Bachmann the Hero Against the Tigers

Dennis and Kayembe challenging for the ball

I had some things to do on Saturday morning including finally delivering Kate Lewers’ Trust award as Equality Champion, so I was very late on parade.  Luckily the timekeeping steward was distracted, so I snuck in without being reprimanded.  The woman who does the tremendous catering wasn’t there and none of the things that I like on the menu were on offer, so I decided to wait until I got to the ground for lunch.  When we arrived at the Rookery turnstiles, there were no female stewards on duty, so we were not searched, which always brightens my day.

Saturday was designated as the Junior Hornets matchday, so there was a fanzone outside.  They also had a number of youngsters involved inside the ground.  Some were helping out the ground staff, one read the team out, and another was helping Jon Marks on commentary.  What a lovely idea.  Ann Swanson was interviewed before the game and spoke with pride about how well the Junior Hornets were doing including recently welcoming the 5000th member.

Bachmann after the penalty save

Team news was that Cleverley had made three changes from the Southampton game with Andrews, Koné and Sierralta coming in for Dele-Bashiru, Chakvetadze and Pollock.  So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Hoedt, Sierralta, Porteous; Lewis, Kayembe, Koné, Andrews; Dennis, Asprilla, Bayo.  Former Hornet, Tufan, started for the visitors.  He was welcomed back with boos.

The visitors had the first chance of the game with a low cross from Philogene that was easily saved by Bachmann.  There was consternation among the home fans when Hoedt tripped Carvalho in the box and the referee pointed to the spot.  Tufan stepped up to take the penalty and was roundly abused by those behind the goal in the Rookery.  The penalty was struck to Bachmann’s left, the Watford keeper got down to make the block and then gathered the loose ball.  The first chance for the Hornets came soon after when Bayo met a cross from Lewis with a header that flew wide of the target.  There was a better chance soon after as Asprilla met another cross from Lewis, but his header was also wide of the target.  Another cross from Lewis found Dennis in the box, he turned and shot well wide when he should have passed to Asprilla who was in a much better position for a shot.  Then Lewis and Asprilla moved upfield, exchanging passes as they went, before the Colombian’s shot was blocked.

Kayembe distracted after making a pass

The visitors then had a decent chance from a corner which Greaves headed down to Tufan who tried a back heel which Bachmann did really well to keep out of the net.  At this point, there was enthusiastic applause greeting King Ken’s warm-up.  The next chance for the visitors came as a corner from Ömür was met by Morton whose downward header was blocked.  Hoedt was the first player to be cautioned, the card was earned for telling the referee what he thought of his decision to give yet another soft free kick to the visitors.  Greaves was then booked for a strong tackle on Sierralta.  There was a minute of added time at the end of the half and Kayembe had a chance to break the deadlock with a shot from just outside the box, which was deflected for a corner that came to nothing.  So, we went into the break with the game scoreless after a half of scrappy football in which the Hornets failed to muster a shot on target.  The visitors didn’t help with the entertainment value as they fell over at the slightest contact and the referee blew up for every incident.

The half time guest was Aidy Boothroyd, who was given a tremendous reception and spoke very positively of his time with the Hornets.  It was lovely to see him back and remember those tremendous play-off games including the fracas with Fitz Hall.

Asprilla and Rajović line up a free kick

The first chance of the second half fell to the Hornets as Porteous took a shot from the edge of the area that flew well over the bar.  Porteous was then in action at the other end and was booked for a foul on Tufan when my first reaction was that the card was being shown for simulation.  I had watched the first half, so should have known better.  Andrews was then shown a card for another soft foul.  At this point I wondered whether we would finish the game with 11 players on the pitch.  The visitors had the ball in the net on 52 minutes after Tufan broke forward and beat Bachmann, but the flag was up for offside well before the ball hit the net.  At the other end Asprilla went on a great run into the box where he passed to Dennis whose shot was blocked.  From the resultant throw-in, Asprilla hit a shot from distance that flew wide of the target.  A mistake by the Hull keeper, gave the ball to Dennis while Allsop was out of position, but the Watford man seemed unaware that he had an open goal to aim at, so didn’t shoot.  The move ended with Asprilla crossing for Bayo who headed down to Andrews who shot wide of the near post.  The visitors made their first change at this point bringing Delap on in place of Tufan.  The next chance for the Hornets came from Koné whose shot was straight at Allsop.  Cleverley then made a change of his own, bringing Ngakia on in place of Andrews.

