disastrous start to the game for the Hornets as, while defending a corner, Sierralta pulled on Vestergaard’s shirt, the Leicester man tumbled to the round and Mike Dean pointed to the spot. It looked soft, but VAR confirmed the referee’s decision. Tielemans stepped up and put the ball into the corner beyond the reach of Bachmann and the Hornets were behind after only 7 minutes.

We looked to break back with a nice move that started with Cleverley releasing Hernández, he advanced and found João Pedro who returned the ball to Cleverley, but the shot was blocked. Then, from a Cleverley corner, the ball reached Morris whose cross was headed out to Sissoko whose shot was well over the bar. Barnes nearly made it two for the home side when he latched on to a quick throw-in, but his effort rolled across the goal and past the far post. Then a corner from Maddison was met by the head of Vestergaard whose effort cleared the bar. The second goal for the home side came after a lovely ball from Lookman found Maddison, who shrugged off the attentions of Cathcart before chipping Bachmann. The Hornets pulled one back almost immediately, an overhead flick from Cucho found Fletcher, he released João Pedro who chipped Ward and gave the travelling Hornets something to celebrate. Maybe this wasn’t to be such a terrible afternoon after all. The first caution of the game was earned by Daley-Campbell for a poor challenge on Ngakia. The Leicester man should have seen red after a nasty challenge on Hernández, but the referee decided to err on the side of leniency. The resultant free kick came to nothing. The Hornets could have drawn level in time added on at the end of the half. Ngakia pulled the ball back for Hernández, whose powerful shot was blocked by Ward, the ball rebounded to Ngakia whose shot was saved by the Leicester keeper. So, we went into the break a goal down, but there had been some encouraging signs for the Hornets.

The Foxes made a change at half time replacing Daley-Campbell, who should probably have been off already, with Marcal-Madivadua. The Hornets had an early chance to level the game when a loose ball fell to João Pedro who advanced and looked to be one-on-one with the keeper, and should have tried a shot, but instead played in Tufan who shot over the bar. At the other end, Marcal-Madivadua tried a shot from distance that was deflected for a corner. There were shouts for a penalty for the Hornets after a lovely pass from Hernández found João Pedro, his pass deflected into the path of Fletcher who appeared to be taken down in the box, but the referee was not convinced. Fletcher then tried a shot from distance which was deflected for a corner. The third goal for the home side came when a lovely ball from Lookman released Barnes who beat the onrushing Bachmann. The flag was up, so it was initially disallowed, leading to jeering from the Watford fans, but they spoke too soon as the VAR decided that Barnes had been onside, and the goal stood. The Hornets tried to hit back through João Pedro, who tried a shot from distance, but it flew over the bar.

The Hornets were about to make a triple substitution when the lights went out. The travelling Hornets amused themselves during the enforced break with chants of “You didn’t pay your bills” and “We’ll play in the dark.” People all around the stadium had immediately switched on the torches on their phones, so it looked rather magical. Eventually the stadium was re-illuminated and Fletcher, Cleverley and Tufan made way for Sema, Gosling and Kucka. The first action of note was a lovely back heel from Sissoko that took Hernández by surprise, so he failed to take advantage. There was a great chance for the Hornets to pull one back when a ball over the top by Kucka found Hernández, he pulled the ball back for Gosling who played a short pass to João Pedro whose shot rebounded off the crossbar. With 15 minutes remaining the home side replaced Perez with McAteer and the Hornets gave Forde (son of Fabian) and Conteh their debuts in place of João Pedro and Sissoko. While it was lovely to see the youngsters given their opportunities, the 150^th and 151^st players to debut in the Pozzo era, this seemed to signal that we had given up on the game. The home side had a chance to score a fourth through a shot from Tielemans, but Bachmann dropped to make the save. But they were not to be denied for long as Barnes went on a surging run and pulled the ball back for Lookman, Bachmann did well to get a hand to the shot, but the ball dropped to Albrighton whose shot gave him no chance.

