Tag Archives: Dan Gosling

A Dreadful Game but a Welcome Point

I have been a regular visitor to Bristol ever since two of my dearest friends chose to go there for university. One of them stayed on after graduation and it was she that took me on my first visit to Ashton Gate, which was actually for a Farmers’ Market. I have been there many times since for football but, due to time spent in different divisions and Covid, I haven’t been there since 2014, so this visit was well overdue.

I travelled to Bristol on Friday afternoon and spent a lovely evening catching up with my friends before we went our separate ways at Saturday lunchtime. I had originally arranged to meet Jacque at a pub near Bedminster station but, when I looked up the directions, I found out that it didn’t open until 1pm. The alternate pub that I decided on opened at midday and was only a 15 minute walk from the ground. When I arrived, I found a very pleasant gastropub with a fine selection of real ales, so I settled down at a table in a corner waiting for Jacque’s arrival. I knew that it would take her a while to get there from Temple Meads, but started to get worried when there was no sign of her some considerable time after her train had been due to arrive. When she finally appeared, I found that she had been told that the pub was a 10 minute walk from the station when the reality was that it would take more than half an hour to walk there for someone who knows the way. No matter, she was soon settled with a pint and all was right with the world. We were also joined by Jane who was part of our Women of Watford booking. When the time came, the three of us had a gentle stroll to the ground on what was a lovely November afternoon.

Team news was that Bilić had made three changes from the Reading game. Sarr and João Pedro were left on the bench as they were carrying knocks and Asprilla was out with an ankle injury. Their replacements were Gaspar, Kamara and Kalu, who was making his first start of the season. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Kamara, Kabasele, Troost-Ekong, Gaspar; Choudhury, Kayembe, Gosling; Kalu, Davis, Sema.

As this was the last game prior to Remembrance Sunday there was the usual pre-match tribute to the fallen including a rendition of The Last Post. Sadly, this was interrupted by some idiots in the Watford end yelling about Luton who were then shouted down by others. All very unpleasant.

When I was preparing for my trip, I could not find my blue away shirt so was very relieved when I found that the lads would be wearing the black and white third shirt as I had that with me. Having shared my superstitions about replica shirts with my friend, it was lovely to get a message from her telling me that she had seen two Watford fans, one wearing a yellow shirt and one blue, so that we had all bases covered.

When we found our seats in the stadium, the guy next to me said that he had come from Somerset and that the Bristol City fans there wanted us to thrash them, so they would get rid of Pearson. I was fearing that Nigel would be out for revenge after his ignominious sacking.

The first chance of the game fell to the home side, after a one-two with Wells, Conway hit a soft shot straight at Bachmann. City then had a very decent chance to take the lead as Wells broke forward and crossed for Conway who had a free header which flew over the bar. There was then some confusion in the Watford defence as a low cross from Conway was cleared by Kabasele. Bachmann was standing right behind him but it appeared that there was no call. There were strong shouts for a penalty for City when a ball into the box was met by a very high boot from Gosling which almost hit Wells in the face, but the referee waved play on. It has to be said that most of the fans around me would have given it. The home side had another chance from the cross by Wells which was met with a poor header from former Watford loanee, Weimann, whose effort was off target but caught by Bachmann anyway.

Joao Pedro challenging for a dropping ball

The half time whistle went to boos after a dreadful half of football. The Hornets had not had an attack worthy of the name, let alone a shot on goal, although the home side were not much better. The players all looked as though they had already started their World Cup break.

At half time the City team of 97-98 were welcomed back for the 25^th anniversary of the season in which they won promotion to the second tier. It was a little ill advised to do that when Watford were visiting as our memory of the corresponding tie that season was of the home fans holding up a banner declaring themselves Champions. Pride went before a fall and it was the Hornets who topped the division that season on our way to the Premier League. Still, the first person to be introduced to the crowd was the manager that season, the wonderful John Ward, who was given a very warm reception by the travelling Hornets.

The first action of note in the second half was a decent Watford move as Gaspar exchanged passes with Sema. It came to nothing but was worthy of mention as the first half-decent play that we had seen in the game. The first booking of the match went to Gaspar for pulling Wells back as he tried to break forward.

There were cheers from the travelling fans as João Pedro and Sarr were called back from warming up to get ready to come on. They replaced Gaspar and Kalu. The change invigorated the crowd who were cheering for the first time that afternoon. The home side had another chance from a free kick that Scott played square to Williams who chipped the ball into the box for King, but the shot was straight at Bachmann. At the other end there was finally a cross into the City box by João Pedro, but Gosling was unable to reach it. The Hornets were screaming for a foul when Davis was pushed over, but nothing was given and Pring released Conway who broke forward before shooting wide of the far post. That was the last action from the City man who was replaced by Semenyo. The home side had an even better chance soon after as a cross by DaSilva was met by Weimann whose header needed a good save from Bachmann to keep it out. The resultant corner was met by the head of Vyner but Bachmann punched clear. With 16 minutes remaining, Bilić made another change bringing Bayo on for Sema. Gosling slipped over with nobody anywhere near him and it was immediately obvious that he was in a lot of pain. Despite the sight of the stretcher coming on, a nasty element of the home crowd were jeering him, chanting “Let him die”. I have no trouble with people jeering play-acting but, when a player is clearly quite seriously injured, there is no place for that sort of behaviour. Gosling was eventually carried off the pitch and was replaced by Cathcart. In the 83^rd minute Watford finally had their first attempt on goal when João Pedro pinged the ball into the box for Bayo whose volley was way over the target. The travelling Hornets happily sang “We’ve had a shot.” It wasn’t one to get excited about but was better than nothing. Davis then tried an exchange of passes with João Pedro but was unable to reach the chip back to him. A tussle between Scott and Sarr led to a booking for the City man. I must admit that, at the time, I thought that Sarr was being penalised for pulling his opponent back. That is how positive I was feeling during the game. There was 5 minutes of added time and with the last kick of the game, the Hornets fashioned a second chance as Kamara crossed for Bayo who headed wide. The final whistle went after an utterly appalling game of football

Joao Pedro on the ball under the watchful eye of the managers

Despite the lack of quality there was one young man sitting near me who had had a wonderful day out. Paul from the City ‘Orns was there with his son, whose birthday it was and who had been our mascot for the game. He had a wonderful day meeting his favourite player, Ken Sema, and he said that all of the players had been lovely. He was beaming, which was so great to see.

We left the ground and went our separate ways. Jacque headed for the station and I took the walk back to my friend’s house. On my way back I passed a brewery tap. I was just thinking that was the sort of place that Jerry would go. Then I looked at the group of guys standing outside and there was Jerry!

Sadly, as it was the last game before a four week break, it was an utterly awful game of football. Things brightened up a bit after João Pedro and Sarr came on, but they still only managed two off-target shots in the entire game. The injury to Gosling looked awful and I was gutted for him after the hard work that he has put in this season. I hope that his prognosis is not as bad as it seems. But, to take a positive from the day, a point away is always thankfully taken and it means that we go up a place to 4^th going into the World Cup break. A lofty position that I don’t think any of us would have expected when Bilić took over. We now have a few football free weeks to recharge our batteries ready for the second half of the season. Hopefully that will give the players time to work together and to improve their fitness without the punishing schedule of two games a week. I will enjoy the break, as I am taking a holiday, but I am already looking forward to the trip to Huddersfield, which is usually a cracking day out.

Back to Winning Ways Against the Royals

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I went to give blood on Tuesday afternoon. These days they are very mindful of your safety and ask whether you will be doing anything strenuous later in the day. My visit to the football could hardly be described as physically strenuous, but the effect on my nerves was likely to be a different story.

I was in Watford in good time and arrived to find Jacque in place at the West Herts, which was still deserted at that point. I suspected that, with the defeat on Saturday and the game being on television, there would be a low turn-out, but was pleased to see our usual crowd swelled with a niece (mine) and a nephew (Jacque’s) who had made a late decision to buy tickets and come along.

Team news was that there were two changes from the Coventry game as Sierralta and Kamara were suspended after receiving five yellow cards. They were replaced by Kabasele and Asprilla, who allowed Sema to drop into the left back position meaning that both of our full back positions were taken up by midfielders. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Sema, Kabasele, Troost-Ekong, Gosling; Kayembe, Choudhury; Sarr, João Pedro, Asprilla; Davis. Former Watford youngster Andy Yiadom captained the visitors.

Choudhury and Bachmann happy about the pending free kick

The teams came out for kick-off with Reading wearing a bizarre washed out pink shirt. Surely their blue and white hoops would not clash with our yellow shirts.

As this was the nearest home game to Remembrance Sunday, Bilić and Ince laid wreaths on the touchline and a trumpeter played the Last Post to impeccable silence in the ground.

The first chance of the game fell to the home side after Gosling won a free kick just outside the box. Sema’s delivery hit the wall, the rebound fell back to him and he hit it way over the bar. Then, after a lovely attacking move from the Hornets, Davis played the ball back to Asprilla in the box, his shot was deflected wide. From the resultant corner, João Pedro was pulled down in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. The young Brazilian stepped up to take the penalty himself and coolly sent the keeper the wrong way with his shot into the bottom corner to give the Hornets an early lead. The Hornets threatened again as Sarr met a Kayembe free kick and headed it down, but there was nobody on hand to apply the finishing touch.