King Ken back in action

The next chance for the Hornets came as Lewis crossed for Bayo but the header was so far off target that it nearly hit the corner flag.  The Hull keeper caused problems for himself from a drop ball that he kicked straight to Bayo, but the Watford man wasn’t expecting it, so failed to find the net.  There was then a booking for each side with Morton cautioned for a foul on Asprilla and Sierralta for a foul on Delap.  The Hornets made a double substitution as Dennis made way for Rajović and Lewis was replaced by Sema, who came on to a massive cheer from the Hornet faithful.  Rajović made an instant impact winning a free kick on the edge of the box and hitting a tremendous strike that needed a great save from Allsop to keep it out.  Sema was making a difference as well, with a couple of great crosses into the box, but nobody got on the end of them.  The visitors then launched a dangerous counterattack that finished with Philogene finding Delap in the box, his shot was just wide of the far post.  The visitors then made a triple substitution with Sharp, Traoré and Giles replacing Ömür, Seri and Slater.  For the Hornets, Bayo made way for Martins.  The visitors won a free kick on the edge of the box, and it took a brilliant save from Bachmann to keep Carvalho’s shot out.  Then Sema went on a surging run to the byline and pulled the ball back for Martins who just failed to connect.

Man of the match Bachmann

The Hornets should have opened the scoring after Martins played a great cross-field ball for Asprilla who returned the favour, but the Brazilian’s first-time shot was just wide when he should have taken a touch to steady himself.  The visitors were immediately up the other end, where Bachmann was equal to a shot from Jacobs, and then smothered the ball stopping Sharp burying the rebound.  There was four minutes of added time during which Greaves broke forward and unleashed a low shot that was straight at Bachmann.  Asprilla then shot over the bar when he really should have hit the target.  The visitors had one last chance to break the deadlock when Traoré crossed for Greaves, but his effort flew wide of the target and the game finished goalless.

So, the Hornets are still waiting for their first home league win since November.  After a poor first half, the second was much better and the Hornets had some decent chances, but didn’t test the keeper.  Hull City were very annoying opponents, going down far too easily.  I spent a large part of the game turning the air around me blue at their antics.  Thankfully none of my neighbours reported me to the stewards.  Dan Bachmann comes in for a lot of criticism that I have never really understood, but he had an outstanding game saving a penalty and making a couple of other decent saves to preserve his clean sheet.  Another positive from the game was the return of King Ken, which was very welcome.  I am not in the camp that abuses Lewis, but Ken offers so much more.  Seeing him running at players quickens the pulse and he always looks as though he will create something. 

So, we have our final home game of the season next Saturday.  One final chance for a long-awaited home win.  Let’s hope that we finish the season in style.

An Early Goal Leads to Defeat at the Den

Dennis on the ball

For London games, I am in charge of the block bookings for City ‘Orns as well as Women of Watford.  We usually get a decent turn out, so I was surprised at how few takers there were for this one.  The usual suspects were all absentees until Richard made a late announcement that he had bought a ticket (hoorah!)  For obvious reasons, the pre-match drinks before Millwall are around Borough Market which, being a quick trip down the Northern line, makes it a very easy journey for me.  Richard had suggested a pub that I hadn’t visited before, and I took an unnecessary detour through the new (to me) Borough Yards complex on the way.  When I arrived at the pub, it was very busy except for the dining area, so I grabbed a table there and we had a lovely lunch and a couple of pints to set us up for the game.

We headed for London Bridge at the same time as most of the other Watford fans.  The 2:14 train was packed when we arrived at the platform, but the 2:18 (which we were aiming for) still had a few seats available, so we made that short journey in comfort.  On arrival at South Bermondsey everyone piled off and it took us 5 minutes to walk the length of the platform at which time there were still people alighting the train.  While on the platform I heard someone gleefully reporting that it had all kicked off on an earlier train (probably the one that we had missed).  Not good news to hear.

Lewis takes a free kick

Needless to say, there was a crowd waiting to get through the turnstiles.  That, and a dearth of female stewards, meant that I was not searched, in fact the guy showed barely any interest in the contents of my bag.  When I got inside, I decided to go to the bathroom and found it full of blokes.  I thought I had entered the wrong door but, no, the few blokes who hadn’t relieved themselves on the way up the path from the station had decided to invade the Ladies.  Delightful.

Team news was that Ismaël had made three changes from the Huddersfield game with Ngakia, Sierralta and Bayo replacing Dele-Bashiru, Pollock and Koné.  So, the starting XI was Hamer; Lewis, Hoedt, Sierralta, Dele-Bashiru; Asprilla, Kayembe, Livermore; Sema, Bayo, Dennis.