At this point Rodgers replaced Lookman with Alves, who was wearing number 77. Ludicrous. The Hornets were still looking to attack, Hernández went on a run and really should have taken a shot but delayed so long that Choudhury was able to get back and make a tackle. When the fourth official reached for the board, I begged him to spare us. I had completely forgotten about the break due to the failure of the lights, my stomach turned when he indicated nine additional minutes. The Hornets had a couple of chances to make the scoreline more respectable in added time. First, Ngkaia went on a lovely run along the top of the box, but he finished with a very weak shot that was easily claimed by Ward. Then Hernández won a free kick on the edge of the area. It was a great position for a free kick, he took it himself but fired over the bar and the Hornets dropped to a heavy defeat.

I thought about kicking the wall in front of me at the final whistle, but remembered the pain from 40 years ago and thought better of it. It had been a very disappointing afternoon of football. The home side had had to make a lot of changes due to their large injury list. The Hornets had a similar problem compounded with the absentees due to AFCON. The first half had been fairly even, and the match stats indicated a similar situation at full time, but the home side were much more clinical in their finishing, which was the difference between the teams. At least I didn’t have to buy a new ticket to travel home.

Of the lads making their debuts, it was hard to rate Forde and Conteh as they came on so late, but I thought that James Morris acquitted himself well. I hope that he gets more first team opportunities.

At the end of the day, I don’t think anyone of a Watford persuasion really wanted a cup run. We are in such a precarious position at the moment, and our next three games are all against our relegation rivals. The results from those games will give us a good indication of how our season will end up. I will be looking for any good omens that come my way and will be fastidious in my choice of coffee mug and clothing on match day. There is no point in taking any risks!

Heartbreaking End to an Impressive Showing

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A gorgeous New Year’s Day on Hampstead Heath

It was a gorgeous morning to start the year, so I went for a walk and a swim on Hampstead Heath. The water temperature has been rising in the past couple of weeks, so is now very pleasant indeed. One of the lifeguards has a collection of bells that she puts out on special occasions for us to ring and make a wish. I rang a cow bell and wished for 3 points to start the new year.

After my morning excursion, I made surprisingly good time getting home and ready for the game and was in the West Herts for 12:30. I was rather taken aback to find that it was absolutely packed already, with all tables occupied. Thankfully, Richard, due to a mistaken invitation, had secured a couple of seats for us. I was pleased to see that Drummy’s gazebo was back. We were a little early for the jerk chicken, so went for the curry instead and it was absolutely gorgeous.

Again, on the way to the ground, there were random checks of Covid passes on Vicarage Road, but they were so sporadic that they were useless. A lot of people seemed to be standing with clipboards just watching people streaming past. I was stopped and pointed out that I had uploaded my pass to the Watford website but, understandably, they had no way of checking that, so it seemed to be a box checking exercise and a complete waste of my time to have done so. Again, there was barely anyone at the Rookery turnstiles when we arrived, so we were in very quickly.

I was pleased to see that my usual programme seller was back. Happy New Year greetings were exchanged, and we took our seats in plenty of time for kick-off.

Team news was that there were three changes from the West Ham game with Troost-Ekong, Louza and Sema in for Femenía, Tufan and Hernández. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Cathcart, Troost-Ekong, Sierralta, Masina; Sissoko, Louza, Kucka; Dennis, King, Sema.

The Hornets fashioned a chance in the first minute as King found Dennis who sorted his feet out before hitting a soft shot that was easy for Lloris in the Spurs goal. The first chance of note for the visitors didn’t come until the 16^th minute, a cross into the box was headed out by Cathcart, but the ball dropped to Højbjerg who shot well over the bar. Soon after, Kane tried a shot from the edge of the box, but Bachmann was equal to it. Watford won a free kick in a decent position, but Louza’s effort was poor and flew well wide of the target. The visitors threatened from a corner, but Son’s delivery was met by a poor header from Sánchez which was easily caught by Bachmann. A rare attack from the Hornets came as Kucka broke forward, the ball ended up with Sema who hit a poor shot straight at Lloris. Spurs had a great chance to take the lead in the 26^th minute when a fierce shot from distance by Reguilón was kept out by a decent save from Bachmann. Kane was shouting for a penalty when he went down in the box after a challenge by Troost-Ekong, but the referee waved play on. Dan Bachmann then showed his frustration as an attempt to start a quick break was frustrated as nobody was showing for him. The Watford goalie was then the subject of ire himself as he played a terrible pass to Louza who miscontrolled it, Kane picked the ball up but, thankfully, his shot was wide of the far post. The visitors threatened again as Højbjerg met a cross with a header that was heading goalwards, but it was an easy catch for Bachmann. So, we reached half time with the game goalless. Spurs had most of the possession, but Watford had set up solidly in defence and restricted their chances. Bachmann was only really tested once. But there was a concern that Watford were showing nothing in attack, and I worried that they would run out of energy with the constant defending.