The visitors finally launched an attack as Fornah broke into the box but his effort was blocked and the Hornets launched a counter-attack, Davis released Sarr before running into the box to receive the return ball, which came via the head of a defender, his shot was on target, but Lumley made the save. There were nervous moments in the Watford box as a dangerous ball rolled across in front of the goal before reaching Ince, but Sema made a lovely tackle to take the ball off his foot. On the half hour the Reading keeper, Lumley, had to be replaced due to injury. Bouzanis came on in his place. Then Sarr broke forward and found João Pedro in the box, he fed Davis who was unable to get into position to take a shot. Despite Reading’s propensity for fouling any Watford player that they could catch, the first booking of the game went to Asprilla for a rather late foul on Rahman. The visitors had a chance to threaten the Watford goal from a free kick on the left, but the delivery was poor and flew over the opposite corner. The first booking for the visitors went to Ejaria for a foul on João Pedro. The visitors had a chance to break back just before half time when a free kick dropped to Hendricks, but his shot was terrible and flew well wide of the near post. At the other end Asprilla played a lovely through ball to Sarr whose effort was blocked. In time added on at the end of the half, there was a strong appeal for a penalty as Davis was knocked over in the box, but the referee waved play on. The visitors had one last chance to go into the break level with a shot from distance by Ejaria that flew well wide of the far post. So the Hornets went into half time with a very well deserved lead.

The first incident of note in the second half was a booking for Sema as he battled to make up for losing the ball after a short corner. The first chance of the half came from a Reading corner from Fornah which was met by João whose header was wide of the target. At the other end Sema had a shot from the edge of the box, but it was straight at the keeper. Reading then made a substitution bringing Loum on for Hutchinson. The Hornets had a decent chance to increase their lead when Choudhury found João Pedro on the edge of the box, he turned and shot but was foiled by a good save from Bouzanis who got a hand to it. On 64 minutes, Bilić made his first change bringing Kalu on for Asprilla. The substitute was in action almost immediately with a cross that Davis just failed to connect with, the Hornets retained possession and Kayembe played a through ball that was just too far in front of Choudhury. There was another booking for the visitors as Rahman was cautioned for pulling Sarr back to prevent a break. A lovely ball from Choudhury found Gosling in the box, but Ejaria blocked his shot. From the resultant corner Sema’s delivery was met by the head of João Pedro, but his effort was wide of the target. Reading had a chance to draw level as a free kick was taken square to Ince on the edge of the box but his shot was just over the bar. Reading earned another booking for a niggling foul as Loum was cautioned for pulling down Kayembe.

The Hornets had a great chance for a second when Kalu played the ball back for João Pedro whose shot was deflected just wide of the target. The visitors then made a double substitution with Méité and Carroll coming on in place of Ejaria and João. The sight of Andy Carroll running towards the Rookery did nothing to calm my increasing nerves. The Hornets were on top but had been far too wasteful in front of goal. The Hornets soon had another great chance to secure the win as Kalu played a ball over the top for Sarr to run on to, the keeper came out to meet him and Sarr chipped goalwards, but Mbengue was there to head clear. With 4 minutes remaining the Hornets scored a second as Bouzanis got a hand to a cross from Sarr but could only pushed the ball out to João Pedro who took his time to let the ball drop and hit a gorgeous half volley home. We were right behind it and celebrated mightily. There was a late double change for the Hornets as Gaspar and Bayo came on in place of Sarr and Davis. The visitors had their first shot on target in time added on as an effort from Ince was blocked and rolled to Bachmann. There was one final change for the Hornets as Dele-Bashiru came on in place of João Pedro who went off to a rapturous ovation with his song being belted out by the home fans. The final whistle then went on a convincing win for the Hornets.

Due to the late hour, there was no time for our usual post-match meet, but I bumped into Dave and Sophie on the way back to the Junction and had a good natter with them. The lack of fitness in the squad was bemoaned as a number of the players do not seem to have 90 minutes in them. It is hoped that the World Cup break will give them time to work on this. But we all praised the organisation of the team who are actually playing together and looking more and more convincing as the season goes on. Slaven Bilić has worked wonders with the players and the football is so much more enjoyable now. The Hornets are creating many more chances and, if you do that, you can afford to miss some.

It was a very enjoyable evening at the Vic. João Pedro impressed again and it was good to see that both of his goals were coolly taken. Choudhury had a masterful game. Every time that he puts in a strong tackle I smile, but he does so much more than that and was the architect of many of our attacks and, if they broke down, he was there to clear up and restart. Kalu had a nice cameo and will definitely add to our options. Sarr and Davis were strong and gave the visiting defence a torrid time. The makeshift defence put in a great show, although they were not given much of a test by a poor Reading team.

So we just have a trip to the West Country before the ridiculous mid-season break. Let us hope that we can keep the momentum going and go into the break in the play-off positions ready to make a serious bid for promotion in the second half of the season. Football is fun again.

Disappointing Defeat to the Sky Blues

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Sema and Troost-Ekong prepare for a free kick

The train strike planned for Saturday had been called off, but the timetable was still disrupted. No matter as there was a train to the Junction arriving at 11:50, so that was great timing. When I arrived at the West Herts, one of the guys on the gate was in a tremendous mood insisting, despite the grey sky, that the sun was shining. His heart was in Jamaica and he said that the game would be played there. We could only dream, but he brought a smile to my face on a cold November day.

I was the first of my group to arrive so I bought a drink and settled down to wait for the others. It was not long before Graham arrived, so I wasn’t lonely for long. There was soon a full quorum and Glenn arrived with scratchings, so all was right with the world.

On arrival at Occupation Road there was a large Police presence. Apparently they decided this was necessary due to the trouble that had broken out there before the Luton game. It seemed rather heavy handed as those scenes were not going to be repeated for the visit of Coventry.

Team news was that there were two changes from the Cardiff game as Gaspar made way for Choudhury, who was back from suspension, and Davis replaced Bayo. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Kamara, Sierralta, Troost-Ekong, Gosling; Kayembe, Choudhury; Sarr, João Pedro, Sema; Davis.

The Hornets started well and were dominating possession without creating any chances of note. The first chance of the game fell to the visitors as Palmer released Gyökeres whose shot flew wide of the near post. This was a taste of things to come. There was some give and go before Davis played the ball out to Sarr whose shot was very poor and missed the target. Then Sierralta met a Sema corner with a header that flew wide of the target. At the other end Sheaf tried a shot from distance that was well over the bar. Then a misplaced pass from Troost-Ekong was picked up by Burroughs, he released Gyökeres who went on a great run before unleashing a shot that was pushed wide by Bachmann. The visitors threatened again from a corner, the ball fell to Hamer who played it back to Panzo whose shot cleared the bar and was brilliantly handled by the steward behind the goal.

The Hornets looked to have taken the lead on 20 minutes, it was a brilliant move as João Pedro played a lovely ball to Sarr who crossed for Davis who shot past Wilson in the Coventry goal, but our celebrations were cut short when the referee awarded a free kick to the visitors for a foul in the build-up. The Hornets had a wonderful chance to take the lead from a Sema free-kick that was heading in until Wilson flew across to make the save. Then Davis and Sarr combined to break forward, Davis crossed for Sarr but the shot was woeful and wide of the target. Gyökeres threatened again breaking into the box before Sierralta put a foot in to make the tackle. The Hornets had one last chance to take the lead before half time when Sarr got on the end of a cross from Gosling, his header was way off target and the ball fell to Davis who was not expecting it, so made rather an awkward connection sending the ball out for a goal kick.

So the half ended goalless. The Hornets had dominated play without creating any real chances and the visitors were looking very dangerous on the break.

Troost-Ekong and Gosling attacking a ball into the box

At half time, tribute was paid to Cliff Vassiliou who was a very familiar face at Vicarage Road before his passing earlier this year. He would also often be seen at reserve and youth games with his best friend, Tom Walley. They also remembered Paul Stallard, a lifelong fan who had given 25 years of service to the club.

The first chance of the second half went to the visitors, with a shot from distance from Hamer that flew wide of the target. At the other end, the Hornets had a great chance to take the lead when Sarr broke forward and crossed for Sema whose effort flew wide of the near post. But it was the visitors who took the lead five minutes into the second half, Allen broke down the right and crossed for Gyökeres who was in acres of space when he hit his shot past Bachmann. The Hornets had a great chance to break back almost immediately as Sema battled past a defender and crossed for Sarr whose header was heading just wide but, from our vantage point behind the goal, it looked certain to be turned in by Davis at the back post, sadly he just missed making contact. The Hornets had another decent chance to draw level when Sierralta met a free kick from Sema with a header that hit the bar.

On 64 minutes Bilić made a double substitution bringing Gaspar and Asprilla on for Gosling and João Pedro. The Hornets should have drawn level when Asprilla played a lovely ball to Kamara who broke into the box and crossed for Sarr who only needed the ball to bounce off him but managed to put it over the bar leaving those in the Rookery with their heads in their hands. Coventry then made a double substitution with Palmer and Eccles making way for O’Hare and Bidwell. Sierralta was then booked for pulling Gyökeres back, so will miss the Reading game. Bilić made another change bringing Bayo on for Sema. Choudhury was then booked for a very robust tackle which stopped the advance of Gyökeres. There were 15 minutes remaining and it was all getting rather scrappy. Each side made late substitutions. Kane and Walker replaced Burroughs and Allen for the visitors and Davis made way for Hungbo for Watford. The Hornets threatened as Sarr played the ball back to Kayembe but his shot from distance cleared the bar. With a minute of normal time remaining, the Hornets had a great chance to draw level as Hungbo broke into the box and hit a lovely shot, but Wilson got a hand to it and pushed it wide. The Hornets had one last chance in time added on when, following a corner, the ball came out to Asprilla, but his shot was high and wide. Finally, in the last minute of the game, the Coventry keeper, Wilson, was booked for timewasting. He had been repeatedly warned and the booking came about half an hour later than it should have done. The final whistle went and the Hornets were defeated for the first time in four games.