The match pack on the website had said that we would be wearing our home shirt, but the pre-match post on Twitter had Kayembe wearing the white away kit, so I packed both of them.  Imagine my irritation when the players came out in the blue third kit.  So, both teams took to the field wearing blue shirts (of different shades) and white shorts.  There was a time when that wouldn’t have been permitted.

Waiting for the ball to drop

The game started badly for the Hornets as Kayembe was booked for a foul on Obafemi in the first minute, mostly because the crowd roared for it.  It turned disastrous when Millwall won another soft free kick for a foul by Livermore on Flemming.  The Millwall man stepped up to take it himself and it took a slight deflection and flew past Hamer.  The Hornets looked to hit back after a throw-in from Lewis reached Bayo who was at an acute angle and could only find the side netting.  Then Dennis picked up a loose ball and broke into the box before taking a shot that was blocked rather painfully for the defender.  The Hornets were then awarded a free kick when Asprilla was brought down.  This sparked rage among the home fans, which was highly amusing given that they had been encouraging the referee to blow up for everything up until that point.  The Hornets caused more problems for themselves when Sierralta played the ball back to Hamer who mis-controlled and put it out for a corner.  The Hornets were looking very fragile at this point.  It was the 26^th minute before the Hornets created a decent chance, which came after Bayo played the ball out to Dennis who played a low cross for Asprilla whose shot was blocked.  Hamer was having a difficult afternoon and made trouble for himself again with a bizarre decision to come out to help Ngakia deal with a long ball from Šarkić.  He ended up blocking his defender which allowed Watmore to come away with the ball with an open goal to aim at.  Thankfully Sierralta was on the line to block the shot.  The Hornets then launched a counterattack that finished with a shot from Asprilla, Šarkić dived to make the save.

Asprilla takes a corner

The Hornets had another decent effort from a free kick that Hoedt directed over the wall and just over the bar, it almost appeared to have dipped in.  Then Sema played a great ball to release Dennis who played a square ball straight to a Millwall player when a shot would have been a better idea.  The next effort from the Hornets came when Ngakia got into shooting position, but he chipped the ball into the keeper’s arms.  The first booking of the game for the home side went to McNamara for tripping Asprilla from behind as he tried to escape.  Sema took the resultant free kick which went straight to the keeper.  In time added on at the end of the half a shot from Dennis was blocked by the keeper, it flew up in the air and didn’t fall kindly for Lewis, so the chance was gone.  The half time whistle went to boos from the away end as, although the Hornets had dominated possession after going behind, they hadn’t threatened the Millwall goal.

Ismaël made a change at the break bringing Dele-Bashiru on in place of Kayembe, who had been targeted by the Millwall players following that early card.  The first attack of note in the half featured some good interplay between Ngakia and Dennis on the left which was let down by a poor cross from the Nigerian.

Koné on the ball

There was a much better chance soon after as Lewis put in a low cross for Bayo that he turned just wide under challenge.  Next Dennis crossed for Sema whose shot was blocked.  On the hour mark, Millwall made a change bringing Norton-Cuffy on in place of Watmore.  Soon after, the Hornets made a double substitution with Ngakia and Sema making way for Andrews and Koné (off the naughty step as my companions said).  The home side caused problems from a long throw that fell to Obafemi who shot wide of the target.  That was his last involvement as he was replaced by Longman.  The home side earned another card as Leonard was booked for a foul on Andrews.  The Hornets then had another chance to draw level as Dennis played the ball back to Koné who shot over the target.  Livermore was the next to try his luck with a shot from distance, but it was straight at the keeper.  Ismaël then made a further change bringing Rajović on in place of Bayo.  The Dane was immediately involved getting on the end of a cross from Andrews, his effort was caught by Šarkić but was spinning wide anyway.  Another chance for the Hornets went begging as Koné played a lovely ball over the top for Dennis who was unable to control it.  The final change for the Hornets saw Martins come on in place of Livermore.  In an interesting twist, Rajović was then employed to launch a long throw for Asprilla whose shot was blocked.  Another decent chance for the Hornets was spurned as Martins broke into the box but toe-poked the ball to the keeper.  There was four minutes of added time in which the only incident of note was a double substitution for Millwall.  So, the final whistle went to boos from the away end which were inevitable if rather harsh.