Kate of Women of Watford on the big screen

At half-time, as it had been before the game, an edited version of the Women of Watford video diary from the Brentford game was shown on the big screen. The video is a great watch, and it is good to see the club supporting this initiative. Our enjoyment of the break was enhanced as Rose had brought her home made sausage rolls as a half-time treat. They are a staple of our Christmas celebrations and are absolutely delicious.

Ranieri made a change at the break bringing João Pedro on for Dennis, who had had an ineffective first half, but this was still a surprise change, so we assumed that he had taken a knock. The visitors threatened early as Reguilón hit a shot that found the side-netting. Then Moura tried a shot from distance, but it was straight at Bachmann. The next effort was much more dangerous as Kane shot from the edge of the box, Bachmann did well to tip it over. There was an equally good effort at the other end as King tested Lloris with a shot from distance that the Spurs keeper tipped wide of the post. The resultant corner was headed on by Kucka, the ball was cleared but only as far as João Pedro whose shot was saved by Lloris. Watford were having a really good attacking spell and this continued when a corner from Louza was met by King who headed over the bar.

Watford had a great chance to open the scoring when João Pedro went on a brilliant run, he was being repeatedly fouled by Skipp, but each time he came out with the ball and he finally looked to have broken free to run in on goal when the referee blew his whistle and pulled the play back. Skipp was booked for his efforts. The frustration at the whistle was compounded when João Pedro took the free kick himself and unleashed an awful effort that flew well over the bar. The visitors had their own chance to make the breakthrough when Royal found Son in the box, but he flicked the ball wide of the target. Spurs made their first substitution on 70 minutes bringing Winks on for Skipp. They should have taken the lead soon after when Moura chipped the ball in to Son in the box, he took a shot and was denied by a brilliant save from Bachmann. The Hornet faithful were furious when Davies went in hard on Louza, who flew through the air and looked to have fallen really badly. I was rather shocked that the referee allowed play to continue. Thankfully, when he was finally allowed to get treatment, he wasn’t badly hurt. There was even more anger after the Hornets mounted a quick break, King fed João Pedro who raced into the box and was taken down by Lloris. From the Rookery, it looked like a certain penalty, but nothing was given. Spurs made a second change as Lo Celso came on for Reguilón. The visitors should have taken the lead when a cross from Kane took a deflection, but Bachmann got a hand to it and it was eventually cleared.

MAsina and Joao Pedro prepare for a free kick as Kucka and Sema look on

With 5 minutes left on the clock, play was stopped due to a medical emergency at the Vicarage Road end of the Lower GT stand. The club’s medical staff ran over to help. After about 5 minutes, the stricken supporter was taken out, the referee consulted the medical staff about restarting and they were applauded for their efforts. The fourth official indicated 8 minutes of added time and each side made a substitution with Gil coming on for Moura for the visitors and Cleverley replacing Louza for the home side. My heart sank when Son won a free kick on the right of the Watford area. Sure enough, his delivery was met by the head of Sánchez and the visitors had an injury time winner.

It was a heart-breaking end to the game. Watford had done really well to contain the Spurs attack and had had a couple of decent chances themselves. The second half had been much more positive from the Hornets. Joao Pedro had been a menace and, had he been allowed to continue his run, may well have grabbed a goal. The man of the match award was given to Kucka, but I thought the midfield three all did well with a decent showing from Louza and the sort of impressive performance that we have come to expect from Sissoko.

The post-match gathering was a lot more positive than may have been expected. The effective organisation of the defence had been great to see. The second half attacking performance by João Pedro had put a smile on all of our faces. Also, despite some comments I heard on the way out of the ground, Dan Bachmann had been excellent, denying the opposition a couple of decent chances. So, no points but a much better showing than of late. We just have to put in equally impressive performances against some of our fellow strugglers over the next few weeks.