The main emotion at the end of the game was disappointment. Watford had dominated possession, but were back to being very wasteful with the chances that they created, although the Coventry defence have to take a lot of credit for that. There were a few comments that the team ran out of ideas as the game went on. That certainly seemed to be the case, but I just wished that they had continued what they were doing as one of those chances would surely fall for them. But maybe they ran out of energy along with ideas.

We gathered back at the West Herts for post-match drinks and I had a lovely catch-up with Richard who then joined me for the journey back to London on the Met Line. We had not taken into account that there were fireworks in Cassiobury Park, so there were crowds heading that way and the station was heaving with new arrivals. But we were soon on our way and the journey home was uneventful.

The games are coming thick and fast with the visit of Reading on Tuesday. Let’s hope that we can get back to winning ways.

A Good Win on a Wet Night in Wales

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Sarr, Joao Pedro and Sema prepare for a free kick

The journey to Cardiff started with my first trip to Paddington in some time and my first time on the Elizabeth Line. The new cross-London service is not yet connected up, but the Tottenham Court Road to Paddington leg was pleasingly speedy. The train journey to Cardiff was slightly delayed, but pleasant enough, but it was chucking it down when I arrived in Cardiff and I was very damp indeed when I reached the hotel and I bitterly regretted my decision not to wear waterproof trousers.

The take up for this game among those that I usually book for had been very low (two of us) so when I received a message from Graham to say that he wasn’t going to make it, I knew that I was going to be Franny-no-mates for the evening. I thought that maybe I should find a restaurant for dinner, but decided to go ahead with my visit to our pre-match venue of choice. It is slightly unusual to have pre-match drinks in an arts centre, but the bar has a fine selection of ales, the food is good, it is a short walk to the ground and I do like to support arts venues. When I got to the bar, I noticed that they had Rosie’s Pig cider. When I saw that it was a rhubarb version I had second thoughts, but I tried it and it was actually rather good. I have always loved rhubarb, although it doesn’t love me. Clearly I must take it in the form of cider in future.

Thankfully, by the time I left for the ground the rain had stopped, but my coat was still soaking even after having deposited a pool of water by my chair in the arts centre. I remembered the layout of the ground from previous visit, so trekked to the far side to find the away section. The stewards there were friendly and helpful and I was soon inside where I spotted Don Fraser so I stopped for a chat.

Team news was just the one change from Saturday as Gaspar came in for the suspended Choudhury, with Gosling moving into the midfield. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Kamara, Sierralta, Troost-Ekong, Gaspar; Kayembe, Gosling; Sarr, João Pedro, Sema; Bayo.

There were some nervous moments in the Watford defence in the first minutes of the game. My heart really didn’t need to witness Bachmann struggling to hold on to the ball in the box while Harris challenged, to my great relief he eventually cleared. Then a short back pass caused problems, as O’Dowda looked to capitalise, but Bachmann was able to make the clearance. The home side took the lead on 9 minutes when Kiprè got on the end of a corner from Ralls and headed home. It was a very slow start by the Hornets and it looked as though we were going to have another poor away showing.

The first Watford attack came on 10 minutes when Kayembe released Sarr but his run was stopped by the linesman’s flag. Then Kayembe won the ball in midfield and crossed for Sarr whose shot was blocked on the edge of the area. The Hornets had a great chance to grab an equaliser from a corner, João Pedro played it short and exchanged passes with Sema before taking a shot that was blocked by the keeper, the ball rebounded to Sema whose shot beat the keeper before being cleared off the line. Then Sema played a brilliant ball to João Pedro in space in the box, he took a couple of touches to set himself up for the shot which gave the defence time to organise and his effort was blocked. A mistake by Romeo allowed João Pedro to come away with the ball, he should have done better with the shot which he chipped into the arms of Allsop. Then Kayembe played a lovely ball to Sarr on the left, he crossed for Bayo who found Gosling whose shot was just over the bar. The Hornets were level on 37 minutes as a corner from Sema was met by Sierralta who headed home sending the away end wild with joy. The Hornets had the chance to grab a second goal when Sarr crossed for Bayo who played it short to Sema whose shot was turned around the post by Allsop. That was the last chance of the half and the Hornets went into the break level and left the field to cheers from the travelling fans.

Sema coming over to take a corner as his team mates gather in the box

It was a decent half of football. The first 10 minutes had been terrible for the Hornets, and the early goal seemed to signal that we were in for an unhappy evening in Cardiff. But the goal spurred the Hornets on and they got back in the game, scored a well-deserved equaliser and were in control by the end of the half having had 9 shots on goal, 4 of which were on target.

At the break, the man sitting in front of me commented on my making notes. When I said that I wrote a blog he asked if I was Frances and said that he reads it. So, hello, John!

The home side started the second half strongly as Philogene broke forward, he beat Sierralta to get into the box and hit a shot that Bachmann pushed wide. The Hornets then went on a break of their own, Bayo played the ball out to Gaspar and broke forward to receive the return ball but it was just too far in front of him. A lovely passing move finished with Gosling releasing Sarr who broke into the box and shot just over the target. Then João Pedro went on a great run into the box but pulled up to avoid colliding with the keeper who was able to gather the ball.

Celebrating the winner in front of the travelling Hornets

The Hornets scored their second just before the hour mark and, again, it came from a corner. Sema’s delivery was headed home by Sarr who celebrated mightily in front of the travelling Hornets. The home side looked to break back as a corner from Ralls was met by the head of Ng, but it was a poor effort that cleared the bar. Cardiff looked to liven things up with a triple substitution as Sawyers, Ojo and Etete came on for Rinomhota, O’Dowda and Harris. The home side then had a decent chance to draw level as Philogene went on a great run into the box but his shot was woeful and flew well wide of the far post. The Hornets had a chance to increase their lead when Sema whipped a free kick into the box, but it was just beyond the reach of Bayo. There were then bookings for each side. Sema was penalised for kicking the ball away at a Cardiff free kick. Then Wintle was cautioned for a foul on Sarr which stopped him breaking forward. The resultant free kick was met by Troost-Ekong who blasted a shot wide of the target. Bilić made his first change at this point bringing Hungbo on in place of Bayo. The home side had a great chance to equalise when Philogene ran through the Watford defence before playing in Ojo whose shot was stopped by the legs of Bachmann. The Hornets looked to break back with a great run by Hungbo whose pass was just too long for Sarr. As the clock hit 90 minutes, Bilić made a defensive substitution bringing Kabasele on for Sarr. The home side also made a change replacing Romeo with Watters. There was five minutes of added time and Cardiff had one final chance to rescue a point as Gaspar lost out allowing a Cardiff player to break into the box, but Bachmann was down to smother the ball. Bilić made one last change bringing Asprilla on for Sema, but there was no more goal action so the Hornets left Wales with a very well deserved three points.

As we left at the end of the game the stewards were very friendly wishing us a safe journey home. I remember after a win at Ninian Park some years ago, being conciliatory to the steward who then told us how delighted she was that we had won as she hated Cardiff! Maybe the stewards all feel that way or maybe they are just unusually pleasant. The new stadium at Cardiff no longer has the intimidating atmosphere of the old ground, it is a much different experience now.

Sema, Gaspar and Sarr prepare for a free kick

The walk back to the city centre was very pleasant, the rain had stopped, my coat finally seemed to have dried off and I was able to enjoy the sights of the Castle and the Park.

This was a very good showing from the Hornets. Some of the passing from the back can be scary, but when it is executed well it is a joy to watch. João Pedro was absolutely magnificent, he was everywhere. Sarr put in a decent showing and was good value for the goal. The defence were well organised, and it was good to see Gaspar put in a decent shift. Finally we are seeing some consistency from this team, they are working hard and playing as a team. They are doing the dirty work, closing down the opposition, but also showing some great skill going forward. The chants of “sexy football” were well merited.

After three wins on the bounce, the Hornets are now in the play-off places and things are looking a lot happier. Travelling away has not been a lot of fun this season, so those that have persisted thoroughly deserved those two wins. We now have two home games before the trip to Bristol and we must go into those with a higher level of confidence. We have a team capable of beating any team in this division and they are finally proving that.

A Late Winner in Wigan

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Joao Pedro and Sema prepare for a free kick

It seemed like a very early start on Saturday for what is not that long a trip. I know that Halloween is around the corner, but I was still surprised to see two women on the tube in fancy dress before 9am. I was at Euston in plenty of time for the train that I had booked on Monday only to find that it was cancelled. Thankfully, there was a slower train leaving 5 minutes later so I would still be in Wigan before 1. I felt for those who were travelling to stations beyond Preston, who would likely have to wait another hour for a train.

When I arrived at the designated pub, Graham and the Happy Valleys were already in place and Jacque had beaten me there having come up on the same train unbeknownst to me. The pub had a great selection of real ales which were supplemented by a large variety of ales and ciders as there was a beer festival going on. The staff and locals were friendly. It was a really lovely place. When the time came, one of the bar staff pointed us in the right direction for the ground and we found ourselves following the signs for the Rugby League World Cup until a local directed us down to the canal for the last leg of the journey.