Rajović takes a long throw

The players came over to applaud the travelling faithful and were met by an angry group in the lower tier letting them know what they thought of the performance.  Hoedt gave them *that* look, but Dennis tried to engage.  They were having none of it, so he walked away and gave his shirt to a guy in the disabled area, which brought a smile to my face.

We left the ground and I decided to accompany Nigel and Judie to Surrey Quays for the train back to Highbury and Islington, which turned out to be a great decision as the Watford fans heading to South Bermondsey were kept waiting for some time in the walkway while the Millwall fans dispersed.  I have not seen this at previous games, so can only surmise that it was due to the trouble that I had heard about earlier.

It was another disappointing afternoon of football.  The game was completely dominated by the Hornets but the early goal for Millwall meant that they were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure.  They defended in numbers and the Hornets struggled to break them down.  The positive was that it was a much livelier performance than against Huddersfield but, as so often this season, despite dominating possession and having more shots, the keeper, Šarkić, wasn’t really troubled.  The lack of confidence in the team was particularly apparent in the performance of Hamer, who made two glaring errors.  But there were plenty of others who made poor decisions leading to misplaced passes and wayward shots.  After this poor run of results, while we are still mid-table, we are looking down rather than up.

Nigel asked after the game if I ever think about not going.  I lived abroad for 12 years and really missed going regularly.  Since moving home in 2005, I have attended most of the games and have certainly made up for the years that I missed out.  But, while I may not always enjoy the football, there is always the compensation of the lovely company and that is what keeps me going when the football isn’t fun (along with the fear of missing out).  Although one of these days we will stay in the pub.

Bore Draw Mars a Cracking Day Out in Huddersfield

WoW meeting King Ken (Photo by Sol Tomlinson for Watford FC)

Since Christian Kabasele left in the Summer, Women of Watford have been without an Ambassador from the men’s team.  Discussions on who we would like to take his place had identified King Ken, but transfer window uncertainties and his absence from the team due to injury meant that we delayed approaching him.  Finally last week, we asked if he would do us the honour.  He agreed and a small group of us went to the training ground on Tuesday morning to meet him and have photos taken for the announcement.  I am pleased to report that he was as delightful in person as he is in interviews.  He told us that he was honoured that we had asked him.  When it was announced on social media, Christian asked him to look after us and there wasn’t a dry eye among the WoW crew.

On Saturday, I was at Kings Cross bright and early and soon on my train to Leeds enjoying a coffee and a bacon roll.  I had plenty of layers with me that seemed unnecessary on the train but, while changing at Leeds, it was very chilly, so I was happy that I had brought a fleece with me.

The poppy display at the John Smith’s Stadium

The train to Huddersfield was running a bit late, so I arrived in the pub later than I usually would and was surprised to find that it was still fairly empty, apart from the table containing our party who were joined for this Yorkshire outing by the lovely John Clayton.  During the week, a couple of people had suggested an alternative pub, but The Sportsman has always served us well.  It is a lovely friendly pub with excellent beer, very efficient service (5 bar staff behind their small bar) and friendly locals.  The only downside is that they have stopped serving hot food.  The cold sausage roll didn’t really hit the spot, although the pork scratchings were good.  My fears that it had lost its appeal were unfounded as it was soon packed out and I realised that my concept of a late arrival for pre-match beers differs from that of most people.  We left at the appointed hour and got soaked on the short walk to the ground.

Team news was that Ismaël had made one change from the Millwall game with Chakvetadze coming in for Koné.  So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Lewis, Hoedt, Sierralta, Ngakia; Chakvetadze, Livermore, Kayembe; Sema, Bayo, Asprilla.  Huddersfield were without Hogg and had so many injuries that they only named six substitutes.

Sierralta and Kayembe push forward as Bachmann prepares to take a free kick

As it was Huddersfield’s last home game before Remembrance Day, they had time for reflection prior to kick-off accompanied by The Last Post and an impressive poppy display in the stand to our right.

The game started very slowly indeed, and 28 minutes had passed before I opened my notebook to record some goalmouth action.   Irritatingly, given that Watford had completely dominated possession to that point, it was a shot from distance by Jackson for the home side.  The effort was straight at Bachmann who easily claimed it.  The next chance also fell to the home side with a free kick from Thomas that flew well wide of the target.  Over half an hour had passed before the Hornets ventured into the Huddersfield box, Sema played the ball back for Bayo but, sadly, it bounced off him and out for a goal kick.  The home side threatened again as Jackson played the ball back to Thomas on the edge of the box, but his effort was easily gathered by Bachmann at the near post.  In the 37^th minute, the Hornets finally had a shot on goal, and it was a decent one as Asprilla played the ball back for Kayembe who curled a shot that was parried by Nicholls before being cleared.  That was it for the first half.  It was an incredibly dull half of football.  Maybe not quite as boring as Sheffield Wednesday as at least we had a shot on target but there was next to nothing going on.  Watford had the majority of the possession but were doing very little with it.  Bachmann had been the busier keeper, although he had not really been tested as both of Huddersfield’s shots had been easily dealt with.