Happy New Year to you all. Let us hope that the Hornets are a source of joy in 2022.

Hammered by the Hammers

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After the recent rash of postponements, it was good to be getting back to football. It was a grey, miserable day and I had to take a detour from my usual route from the Junction to the West Herts as there was a massive lake on the path that I usually take. When I arrived, I was very surprised to see Cate and Nigel there so early. Their explanation was that they had decided to pay a visit to the Hornet Shop before the crowds descended. Jacque was also there (no surprise) and validated my decision to take the detour as she had decided to brave the ford and her feet were soaked.

Our party gathered and were disappointed that Drummy’s jerk chicken was not on offer. I had been really looking forward to it. The ham roll was a very poor substitute. We had a special guest as our Maddie’s plans for the day had been disrupted by Covid. A message to Mike, who was away in Mallorca, had secured her a ticket for the game. She comes from a mixed marriage, her Dad is a Hammer, but she and her sister followed her Mum and are Hornets. It was to be a family day out.

We gave ourselves plenty of time to get to the ground. There were random checks of Covid passes on Vicarage Road, but they were very sporadic. I had uploaded my pass to the Watford website, but have no idea how that would be implemented at the turnstiles. It was very quiet when we arrived although the searches are getting progressively stricter. On this occasion, everyone was being checked using metal detecting wands, which I have never seen at those turnstiles before.

Once through the turnstiles, I went to my usual programme seller to find that there was a young lad there. I asked where the usual incumbent was and was told that she was working late so couldn’t get there on time. As long as she was OK, that was all that mattered.

With the COVID problems and the injuries, we were all at a loss as to who would be playing so were very keen to hear the team news. As it turned out, there were only three changes from the Brentford game with the best news being the return of Sierralta after so long. He came in for Troost-Ekong. The other changes were Masina and Tufan who replaced Ngakia and Cleverley, with Tom missing out due to injury. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Femenía, Cathcart, Sierralta, Masina; Sissoko, Tufan, Kucka; Dennis, King, Hernández. There were a number of youngsters on the bench with 18 year-old keeper Angelini and Kamil Conteh, who turned 19 on Boxing Day, getting their first call ups.

The announcement of the team led to a huge cheer for Sierralta. I was a little surprised that Dawson’s name was booed. I was also glad that, after a couple of shouts of ‘Siddahhn’, the crowd in front of me sat down soon after kick-off. For the last two home games I have had to stand for 90 minutes, pleas to the stewards to do something having fallen on deaf ears.

The game started brilliantly for the Hornets as King found Dennis who nipped into the box, took a couple of touches to find some space and fired a lovely strike into the top corner prompting huge celebrations in the Rookery. It was all downhill from there. The visitors had a chance to equalise soon after, but Bowen’s shot was poor and easily gathered by Bachmann. Benrahma should have drawn the Hammers level on 10 minutes with a great shot from outside the box that rebounded off the crossbar. Then Antonio and Benrahma had shots blocked in quick succession. Watford threatened from a Femenía free kick, but the shot from Masina from outside the area was blocked. The visitors equalised on 27 minutes, Bowen found Souček in space and he finished past Bachmann. A couple of minutes later, the visitors were ahead as Antonio played the ball back to Benrahma, it appeared to take a deflection off Masina which took it past Bachmann. With five minutes remaining of the half Ranieri made his first substitution with Louza replacing Femenía, you can only assume that it was injury related as it left us without a right back. Kucka moved to fill in. The Hornets had a couple of chances to equalise before half time. First Kucka crossed for Masina who headed over the target. Then, in time added on, Hernández had a shot from the edge of the box, but it was high and wide, and we went into the break a goal down.

At half time, we were treated to some happy memories by Nigel Gibbs. What a legend he is.