On arrival at the ground, the stewards were friendly and not that interested in searching my bag, I almost had to insist. Once inside, the Women of Watford booking went awry as the seat designation on the ticket was far from intuitive and the stewards had told people to sit where they liked, so Jacque was several rows up from where she should have been and I thought I should join her. The mood in the away end was good following the tremendous win last week, and it went up a notch when “Just Can’t Get Enough” was played over the tannoy.

Team news was that there were two injury-enforced changes from the Luton game with Cathcart and Davis making way for Sierralta and Bayo. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Kamara, Sierralta, Troost-Ekong, Gosling; Kayembe, Choudhury; Sarr, João Pedro, Sema; Bayo.

The first chance of the game went to the home side with a shot from distance by Keane that was straight at Bachmann. The McClean baiting started early with a few boos and a delightful individual behind me calling him “scum” and wishing him dead. The Irishman was involved in the next move with a free kick that was met by the head of Keane but flew just wide of the near post. Then a deep cross from Darikwa reached McClean in the box, but his shot was blocked for a corner.

Bayo leaps to reach a throw-in as Bilic looks on

The first caution of the game went to Darikwa for a foul on Kamara. The first chance for the Hornets came from a Sarr free kick which reached Gosling who crossed for Bayo whose header was over the bar. A lovely exchange of passes between João Pedro and Bayo finished with a shot from the Brazilian that was blocked. Then João Pedro played a lovely ball to release Sarr, he found Bayo who touched the ball back to him, the shot was saved by the legs of Jones. Some lovely interplay between Sema and Bayo finished with a shot from the Swede that was just wide of the target. At the other end, Broadhead broke into the box and hit a shot that was well off target. Then McClean found Keane in the box, but he was unable to control the ball and Bachmann was able to make the catch. The home side had a decent chance to take the lead when a corner from McClean was headed back by Power for Keane who shot over the bar. The final act of the half was a booking for Sierralta. The guy behind me described the half as lacklustre, which felt a bit flattering. The Hornets had the better of the chances and put together some lovely moves, but neither keeper had been tested.

The Hornets were out early for the second half. Hopefully that would indicate an increase in the energy level. The first chance of the half fell to the home side, a deep cross from Power found McClean but the shot was over the target. The Hornets should have taken the lead with the next move, João Pedro went on a lovely run down the left before crossing for Sema who met it with a terrible header into the ground when he really should have hit the target. There was another booking for the home side as Shinnie was penalised for a foul on Sierralta. Then a meaty tackle from Choudhury was greeted with loud cheers from the travelling fans. The Hornets threatened again with a cross from Sema, but the Wigan keeper met the ball before Bayo could reach it. That was the Swede’s last action of the game as he was replaced by Kalu. The substitute was in action almost immediately when he was released by Gosling, but his first touch was too heavy and the ball went out for a goal kick. Bilić then made a second substitution bringing Asprilla on for Bayo. The home side also made a change replacing Broadhead with Magennis. There were shouts for a penalty when Asprilla was tripped after breaking into the box, but the appeals were waved away. The Hornets made a late change bringing Gaspar on for Gosling. With 10 minutes remaining, Kalu received a ball and this time his control was superb, he crossed for Sarr whose shot bounced off the keeper’s legs. With six minutes remaining, Naylor replaced Cousins for the home side.

The Hornets should have done better when Sarr crossed for João Pedro whose header was poor and missed the target. There was then a bit of brilliance from Kalu as he twisted and turned his way through the defence before putting in a shot that was headed for a corner. Just as we were settling for a point, a corner from Asprilla came back to him and he put in a lovely cross that João Pedro headed home to send the travelling Hornets wild. There had been very few goal chances, but the Hornets thoroughly deserved the lead. Wigan made a couple of late substitutions with McClean and Darikwa making way for Scully and Aasgaard. My heart sank when they announced that there would be 7 minutes of added time. The home side had a couple of late chances to rescue a point. First a shot from the edge of the area by Aasgaard that flew wide. Then, in the last minute, the home side won a corner. The keeper, Jones, went up for it. Power’s delivery was met by the head of Whatmough but, thankfully, his effort hit the bar and the Hornets took the three points back to Hertfordshire.

The walk along the canal back to the pub was lovely. The pub was packed, but we were quickly served and the evening was so mild that we were drinking outside. It hadn’t been a great game, but it was certainly a vast improvement on our recent trips to the North West. The second half had been much better than the first, but we are still not making enough of our chances. There were a number of lovely moves that were let down by the finishing. But the goal, when it came, was good and we were happy enough with the three points. It was particularly pleasing to have our first back-to-back wins since April 2021. The train that I was booked on was again cancelled, so I ended up travelling back with Jacque, enjoying a nice glass of wine and arriving home earlier than expected with a smile on my face after a lovely day out. We have four more games until the World Cup break. Let’s hope that we can build on the last two performances and go into the break challenging at the top of the table.

1997 All Over Again

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On Saturday evening my football crew decided to ensure that we had some entertainment this weekend by making a trip to the Almeida Theatre to see the musical Tammy Faye about the American TV evangelist from the 70s. The Watford connection, apart from the audience, was that the music was written by Elton John. With the book by James Graham and the lyrics by Jake Shears, it was always going to be good and I am delighted to report that it was as utterly bonkers as I hoped. I loved it and I am not a fan of musicals.

Despite the fun evening, I did not sleep well and woke on Sunday morning with a sense of dread. I left home early and boarded the train to Watford. It was packed with the usual mix of Harry Potter and football fans, although the latter were not showing their allegiances. By the time that I arrived in Watford the heavens had opened, so it was a very wet walk to the West Herts. As I passed the Police station, there was a line of vans indicating the increased police presence for this game. On arrival at the West Herts, someone suggested that maybe the game would be called off due to the torrential rain. I responded that I just wanted it over and done with. While we were enjoying our pre-match pints, the sun came out and we could only hope that the golden glow extended to the game.

We left for the ground later than was intended, so we witnessed the trouble. As we walked along Vicarage Road, there was a man with a bloody head talking to a police officer. We then saw the crowd by the corner of Occupation Road. There were two groups of fans, many with scarves over their faces, being held back by lines of police and the route to the Rookery appeared to be blocked. That is, until someone had the bright idea of walking behind the burger van, we made our way through the people filming the confrontation and were soon in a deserted Occupation Road.

Team news was that there were three changes from the Millwall game. Cathcart was back in place of Pollock, João Pedro and Kayembe replaced Asprilla and Louza. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Kamara, Cathcart, Troost-Ekong, Gosling; Kayembe, Choudhury; Sarr, João Pedro, Sema; Davis. When the teams were read out there were loud boos for the opposition and equally loud cheers for the Hornets.

Kamara congratulating Davis on his goal, some in the away end appear less than impressed

Watford had the best possible start as Sarr played the ball out to Kamara who crossed for Davis to acrobatically volley home. That certainly calmed the nerves a bit. Before the restart the referee called Cathcart over for a word, we could only assume that it was because the players had celebrated in front of the away fans. Not the best idea. The visitors had a chance to break back as a shot from Morris was blocked, the ball rebounded to Campbell whose shot was just wide of the target. At this point, the Watford crowd were loudly mocking the away fans. It felt far too early for that (pride coming before a fall and all that). The visitors had another chance as Freeman met a cross from Lockyer, but Bachmann held the header. The Hornets had a decent chance for a second as Davis went on a run and unleashed a great strike that Horvath pushed around the post. Kamara tried to release Sarr but he tumbled in the box and the referee was having none of it. Then Davis appeared to have been pushed over in the box, but his fall was rather dramatic and, again, the referee was unimpressed. Sema broke forward and got a cross in but it was gathered by Horvath. The Hornets threatened again as Davis played a lovely ball to Sarr who broke into the box, again he went down under a challenge and again nothing was given. The first booking for the Hornets went to Davis for persistent foul play.

Celebrating the second goal with the SEJ stand

The Hornets had a decent chance after Kayembe played a one-two with João Pedro on the edge of the box then switched feet before taking a shot, but Horvath was equal to it. Then Gosling started a lovely move when he won the ball in the Watford half and released João Pedro, who went on a great run before playing the ball out to Sarr whose shot was wide of the target. At the other end there was a scare when Bachmann came to meet a ball into the box by Freeman, Adebayo was first to the ball but could only head it over the bar. The Hornets had a decent chance to increase their lead just before half time when João Pedro found Davis in the box, he turned to beat the defender but his shot was blocked by the keeper. The Hornets got their second soon after, João Pedro played a short corner to Gosling, he returned the ball and the Brazilian crossed, it was met by Davis who headed it back for Troost-Ekong who finished from close range. It seemed appropriate that the player who had been talking all week about being a Watford fan should score a goal and send his fellow fans into delirium. One of the lads in the row in front ripped his shirt off in celebration. Nigel and I had no choice but to show him a yellow card for his efforts.

So we went into half time two goals up and very happy indeed.

When Horvath came out to take his place in the goal in front of the Rookery for the start of the second half he was greeted with a smattering of applause, but mostly boos and chants of “scum”. The visitors made a change at the break bringing Osho on for Bradley.