Gathering for a corner

We had spent the first half at the front of the stand where the rain was blowing in on us.  During the break we decided to join Pete, Julie and Sarah who had found seats further back in the stand where it was dry.  We were joined there by Janice who also wanted to avoid a soaking.  The rain appeared to get heavier in the second half, so we were glad that we made the move, which had the added benefit that I didn’t have to keep drying off my glasses to be able to see the game.

The second half started positively for the Hornets with a shot in the first minute as Kayembe and Bayo combined before finding Asprilla whose shot was pushed around the post by Nicholls for a corner that came to nothing.  The Hornets then won a free kick that Chakvetadze delivered for Bayo who headed wide but was in an offside position anyway.  The first booking of the game was earned by Livermore for a late challenge on Headley.  The next chance for the Hornets came when Lewis received the ball via Asprilla and Chakvetadze, but his shot was blocked.  The Hornets threatened again as Sema crossed for Bayo, but Helik was first to the ball.  Ismaël made his first change just after the hour mark and it was only the one substitution this time with Ngakia making way for the return of Andrews from suspension.  The home side had their first chance of the half soon after, it was a terrible effort from Wiles that flew high and wide.

King Ken takes a corner in the downpour

The next chance for the Hornets was a better effort as Sema played a short pass to Lewis who hit a low shot that Nicholls saved under challenge from Bayo.  The next booking of the game went to Chakvetadze for a foul on Headley.  Ismaël had resisted making his usual triple substitution around the hour mark, but he soon made two further changes with Koné and Rajović replacing Chakvetadze and Bayo.  Fair play to the Huddersfield fans who were loud and proud at this point despite there being very little to cheer on the pitch.  Koné’s first involvement was to shoot from distance, his effort flew high and wide.  Huddersfield were then forced into a substitution due to an injury to Hudlin who was replaced by Diarra.  Andrews gave us a rare moment of excitement when he ran around the back of the defence and put in a great cross that was just missed by the head of Rajović.  At the other end a free kick from Thomas was headed wide by Pearson.  The next chance for the Hornets also came from a free kick, but Sema’s delivery was headed well wide by Sierralta.  Huddersfield were forced into another substitution due to an injury as Ruffels replaced Edmonds-Green.  The Hornet also made a change bringing Martins on in place of Asprilla.  There were seven minutes of added time at the end of the game, and it took until the last minute for the Hornets to create anything as a Lewis cross was headed behind before Rajović could connect.  Sema took the corner which Nicholls punched clear, setting up a counterattack that finished with Huddersfield winning a corner of their own.  But the final whistle went before they could take it and the Huddersfield fans serenaded the referee with “You’re not fit to referee” despite him having blown up every time a Huddersfield player went down.

Chakvetadze and Bayo

It had been a strange game.  The second half was better than the first, but that isn’t saying much, and the overriding impression was that neither team wanted to lose.  This meant that Huddersfield were happy mostly to sit back and defend.  The Hornets had the vast majority of the play but were very cagey, playing around at the back and shooting from distance when a few more runs at the Huddersfield defence could well have paid dividends.  Watford certainly had the better of the chances, but they were few and far between and the travelling Hornets were not impressed.  At the end of the game Hoedt was the first over to us to give his shirt to a fan.  He was greeted with boos and looked less than impressed at the reception.  Interestingly, King Ken was the last to come over to applaud us and give away his shirt.  He was greeted with cheers.  Maybe the boo boys had left at this point, but I was glad that he got a good reception.

In the pub post-match, a Huddersfield fan asked what had happened to our team as we had been so impressive last season.  I was a bit taken aback as my memory of last season is of mostly dreadful performances, but that was likely later in the season than our visit to Huddersfield.