Ranieri made a change at the break bringing João Pedro on for Hernández. They now have the same hair colour, which would confuse me, but at least I knew who should be mounting the attacks. The Hornets started the half quite brightly, but the ball was soon in the Watford net again as Dennis was tackled in midfield, the Hammers broke forward, Cathcart got in the way of the cross from Souček, but it fell kindly for Bowen who fired past Bachmann. There was a late indication of VAR for a foul on Dennis in the build-up. The referee went to the screen and decided that the goal should not stand. At the time I thought that it looked really soft but, having seen it since, it was the right decision. The Hornets then had a chance to draw level, Sissoko broke forward and exchanged passes with Dennis before unleashing a great shot that Fabianski did very well to keep out of the net. On 55 minutes there was applause for Hiren Sampat, a Watford fan who passed away recently.

The visitors were awarded a penalty after a cross from Antonio was chested back to Bachmann by Kucka, Bowen was lurking and got to the ball before being tripped by Bachmann. Again, it looked soft from the other end but was the right decision. Noble stepped up and sent Bachmann the wrong way to give the visitors a two-goal lead. At this point a West Ham fan appeared from the home stand and ran the length of the pitch to celebrate with the visitors. He was intercepted by a steward before he took refuge in the away end and left to chants of “Let him go” from the travelling Hammers. Watford made their final change just after the hour mark when Sema replaced Tufan. The Hornets had a great chance to pull one back when João Pedro broke forward, he played a lovely ball to King who broke into the area, but his shot was straight at Fabianski. The Hornets threatened again as a free kick by Cathcart was headed on by João Pedro to King who headed wide of the target. A nasty foul on Kucka should have earned a card, but it just resulted in a free kick which was taken by Louza, the ball found its way to Kucka who tried an overhead kick that flew well wide of the near post. The first (only) card of the game came in the 81^st minute when Dawson was penalised for time-wasting at a free kick.

The Hornets had another chance to reduce the deficit when Sissoko found João Pedro whose shot flew high and wide of the target. With 8 minutes of normal time remaining, Moyes made his first substitution bringing Masuaku on for Johnson. The Hornets won a corner, the delivery from Louza was met by Kucka whose header was deflected for another corner that came to nothing. A rare moment of quality from the Hornets as a lovely cross-field pass reached Dennis, he played the ball back to King who battled into the box but was being closely marked by the West Ham defenders and the ball eventually fell to Fabianski. The visitors made two further changes replacing Benrahma and Lanzini with Vlasic and Král. The Hammers had a great chance to increase their lead when Bowen crossed for Antonio who shot, but Bachmann was down to make a great save to deny him. But the Hammers soon had their fourth when Bowen beat Sierralta and pulled the ball back for Vlasic who had a tap-in to beat Bachmann. Even from the other end of the ground, it looked really poor. The Hornets had a burst of activity in time added on. First João Pedro broke forward, he should have taken a shot himself but, instead, passed to Dennis whose shot was blocked for a corner. Then Sierralta could have pulled one back as he rose to meet the corner, but Fabianski pulled off a decent save to keep it out of the top corner and the Hornets fell to a heavy defeat.

We were quite dispirited as we left the ground, and it didn’t help having to wait for my brother-in-law as the happy Hammers streamed past us. Although, to be fair, he was probably less than thrilled to be met by his wife, children and in-laws who were all utterly miserable.

The post-match analysis at the West Herts was very muted. Pre-match we were concerned about the presence of Mike J, who is one of the more negative of our group, in the event that we lost. As it was, it was difficult for any of us to find anything positive to say. The one positive that we could come up with was the thought that, if Sissoko had equalised, it would have been a very different match. But Fabianski pulled off a great save and the Watford defence made it far too easy for the Hammers. There were a lot of misplaced passes and Sierralta was clearly very rusty. To be honest, I didn’t expect anything from this game, but the long run of defeats is very worrying and, with the visit of Tottenham on Saturday, that looks unlikely to improve any time soon.

Jacque had no train home until nearly 7:30, so we drowned our sorrows together and I was happy to get back to the Junction and board a Hammer-free train.

After the visit of Tottenham, we will lose a number of important players to the African Cup of Nations. The late call-up for Dennis was very bad news for all of us. The start of 2022 is not looking like a happy new year for Hornets.