The first notable event of the half was a booking for Doughty who, after holding Sema back, decided to give him a kick for good measure. There was a great chance for the visitors to pull a goal back from a corner, the ball flew across the goal but nobody was there to turn it in. The Hornets scored their third on 56 minutes. Davis chased down Osho who played the ball back to Horvath, Davis continued his run to close the keeper down and, in his panic, Horvath passed the ball to João Pedro who steadied himself before finding the net and sending us all wild as the players celebrated in front of the Rookery stand. The visitors made another change before the restart bringing Cornick on for Freeman. The Hornets were in command now and João Pedro went on a brilliant run before being fouled, Kayembe picked up the ball and took a shot that was wide of the target. Campbell was booked for the foul in the build-up. The visitors had a chance to pull one back when Morris met a cross from Clark but the header was caught by Bachmann. João Pedro was having a wonderful game and, having lost out in a tackle, he fought back to regain the ball, broke forward and crossed for Sarr whose first touch was poor and the chance was gone. There was then a bout of handbags that finished with both Sema and Cornick being shown a yellow card.

With 20 minutes remaining Davis picked up an injury, he went straight down the tunnel and was replaced by Bayo. The visitors had a chance to pull one back with a shot from Clark that went through a group of bodies in the box, but Bachmann was well sighted and dropped to make the save. There was a chant of “One Graham Taylor” from the home fans in the 72^nd minute to counterpoint the rather unpleasant chant from the away fans (which I was fortunate not to hear). With quarter of an hour remaining Choudhury made way for Gaspar. João Pedro tried to increase the lead with a looping shot from distance but it was easily caught by Horvath. The visitors then made another change bringing Jerome on for Morris. The fans had been chanting “We want four” and the Hornets obliged, Kayembe won the ball in midfield and passed to Bayo in the box, he played it out to Sarr who picked his spot before curling the ball past Horvath. At this point I thought we might actually win the game. The away fans were regaled with a chant of “Cheerio” and Harry the Hornet was waving them goodbye. The visitors had a chance of a consolation when Cornick broke into the box but he flicked the ball just wide of the post. It went from bad to worse for the visitors as Osho made a really nasty tackle on Sema which earned him a straight red, thankfully Ken was OK. The home fans were really enjoying themselves, “4-0 to Watford, it’s happened again” was ringing out around the ground. Bilić made two late changes bringing Asprilla and Kalu on for João Pedro and Sarr. Watson replaced Campbell for the visitors. It could have been five for the Hornets as Asprilla went on a brilliant run before taking a shot from a narrow angle that was blocked. The final whistle went on an impressive and totally unexpected rout on derby day.

The players went on an extended lap of the ground and were cheered and applauded all the way around. I am usually pulling my replica shirt off at this point, but wanted to display my colours as I showed my appreciation. Troost-Ekong appeared to be particularly delighted and Kamara was eliciting cheers from the Rookery. Oh it was wonderful. As Tim Coombs said, “It is like 1997 all over again.”

I wasn’t happy with the arrangements for leaving the ground, as sending us out to Cardiff Road only to then have to walk up Wiggenhall Road and cross Vicarage Road to get back to the West Herts made no sense to me. We tried to leave through the Graham Taylor Stand but there were stewards blocking us from going that way. When I complained, I was told it was for my safety, which would have had more credence if they were not allowing disabled people to leave that way. Did their safety not matter? In the end we left through the rear of the stadium and then walked round the back, past the 1881 bunker, and through the hospital car park to get to Harwoods Road. It was just a minor inconvenience and we were soon back in the West Herts having a celebratory pint. The smiles were very wide, and there was a sense of disbelief at what we had seen, especially among those who had been at the Den in midweek.

Before the game I think that the most that any of us were expecting was a draw. We certainly had no reason to expect a win of that magnitude. It was a magnificent performance by the team. The return of Cathcart added assurance to the defence. Kayembe had a really good game, as did Davis, who is growing into his role. The run to close down the keeper which led to the third goal was magnificent. João Pedro was incredible. Adam had suggested before the game that he could take on the Louza role and we certainly saw some of that. He thoroughly deserved the Man of the Match award. But it was a team performance. Every one of them worked hard, they worked together and they were far better than the opposition who came to Vicarage Road with some confidence having gone seven games unbeaten. It could have been 6 or 7 and not even the most optimistic of Watford fans would have predicted that before the game. After this and the Stoke game I am beginning to think that we should play all of our games at midday on a Sunday. I stayed in the West Herts for another drink after the rest of my party left and caught up with some other regulars before heading for the Met station to get the tube back to London. A number of my friends had decided to give the game a miss due to the potential for trouble and I felt so sorry for them. Games like that do not come around very often and the joy of being there will live long in the memory. All of the anger of recent weeks was gone as the players and the fans were joined in the joy of beating our rivals. We have had a few false dawns, please let this be the turning point in our season.

Disaster at the Den

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Our pre-match meeting place for this game was the Mug House in the vaults under London Bridge. As I reached the pub, I saw Jerry from the EA Horns at the door of the pub opposite. They always seem to go to really good places, so I was hoping that we had made the right choice. The preferred beer was Old Wallop, which was mostly chosen as it was served in pewter mugs. I haven’t had a pint in one of those in many a year and it was rather a treat (and the beer was very good). We left in plenty of time to catch the train to South Bermondsey. As we entered London Bridge station, we were greeted by the sound of Watford fans chanting and saw a large group being escorted to the platform. By the time that we got there, the train was packed. I managed to squeeze on, but my companions didn’t, so I decided to get off and wait for the next train. I was glad that I did as we were among the first to board the following train so had a nice comfortable journey. Those that left it a bit later to arrive were left on the platform and would be cutting it a bit fine for kick-off by the time the next train left.

When we got into the stadium, we had decent seats in the upper tier. I had made a booking for Women of Watford, but none of the others appeared. Thankfully, we were sitting with the City Orns, so I was with a group of friends.

Team news was that there was one change from the Norwich game. Cathcart was left out as a precaution, Mattie Pollock took his place. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Kamara, Pollock, Troost-Ekong, Gosling; Louza, Choudhury; Sarr, Asprilla, Sema; Davis.

Watford had the first chance of the game as Davis played a one-two with Asprilla before breaking into the box but his shot was blocked. The Hornets were a goal down after 7 minutes when Pollock got his head to a long ball into the Watford box, but his header dropped to Bradshaw who fired past Bachmann. The home side threatened again from a corner as Cooper headed goalwards, but Bachmann tipped the ball over the bar. The Watford defence failed to deal with the resultant corner, the ball reached Voglsammer who crossed for Cooper whose header cleared the bar. Bilić was forced to make a change after 17 minutes when, after an extended period of treatment, Louza was taken off on a stretcher and was replaced by Kayembe. At this point I had an altercation with some lads in the row in front. One of them was smoking and the smoke was blowing into my face. Several of them were packed into a couple of seats and as I tried to waft the smoke away with my notebook, one of them accused me of hitting him in the head and I ended up in a row with him and a couple of his mates while the smoker moved along the row and finished his cigarette. It was the crowd version of handbags and at least it injected a bit of passion into the evening. Back on the pitch a rare attack from the Hornets came as Sarr found his way into the Millwall box but his shot flew way over the bar. The home side scored a second on 26 minutes. A free kick reached Flemming in the Watford box, he found Bradshaw in space who finished from close range. The Hornets had a half-chance to hit back as Sema played the ball out to Asprilla but the cross was caught by Long. Millwall’s third goal came just after the half hour and again came from a free kick which was headed on by Cooper, the Watford defence were at sixes and sevens and Bradshaw was on hand to finish for his hat trick. In the 13 minutes remaining in the half, there was only one Watford attempt on goal and that was a shot from the edge of the area by Davis that was blocked. Unsurprisingly the team were booed off the pitch at half time.

Pollock and Gosling challenging for a ball

The mystery of the missing Women of Watford was resolved during the break as Naila found me and told me that they had arrived late and been directed to the next block. I was relieved that they had made it.

A good number of fans left during the interval. Some of those that stayed booed the team back on to the pitch at the beginning of the second half, a new low for this season. Bilić made two changes at the break bringing João Pedro and Kalu on for Choudhury and Sema. The half started with an attack by the Hornets as Davis released Sarr who broke into the box before going down under a challenge. He went down far too easily and the referee was right to wave his penalty appeal away. Kamara was then booked for a stupid foul on the sideline. Millwall threatened on the break but the cross from Malone was cleared by Troost-Ekong. The home side made their first substitute just before the hour mark bringing Styles on for Bennett. Sarr should have done better when he received a cross in the box, but he was unable to bring the ball under control and it was put out for a corner. Asprilla had a chance to get a goal back with a shot from distance, but it was high and wide of the target. The home side threatened again when Malone broke forward but his shot looped into the arms of Bachmann. There was a moment of hope for the Hornets as Kalu charged the ball down and advanced on goal but his shot was deflected over the bar.