New Ground, Awful Display

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Friday night meant a trip to a new ground. I was disappointed last season when lockdown meant that we couldn’t visit the brand spanking new Brentford Community Stadium so, following both teams gaining promotion, this was one of the first fixtures that I looked for. I was gutted when it clashed with Ian Prowse’s Christmas spectacular in Liverpool, as I had been hoping for an away game in the North-West to allow me to combine my passions for football and music. As it happened, TV did us a favour for once as the change to Friday night meant that I could attend both the match and the gig.

Despite some disruption on the Northern Line, it was an easy enough journey and, as I left the train at Kew Bridge, I could already hear the Watford fans in full voice. Richard had booked a table at a pub by the river. I am sure that the views would have been gorgeous had it not been pitch black. I arrived to find a queue at the door and a doorman who had learned his technique from Cerberus. He would question each person arriving and then disappear inside to check the veracity of their story before allowing them in. It delayed my entry a bit but had the benefit that the pub was relatively quiet, and we had a lovely pre-match meal and a glass of wine.

It was Christmas jumper day, when people wear their Christmas jumpers to raise money for Save the Children. In honour of this, when buying the match ticket, we were given the option to buy a Christmas jumper. I don’t do dressing up, so have never owned a Christmas jumper before, but I am a sucker for charitable campaigns, so I took the plunge and duly wore it to the game. One more layer was not going to hurt on an evening in December.

Emmanuel Dennis has been a revelation this season

We took the short walk from the pub to the ground and were sent around the houses, well apartment buildings, to the away end. I had to decide whether to buy a programme. I usually only buy one at away games if I am visiting a new ground. While this was the case, I have been to Brentford many times, so wondered whether it qualified. In the end, I decided that it did.

The signage inside the ground was a bit confusing (I am easily confused) but I eventually found my seat. We were located right in the corner in the upper tier and first impressions were good. The sightlines were excellent. Although I must say that I will miss Griffin Park. Who doesn’t love a ground with terracing and a pub on every corner? The Women of Watford group had their first block booking at an away game and were sitting just in front of us. They were joined by Emma Saunders and Kelly Somers, who was filming them for a feature that will air on Football Focus in January. Kate Lewers has done a tremendous job in getting this group going and we look forward to getting together regularly for away games in the new year.

Team news was that there were three changes from the Man City game with Ngakia, Kucka and Hernández replacing Rose, Louza and João Pedro. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Femenía, Cathcart, Troost-Ekong, Ngakia; Sissoko, Kucka, Cleverley; Dennis, King, Hernández.

As kick-off drew near, the travelling Hornets were making an impressive noise. We were really up for this game.

The home side made an excellent start as Baptiste tried to chip Bachmann, but the Watford keeper was wise to the shot and turned it over the bar. The home side attacked again, this time a cross from Henry was easily gathered by Bachmann. Henry had another chance with a shot from the edge of the area that was cleared by Troost-Ekong. The home side should have taken the lead when Mbeumo received a ball over the top and advanced before shooting, but they were foiled by a great save from Bachmann, who tipped the shot wide. Finally, after 24 minutes, Watford created a chance, and it was a good one. Troost-Ekong won a tackle in the midfield, he found Hernández who fed King whose shot hit the post. A minute later the Hornets took the lead when Dennis met a Cleverley corner with a header that beat Fernández in the Brentford goal. The goal was greeted with a flare down the front of the stand. Jacque commented that the Bournemouth crowd were in. The goal had been against the run of play, but I hoped that it would settle the nerves and we would kick on from here. But it was the home side who created the next chance when a free kick was cleared to Mbeumo on the edge of the area, he wasted the opportunity with a shot that flew well over the bar. The Hornets fashioned a decent passing move at last as Cucho combined with King who found Sissoko whose cross was a bit too high for Dennis who could only glance it wide of the target. This was followed by a good attacking move by the home side as Mbeumo broke into the box and played in Wissa, but Troost-Ekong and Cathcart were in close attendance and the ball was put out for a corner which was met by the head of Goode but landed on the top of the net, much to the relief of the Hornet faithful. Just before half time, Roerslev found himself in a dangerous position but, with no team mate nearby, he could only cut the ball back to Bachmann. So, we went into the break a goal to the good after a half of very few chances.

The start of the second half was very uneventful. Apart from Bachmann running way out of his area to clear a ball over the top and a bit of handbags involving Cleverley and Roerslev, it was almost the hour mark before anything happened worthy of my notebook and that was only Ranieri making his first change. It was an attacking move as he brought João Pedro on in place of Cleverley. The first booking of the game went to Janelt for a robust tackle on Hernández. Brentford then made a double substitution replacing Wissa and Jensen with Forss and Ghoddos. João Pedro played a lovely ball to release Sissoko whose progress was impeded as he was pulled back by Jansson, who was booked for the offence. The resulting free kick was in a very tempting position on the edge of the area, but the delivery was disappointing as Hernández fired it well over the bar. At the other end, the home side had a great chance to draw level with a lovely shot from Janelt, but Bachmann pulled off a decent save to keep it out. The Hornets should have increased their lead after a swift counterattack that finished with Dennis finding King in space in the box, but the shot was too close to Fernández, who made an easy save. With 15 minutes remaining, each side made a change with Sema coming on for Hernández for the Hornets and Henry making way for Onyeka for the home side. Goode was the next to go into the referee’s book, this time for a foul on King.

The home side continued to threaten and a shot from Onyeka was deflected wide. The resultant corner was headed clear by King. But the home side were level a minute later from another corner, the delivery from Forss was headed home by Jansson. There was a VAR review for possible offside, but the goal stood so we had to endure the obnoxious tannoy announcer celebrating the goal for a second time. The irritation at letting in a late goal was compounded by the knowledge that it had been coming, we only had ourselves to blame. The home side had a chance to take the lead when a shot from Janelt was deflected over the bar. The Watford goal was in danger from the corner, but João Pedro was on hand to clear off the line. The fourth official indicated that there was 5 minutes of added time. This started with another booking for the home side as Onyeka was penalised after pulling Kucka to the ground. Ranieri made a final change bringing Tufan on for Dennis. But the points were lost when Troost-Ekong made a stupid tackle on Ghoddos giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. Mbeumo sent Bachmann the wrong way, the home side were ahead in stoppage time and we had to listen to the loudmouth on the tannoy again. That was the last action of the game, so the Hornets fell to a disappointing defeat on their first visit to the Brentford Community Stadium.

There was bafflement among the travelling Hornets after the game. How could the same players who had been so impressive against Man Utd, Chelsea and Man City put in such a gutless performance against a team that they could have expected to beat, particularly given that their leading strikers were missing? It had been a very disappointing showing. The crisp passing that we have seen lately was replaced with hopeful punts upfield that invariably found a Brentford player. Either that or any attempt to dribble resulted in them running into a Brentford player, who were no nonsense in their tackling. Yet again, the defence had let us down, with Troost-Ekong the main culprit. The foul to give away the penalty was utterly needless and sent us all home furious. In retrospect the withdrawal of Cleverley was a mistake.

The journey back to the station was equally baffling. The entrance on the main road was closed off so we found ourselves walking down a side road, battling against the crowd coming in the opposite direction. There was no entrance apparent until we spotted a bloke with a small sign pointing the way. There was a long queue to get in and we were kept outside for some time until it was safe to go down to the platform. When the next train for Waterloo arrived, we were able to grab a seat and it was not at all crowded. A quick change to the Northern Line and I was home at a decent time.

On reflection, it was a very frustrating evening. We let ourselves down, not performing at anywhere near the standard that we are capable of, it was definitely 3 points lost. Praise must go to the travelling Hornets who played their part, being in good voice, particularly in the first half. Worryingly, as we left the ground, there was some trouble, but we managed to avoid it. I just hope that nobody was hurt.

But the last word must go to Big Mick, who I met in the queue for the train. “That was rubbish wasn’t it?” with a shake of the head. I replied in the affirmative. He followed with, “See you in Burnley.” Of course he will.

Fran's Watford Blog

A Middle Aged Woman's Adventures Following Watford FC

Tag Archives: Cucho Hernandez

A Surprisingly Lovely End to the Season

Sunshine on the South Coast

A Dark Evening in the Black Country

An Encouraging Performance Against the Gunners

A Decent Showing on a Cold Night in Burnley

A Long Journey Made Worthwile by a Late Goal

A Game Worthy of Kicking a Wall

Heartbreaking End to an Impressive Showing

Hammered by the Hammers

New Ground, Awful Display