With quarter of an hour remaining, Bilić made another change bringing Bayo on for Davis. The Hornets threatened again as Kalu, who was at least putting in a bit of effort, went on a run into the box, but he ran out of space. With 13 minutes remaining, Millwall made a triple substitution with Honeyman, Afobe and Shackleton replacing Bradshaw, Flemming and Voglsammer. The home side had a decent chance to score a fourth when a tackle by Kayembe fell to Honeyman, he broke forward before finding Afobe in the box but the shot was wide of the target. At the other end a cross from Kalu was met by the head of Bayo, but his effort was blocked. From the corner, Sarr tried to flick the ball into the box, it was blocked and the ball fell to Kayembe whose near post shot was high and wide. The next move summed up our evening, it looked promising when Gosling crossed for Kalu and he played the ball out to Asprilla but it all fell apart when the youngster sent a hopeless chip wide of the target. In time added on, there was finally an attempt on goal worthy of the name as a shot from Kalu hit the post, then Troost-Ekong crossed for Pollock whose header was saved by Long. There was one last chance to give the travelling fans something to celebrate when Kamara crossed for Bayo, but the ball was too high for him and he could only direct his header over the bar. By the time the full time whistle went, the away end was deserted. The players came over to applaud the travelling fans and were mostly met with obscene gestures.

Gosling, Sarr, Asprilla and Pollock waiting for a ball to drop

What a disappointment this was after the excellent showing on Saturday. I can only describe this performance as a shameful shambles. Before the game we had discussed the Blackpool game and the fact that we had performed well in the first hour before our collapse. It certainly hadn’t been the abject display that we had seen at West Brom. This performance was certainly more in that vein but with added soft goals and no wonder strike for us. There were some bright spots in the second half, Kalu and Joao Pedro at least looked to be putting some effort in, but overall it was awful and the Hornets never looked like getting back in the game. My sympathy went particularly to my niece who had decided to attend the game in the home end with a friend. Her only consolation being that there were not many home fans there either.

We reaped the benefit of all the early departures on our journey home. On arrival on the platform, a busy train was ready to depart. We heard someone knock on the window and there was Ross from Ayrshire and his daughter waving to us. The next train was due in 10 minutes but came in early so, again, we had a comfortable journey, which was the least that we deserved after enduring that match. This really wasn’t what we needed in the run-up to the local derby on Sunday. I am not looking forward to that game at all. All the lads who have been singing about Luton, while never actually having seen the teams play each other, will finally get that chance and it is likely to be rather ugly off the pitch. I know a number of regulars who will be giving the game a miss. I will be there, but will be giving the town centre a very wide berth. I just hope that we see a Norwich style performance on the pitch as the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.

A First Home Win for Bilic

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While Sunday lunchtime is the worst time for a football match, Saturday evening runs it a close second. This was Kate from Women of Watford’s first home game of the season, work having got in the way on previous occasions, so she organised a meet up at the Estcourt Tavern. It was great to have a catch up and a pint. As a creature of habit, I then left to head for the West Herts to meet up with my usual crew only to find that none of them were there. So I headed back to the Estcourt for another drink, my pre-match meal and a further catch-up with that lovely group. I left for the ground in good time and arrived at the Rookery earlier than usual to find that it was deserted due to a combination of the game being on television and the dreadful form of late.

Team news was that Slaven Bilić had made three changes from the Blackpool game with Cathcart, Asprilla and Davis in for Kabasele, Kayembe and Bayo. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Kamara, Cathcart, Troost-Ekong, Gosling; Louza, Choudhury; Sarr, Asprilla, Sema; Davis. It was great to see João Pedro back from injury and taking a place on the bench.

Before kick-off there was a minute’s applause in memory of Keith Eddy who passed away during the week. They described him as Watford’s finest captain. He was before my time, so I am not in a position to judge that claim, but I was rather surprised by it.

The visitors had an early chance after Louza deflected the ball to Núñez but the shot was wide of the far post. The first Watford attack of note came when Kamara picked up the ball and went on a run, he opted to take the shot from some distance and his effort was well wide of the near post. The Hornets had started strongly and the next chance came after a really good move as Louza evaded a couple of tackles before feeding Davis whose shot was blocked by Gunn in the Norwich goal. From the resultant corner, the ball reached Sarr on the edge of the box, but Gunn was equal to his effort. Then Asprilla made a brilliant interception and advanced before playing the ball out to Sarr whose shot was blocked. The visitors were appealing for a penalty when Sargent went down under a challenge in the box, but the referee waved play on. I was expecting the same outcome when Sarr went down under a challenge from Gibbs as he tried to reach a lovely ball into the box from Kamara but, on this occasion, the referee pointed to the spot. Louza stepped up to take it. He hit it to Gunn’s left and the keeper went the right way and made the save. It looked as though the Hornets were going to regret that miss soon after when a ball over the top from Byram released Pukki who was bearing down on the Watford goal but Bachmann came out and made the clearance.

The Hornets took the lead soon after. It started with a lovely move involving Asprilla and Kamara who released Sarr on the left, he crossed for Louza to volley home. It was a lovely goal and I was so happy for Louza, it was a great way to make up for the penalty miss. The Hornets thoroughly deserved the lead. The visitors tried to break back with a powerful shot from Dowell that Bachmann punched, Pukki was unable to connect and the ball fell to Aarons who shot across the goal and wide. The Hornets were briefly down to 10 men when Kamara needed treatment for a head injury. There must have been blood as he was sent from the field to be bandaged up and change his shirt. He was back on the field in time for the second Watford goal. Sarr beat a couple of defenders to get into the box and put in a low cross that was blocked, the ball dropped to Asprilla whose mishit shot found Davis who beat Gunn to give the Hornets a cushion.

The visitors had a chance to break back from a corner, the delivery was met by the head of Gosling, the ball fell to Núñez who crossed for Hanley whose shot was poor and easily gathered by Bachmann. Then Louza put a great ball over the top for Sarr whose progress was halted by a push from Aarons who was booked for his trouble. The Hornets should have had a third following a Louza free kick, Gosling and Troost-Ekong had shots that were blocked before a shot from Davis was saved by Gunn. But it was the visitors who scored just before half time when they launched a counter-attack, Dowell found Sargent in the box and Gosling was unable to prevent the shot that squeezed in at the near post just out of the reach of the diving Bachmann to set up a nervy second half for the Hornets. Conceding so close to the interval was very disappointing, but the mood in the crowd was good and the consensus was that it had been the best half of football that we have seen at home all season.

The game was dedicated to World Mental Health Day and the half time guest was Marvin Sordell who was there to talk about a film that he has made to raise awareness of the importance of mental health in football and the support needed for players falling out of the game. “Broke” focuses on the mental health challenges of a player who is having to retire due to injury. Marvin said that he retired from football because he fell out of love with the game but that he now plays for both his physical and mental well-being. The film can be watched at brokeshortfilm.com.

The visitors made two substitutions at the start of the second half with Hayden and Sara coming on in place of Gibbs and Núñez. The visitors had the first chance of the second half when Pukki cut the ball back for McLean whose shot was blocked. The resultant corner was met by the head of Hanley, it was blocked and fell back to him and his follow-up effort rebounded off the bar. At the other end Gosling played a one-two with Sema before crossing for Davis who was stretching to reach the ball so unable to direct his header on target. The visitors had a chance to draw level when Sargent found Sara in the box but his shot flew wide. The Hornets were forced into a substitution when Asprilla took a knock. It was a shame as he had been very impressive. He went off to an ovation and the disappointment was tempered slightly as he was replaced by João Pedro. The Brazilian was soon involved, playing a lovely ball to release Sarr who broke in to the box and unleashed a shot that was blocked by Gunn, Sema tried to latch on to the rebound but it was put out for a corner. Louza’s delivery was met by the head of Sema but Gunn was equal to his effort.

Then Kamara went on a brilliant run and crossed for Davis who couldn’t quite reach the ball which went out of play. The visitors then made another substitution replacing Dowell with Hernández. Some lovely work between Kamara and João Pedro was frustrated by two defenders closing the young Brazilian down. Then a lovely pass from João Pedro released Sema who broke into the box and did really well to shrug off the attentions of the defenders in order to turn and shoot, but Gunn was able to make the stop. Norwich made another change bringing Cantwell on for Aarons. The visitors looked to have a great chance to equalise when Sargent broke downfield, but Gosling did brilliantly to get back and make a saving tackle. With three minutes remaining, Bilić made his second substitution bringing Kayembe on for Davis. Edo had a chance to make the game safe in time added on when a corner was cleared to him on the edge of the box, but he shot wide of the target. There was six minutes of added time and late on Kalu was introduced in place of Sarr. There was one final chance for the visitors to salvage a point when they won a corner. Gunn came up to join his team mates in the box, but the ball ended up with Bachmann and the Hornets won a very well deserved three points.

Troost-Ekong about to launch the ball forward

The mood after the game was so much better than of late and not just because of the result. For those who went to the Blackpool game it wasn’t the defeat that hurt as much as the performance. The effort and commitment on show on Saturday was in complete contrast and really gladdened the heart. The players went on a lap of honour that took some time and was greeted with joy in the stands.

Asprilla put in a wonderful performance. In previous games, while he obviously has talent, he has looked like a boy playing against men, too often outfought as he tried to make things happen. On this occasion, he was going on runs, jinking past players and finding team mates with some clever passes. It was a shame that he had to go off, I hope that he is not out for long. Gosling was excellent. There was some scepticism when he was drafted in at right back, but he looked the part on Saturday. So often it was his head on the end of high balls into the Watford box and the tackle to stop Sargent’s run near the end was superb. Sarr was the Sky man of the match for a performance in which he shone. Gone was the unmotivated sulky demeanour and back was the creative player making and taking chances. He even joined in the lap of honour at the end with some enthusiasm.

But, having singled out these players, the best thing about the game was that it was a team effort. Every player worked their socks off, not giving Norwich time on the ball, and creating plenty of chances and it was a joy to watch. I am now looking forward to our trip to Millwall, which I certainly wasn’t prior to kick-off.

Dispiriting Day at the Seaside

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Bloomfield Road with the view of the tower

Unusually for an away game in Blackpool, I had arranged to spend the weekend with a couple of friends in Bradford. We had tickets to see Ian Prowse at the Craven Arms, a pub venue in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales, on Friday night so decided to make a weekend of it. Mike and I arrived early afternoon and were met by Graham who drove us to Salts Mill where we saw David Hockney’s frieze A Year in Normandie, which was absolutely stunning. We revisited his earlier work “The Arrival of Spring” and left feeling joyful. The drive through the Dales was gorgeous. The pub is both picturesque and cosy and dinner was delicious. The gig was as brilliant as expected with Ian supported by the lovely Nick Hall. We had a few more drinks than was sensible with them afterwards. It was a wonderful way to start the weekend.

The original plan for Saturday had been to get a train from Bradford to Blackpool, but the train strike scuppered that, so Graham was on driving duty again. We set off from Bradford in bright sunshine and made very good time. We found the nominated pre-match pub where we were soon joined by the Happy Valley Horns. The food and drink were top notch, the staff were friendly and helpful and the locals were welcoming. Oddly enough we were the only Watford fans in the place. That is an unusual experience, I guess others were drinking nearer the town centre. Graham discovered on Friday that he hadn’t actually bought a ticket for this game. That was rectified and he picked it up from a kiosk next to the away end. By the end of the afternoon he probably wished that he hadn’t bothered.

Team news was that Slaven Bilić had made four changes from Wednesday with Gosling, Troost-Ekong, Louza and Bayo coming in for Gaspar, Sierralta, Asprilla and Davis. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Kamara, Kabasele, Troost-Ekong, Gosling; Kayembe, Louza, Choudhury; Sema, Bayo, Sarr.

The Hornets made a decent start to the game as Kayembe released Louza, he advanced and shot but Blackpool keeper, Maxwell, was down to make the save. At the other end, Kayembe failed to latch on to a pass from Gosling, the ball ran through to Wright who hit a shot from distance that flew just wide. There was a delay to the game as Sema, who was making his 100^th appearance, received treatment for a head injury. Thankfully he was fine to continue. The home side took the lead in the 10^th minute. A long pass was headed on by Connolly to Madine who lobbed Bachmann. The Watford keeper got a hand to the ball but couldn’t keep it out. The Hornets tried to hit back immediately, Kayembe hit a shot that was blocked, his follow-up was blocked for a corner. Carey then played a through ball to Yates who took a shot, but Bachmann made the catch. The Hornets should have drawn level after Bayo played a ball to Kamara in the box, he crossed for Sarr who had the goal at his mercy but failed to connect, the ball ran through to Bayo who could only find the roof of the net. Then a free kick from Louza was pushed clear by Maxwell.

Celebrating the goal (the players are in the distance)

The Hornets drew level on 28 minutes as Sarr won a free kick just outside the box. Louza stepped up to take it and hit a wonderful shot into the top corner. We were right behind it and watched the flight of the ball before celebrating wildly. This is the first time we have scored from a free kick since that wonderful Adam Masina effort at Cardiff and it was well worth the wait. The home side looked to regain their lead when Corbeanu hit a shot from distance but it was straight at Bachmann. Louza then played a lovely chip into the Blackpool box, but Kamara couldn’t reach it. The Hornets threatened again when Sema played a through ball to Bayo, but the shot was deflected into the side netting. There were four minutes of added time, although that was clearly going to increase as a Blackpool player was receiving treatment when the board went up. Both sides created chances in added time. First Bayo received a ball over the top from Kayembe, but his shot was blocked. At the other end Carey ran on to a ball into the box but he could only find the side netting when he should have done better, so we went into the break with honours even.

The Hornets had a very slow start to the game but improved considerably as the half went on. At half time a number of people commented that the game could go either way, but the momentum seemed to be with the Hornets.

Each side made a change at the break. Former Watford loanee Liam Bridcutt came on for Carey to make his debut for the Seasiders and Asprilla replaced Sema for the Hornets. Watford started the second half with a lovely passing move that ended up with Kamara in the box, but a heavy touch meant that he was stretching to take the shot and could only find the roof of the net. Blackpool then launched a counter attack and Corbeanu hit a shot from distance that flew wide of the target. The Hornets threatened again as a Louza free kick was played square to Choudhury who shot wide of the target. Asprilla then went on a lovely run before cutting the ball back to Sarr who shot wide of the far post. From a corner, Corbeanu hit a low shot but Bachmann was equal to it. Bilić made another change at this point bringing Davis on for Bayo. The home side had a great chance to take the lead just after the hour mark when Corbeanu broke forward but his shot was terrible and flew wide of the near post. That was his last action of the game as, soon after, he was replaced by Lavery.

Bachmann was then the saviour for the Hornets as Connolly crossed for Madine whose header was met by a brilliant save from the Watford stopper. From the resultant corner, Thorniley headed goalwards, but Bachmann made another save and was on hand to block the follow-up shot from Connolly. At this point the travelling fans were getting restless and the younger element of the crowd (who have known nothing but the Pozzo era) were chanting “We want Pozzo out” although it was still fairly good hearted. The home side made a change as Madine was replaced by Hamilton who was immediately in action breaking forward, his cross bounced off Gosling and reached Patino whose shot from distance was saved by Bachmann. With 13 minutes remaining, Bilić made a double substitution with Sierralta and Dele-Bashiru coming on for Gosling and Kayembe. Blackpool took the lead on 81 minutes and it was an infuriating goal, when Hamilton crossed the ball in the box it passed about half a dozen Watford players before it reached Yates who volleyed home.

Louza attacking the ball as Asprilla is distracted

The Hornets were soon two goals down as Yates got the ball on the edge of the box, he beat Troost-Ekong before firing past Bachmann. At this point “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” rang out in the away end. With three minutes remaining Sierralta, who been on for less than 10 minutes, was replaced by Morris. I saw him storm down the tunnel but one of our party said that he had a row with Bilić when he came off. The away crowd were vile at this point. One lad in the row in front of us had already kicked hell out of a seat that smashed, he then stood in front of me to repeat the effort, thankfully that seat was more robust and we were not collateral damage due to flying debris. A large crowd had gathered at the perimeter and I did wonder about the bloke that was there with two small children, what was he expecting would happen at full time? The chant of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” started in the home end, but soon spread through the away crowd. There was five minutes of time added at the end and the Hornets had a chance to spare their blushes when Dele-Bashiru hit a shot from distance but it was straight at the keeper and the Hornets fell to a humiliating defeat.

There was much anger among those gathered at the perimeter fence. Troost-Ekong came over to give his shirt to a fan, which was a very brave act as he was subjected to considerable abuse. Front and centre was the lad who had broken the seats who had several stewards around him and was lucky not to be taken away. The other players kept their distance and quickly disappeared down the tunnel.

The Watford fans were ushered to the opposite end of the stand to leave the ground. There was no concourse, so we had to avail ourselves of the portaloos before our drive back to Bradford. They were pretty rank, which did not improve our mood at all.

We decided to return to the pub for a pint before heading back. The Happy Valleys were also there and we drowned our sorrows together. We were all completely dispirited. After a slow start, Watford had actually been the better team until about the hour mark, but once Blackpool got into their stride again the fight went out of the Hornets and the capitulation was horrible to watch. Mike brought a lovely Blackpool fan back from the bar with him. His perspective was interesting and he repeated the tenet that anyone can beat anyone else in this division. That was certainly apparent in the results on Saturday with Norwich losing to Preston and Sheffield United losing to Stoke. But the fact that others can also be beaten does not help us. There is clearly a problem among the squad. They are certainly talented enough to compete in this division, but are not playing to the best of their abilities. The constant changes in the defence are certainly not helping, but the forwards are also not pulling their weight. Whether that is a confidence or an attitude problem remains to be seen, but something needs to change. We have seen some utterly dreadful performances this season and even an eternal optimist like myself is having their patience sorely tested.

Still, we were soon back in Bradford for a ruby and a few drinks which improved our mood considerably. On Sunday morning we made a quick visit to Cartwright Hall before getting the train home. The collection there is fascinating with a brilliant juxtaposition of modern and classical works that enhanced both. They also have a Hockney exhibition that included some of his very early work and highlighted how hard he worked to learn his trade and to continue learning throughout his career. There is a lesson for all at Watford there.

The Bilic Era Starts with an Emphatic Win

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Lunchtime on a Sunday has to be the worst time for a football match. Scheduling a fixture on lunchtime on a Sunday in Stoke the day after a rail strike just added insult to injury.

The previous Sunday I had been in Watford early in order to take part in the Taylor Trek. I walked 18.5 miles (actually a bit more as we took an unintended detour) to raise money for WFC Community Sports and Education Trust. It was a lovely day out exploring the Hertfordshire countryside and any pain that I felt at the end disappeared when Rita Taylor gave me both my medal and a big hug.

On Monday we received the news that Rob Edwards had been relieved of his duties. I was very sad to hear the news, although I was also surprised at the level of anger from Watford fans. The team had been booed off at most of the games this season and Rob was confronted by a couple of very angry fans at the end of the Blackburn game. If fans are going to express their displeasure in such a way, it cannot be a surprise when the owners take decisive action. I try to take the positives from games, but even I was finding it really hard to do so and had not enjoyed the football that I had seen so far this season. I was very happy that the replacement was Slaven Bilić. He seemed like a great appointment, an opinion shared by my West Ham supporting cousin who adores him.

Following the rail strike on Saturday, and the general unreliability of Avanti trains at present, I wasn’t going to risk of the train that would get me to Stoke in time for kick-off being cancelled, so opted to take the club coach, which was leaving Watford at 7am. I am not an early riser so I decided to stay in Watford overnight on Saturday as, even doing that, meant my alarm was set for 6am. It was dark when I left the hotel for the short walk to Occupation Road. There were a good few complaints about the departure time, but we set off in good spirits and, once the sun rose, it appeared to be a beautiful day. I was expecting a stop on the way, but we headed straight for the stadium and were in the car park at 9:40, which was a little annoying as the turnstiles weren’t due to open until 10:30. Thankfully there was a burger van open so I had a coffee and a bacon roll as I contemplated my next move.

After a quick chat with Don, who had remained on the coach, I decided that, as I had so much time, I would take a walk along the canal. I have taken that route on the way from the town to the ground on a number of occasions so, after asking directions from a helpful programme seller, I set off for a stroll. When I reached the canal, the refreshment barges that are moored at the exit for the stadium were already doing a good trade. I had intended to walk towards town, but I have no sense of direction so it was no surprise that I actually headed off in the opposite direction. This turned out to be a lucky mistake as the walk was a lot more attractive than I remember, past fields and rather nice looking canalside properties. After a lovely walk, being greeted by dog walkers, I was back at the stadium in plenty of time for kick-off. I had a quick chat with Chris Hall about the goings on during the week. It was probably not the best time for his appointment as Supporter Liaison Officer to have been announced. Then Jacque and Adam arrived and we went into the ground to meet up with the Women of Watford group.

Team news was that Slaven Bilić had made four changes from the Sunderland game. Troost-Ekong, Cathcart and João Pedro were absent due to injury and Hause wasn’t thought to be fit enough to play 90 minutes. They were replaced by Kabasele, Sierralta, Sarr and Gaspar. So, the starting line-up was Bachmann; Kamara, Sierralta, Kabasele, Gaspar; Kayembe, Choudhury; Sema, Asprilla, Sarr; Davis. The most exciting news was the inclusion of Louza on the bench. Ben Wilmot started for the home side and the announcement of his name was greeted with a very warm round of applause from the travelling Hornets.

The Hornets had the first chance of note when Sema received a pass from Davis and crossed for Sarr who shot wide of the near post under pressure from a defender. Already we were seeing a more attacking approach from the Hornets, Bachmann was launching balls upfield and we were yet to see the ball passed along the back line. The home side then had a decent chance of their own when, from a throw-in, Smallbone crossed for Flint whose header flew wide of the target. The Hornets took the lead on 12 minutes when Kamara put in a lovely cross and Sarr ran into an acre of space to head it home. If there was to be any dissent in the travelling support, that quelled it. Up to that point the anti-Pozzo protest had amounted to three or four kids chanting “We want Gino out” and giving up when nobody joined in.

The first booking of the game went to Fosu-Henry for pulling back Kamara as he tried to escape. The Hornets should have had a second when Sarr fed Kayembe who hit a shot from distance that would have been on target had it not bounced off Davis and out. At this point the travelling Hornets were chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning” at Alex Neil and “How sh*t must you be he’s still got a job.” The home side looked to hit back when Delap latched on to a through ball in the box, Bachmann came out to make the save but appeared to be injured in the process. The Stoke players had no sympathy and one of them pulled him to his feet. He was mercilessly booed from that moment on (with no discernible effect on his performance). Kamara did brilliantly to fight off the attentions of the defenders and get a cross in for Sarr whose header hit the post, he latched on to the rebound but his shot was saved. The Hornets had another great chance when Flint dwelled too long on the ball, Sarr nicked it and played it back to Davis, the ball reached Sema via Asprilla, but the shot was turned on to the post by the Stoke keeper, Bursik. The hosts had a chance to draw level on the half hour when Smallbone crossed for Delap but the header flew wide of the target. Bachmann was then booked for timewasting, it was not a great surprise as he had been warned. The home side had a great chance to equalise when Delap broke into the box but Bachmann came out to meet him, narrowing the angle, and his shot found the roof of the net. There was some excitement when we saw Louza head for the changing rooms before everyone else, would he be coming on after the break? In the last action of note in the half a lovely ball from Kabasele to Davis came to nothing when a robust tackle from Flint prevented him progressing. Davis did not take kindly to this and there was a bout of handbags, but it all calmed down and the whistle went with the Hornets a goal up after a very enjoyable half of football.

Bachmann came out for the start of the second half and, as he took his place in goal in front of the home fans, was loudly booed leading to cheers and support from the travelling Hornets. The visitors had a great chance to increase their lead at the start of the second half when a free kick from Gaspar was met by the head of Sierralta, who really should have found the net, but his effort just cleared the bar. Asprilla was booked after kicking the ball away in frustration when he had battled through a tackle and his opponent went down in a manner that seemed rather unlikely given the size of Asprilla. The resultant free kick from Baker was heading for the top corner, but Bachmann got a strong hand to it and pushed it clear. Baker threatened again with a shot that flew high and wide. Smallbone was the next to try his luck but his shot was blocked. The next caution went to Delap who was booked for dissent after being penalised for a foul on Kabasele. The Hornets had another decent chance to increase their lead after a great ball found Sema on the left, he crossed for Sarr but the header deflected off Davis. Just before the hour mark, Bilić made his first change and it was the welcome return of Louza in place of Asprilla. The Hornets impressed with some lovely interplay between Kamara and Davis on the left wing, but the cross was caught by Bursik.

The second Watford goal came soon after. Choudhury flicked the ball into the box for Davis whose shot was blocked, the ball broke to Sema whose first attempt was blocked by Wilmot, but he poked in the follow-up to send the travelling Hornets wild. Ken was booked for taking his shirt off during the celebration, but it was well worth it. After a couple of worrying chances for the home side, the second goal certainly calmed the nerves. Sierralta was the next to incur the referee’s wrath when he was booked for a push on Delap. The home side had a chance to reduce the deficit when a corner was cleared only as far as Smallbone, but the shot was well over the bar. Then Louza played the perfect pass to Sema who played in Davis, but his shot was terrible and straight at the keeper. With 20 minutes remaining, the home side made their first substitution replacing Gayle with Campbell. The Hornets threatened again from a short corner, Sarr crossed for Davis whose header was just wide. The hosts then made a second change bringing Clarke on in place of Sterling. With 12 minutes remaining the Hornets found themselves three up after Sema won the ball in midfield and fed Sarr who broke forward before finding Davis who beat a defender before hitting a shot across Bursik into the far corner. It should have been four a couple of minutes later when Sema went on a run before playing the ball back to Louza but his shot was just wide of the far post. Bilić then made his second change bringing Bayo on for Sarr. The hosts had a chance to pull one back when Campbell received the ball in the Watford box, but Bachmann was down to make the save. Sema went on another run and should have taken a shot but tried to pull the ball back and it was blocked for a corner. This was taken short, Louza received the ball back and played a magnificent cross to the far post where Bayo stretched to volley home. The goal was a thing of beauty. Bilić made a late double change replacing Sema and Davis with Hungbo and Gosling. Sema left the pitch at the opposite side to the dugouts, so walked past the away fans on his way back, he was warmly applauded and returned the compliment. The Hornets could have had a fifth but the lovely cross from Louza was just too far in front of Hungbo. So the final whistle went on a four goal victory by the Hornets and nobody in the away end cared about having had to get up at the crack of dawn and the disruption to the travel.

Bilić was never going to “do an Edwards” at the end of the game but, as he approached the tunnel, which was right in front of the away fans, he waved, applauded us and gave a fist pump. The players stayed around a bit longer, they had a lot to celebrate. Several shirts were thrown into the crowd. Kamara took three attempts as he comically (and I assumed deliberately) dropped his shirt twice before it finally reached someone in the away stand. Louza was the last to launch his shirt into the crowd and danced a joyous little jig that showed that he was as happy to be back as we were to have him back.

Back to the coach for the journey home during which most people seemed to be rewatching the goals with big smiles on their faces.

So the Bilić era started with a result that was as unexpected as it was enjoyable. The starting line-up had players in their favoured positions and the change to four at the back was a positive that allowed the attacking players more freedom. From the kick-off there had been a more attacking approach than we saw under Edwards and it paid dividends. Sarr gave his best performance in some time contributing a goal and an assist. Sema was everywhere and thoroughly deserved the ovation that he received after being substituted. Kamara was awarded the Man of the Match award and his performance was a joy. But the highlight of the afternoon was the return of Louza, who was absolutely magnificent. We were all dancing a jig after watching his performance.

We host Swansea at Vicarage Road, which will be a sterner test than Stoke were but, if the players perform as they did on Sunday, we are in for a fun evening.

Fran's Watford Blog

A Middle Aged Woman's Adventures Following Watford FC

Tag Archives: Dan Gosling

A Dreadful Game but a Welcome Point

Back to Winning Ways Against the Royals

Disappointing Defeat to the Sky Blues

A Good Win on a Wet Night in Wales

A Late Winner in Wigan

1997 All Over Again

Disaster at the Den

A First Home Win for Bilic

Dispiriting Day at the Seaside

The Bilic Era Starts with an Emphatic Win