Making King Ken laugh (Photo by Sol Tomlinson for Watford FC)

If the game was totally without drama, the journey home provided more than I needed.  As we settled in the pub post-match, I checked the time of the train that I would need from Huddersfield for my connection at Leeds only to find that the train I had booked to London had been cancelled.  I decided to aim for the earlier train instead.  At Leeds, I bumped into Rich Walker and Dave Messenger, and we settled into our seats on the train waiting for the departure which was delayed as they were waiting for a driver.  The steward had just poured me a glass of wine when they announced that they had not found a driver, so the train was cancelled.  This meant that it would be another hour before we would leave Leeds.  We all got off and I was contemplating where to while away the time when a guard on the platform said that they were still trying to “source” a driver.  A couple of minutes later, we were told to reboard the train and we were soon on our way, and I was treated to more refreshments and delightful company for the journey home.  The steward, who had been lovely, even left me with the remains of the bottle of wine at the end of service.  As it happened, I arrived back in London a few minutes before I would have done on the train that I had booked and, as my train had been cancelled, the fare was refunded, so no complaints from me about the disruption.

The game won’t live long in the memory, but my pre-match assertion that Huddersfield is a cracking day out was spot on.  The pub was great, the company was delightful and all of the locals that we met were lovely.  We even had a police officer outside the ground wishing us a safe journey home.  I hope that they (and we) stay up.

Two Points Lost Against the Lions

Applause for Bobby Charlton

I arrived at Euston to catch my usual train which, given that Millwall were the opposition, was much busier than usual, but I walked the length of the train to find that there was plenty of room in the front carriage.  On the walk from the Junction to the West Herts, I bumped into a couple of men who asked me the way to the ground.  As they had an accent, I asked where they were from.  When they said they were Swedish, I asked who they were supporting today.  “Ken Sema.”  Of course they were.  I told them how much I admired King Ken and I hoped that they would see him make a start.

Jacque and Don were already in place at the West Herts, and we were soon joined by the others including an appearance by my family members much earlier than is usually the case, which was lovely.  Due to illness and holidays, this is the first time that we have all been at a match together in some time, so it was good to catch up.  As an extra treat, Glenn appeared with a bag of scratchings, which did not last long at all.

Team news was that Ismaël had made two changes from Tuesday with Sema and Asprilla coming in for Martins and Ince.  So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Lewis, Hoedt, Sierralta, Ngakia; Koné, Livermore, Kayembe; Sema, Bayo, Asprilla.  Paul Robinson was welcomed back to the Vic, as he is currently the acting Assistant Manager at Millwall. 

Celebrating Asprilla’s goal

Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for Bobby Charlton, fans in all stands enthusiastically joined in.  Also, both teams held up a banner declaring that they were United against Racism although, judging by the photo posted, certain Millwall players did not take this very seriously.

Before kick-off, Pete Fincham came over to see us and give us a hug.  It was so lovely to see him back at Vicarage Road, but so sad that he is no longer accompanied by his lovely son, Freddie.

The first chance of the game fell to the visitors with a shot from distance by Flemming that was claimed by Bachmann.  The Hornets took the lead after 6 minutes.  It started with a good passing move that culminated in a cross from Lewis, this was headed clear but only as far as Ngakia, his shot was blocked on the edge of the box, the ball fell to Kayembe whose shot was spilled by the Millwall keeper, Bialkowski, Cooper attempted a clearance which bounced off Asprilla and into the net.  A great start to the game.  The Hornets continued their good work as a lovely move on the left finished with a cross from Koné that was just missed by Bayo.

Setting up to meet a corner

The visitors were level after 12 minutes.  The Hornets failed to clear a corner, it came back and a cross from De Norre was flicked on by Bradshaw to Flemming at the back post where he headed the ball past Bachmann.  The Millwall man celebrated by running behind the goal at the Rookery end, he fell over to jeers and then got up to flex his muscles in front of us.  Unpleasant individual.  It all went a bit quiet for a while, but the Hornets had a great chance to regain the lead in the 26^th minute from a Sema corner, the ball was helped on by Kayembe to Asprilla whose close-range shot was blocked by Bialkowski.  The first booking of the game went to Flemming for pulling Sema back.  The next chance for the Hornets came as Kayembe tried his luck from a mile out but, unsurprisingly, his shot flew way over the bar.  The Hornets had another decent chance as Sema found Lewis in a great position, but his shot flew wide of the far post with Bayo, again, not able to connect and turn it in.  The first booking for the Hornets went to Livermore for arguing with the (apparently Luton supporting) referee when he wasn’t given a foul.  There was also a booking for the visitors as Saville was cautioned for wiping Koné out.  The Hornets had another decent effort when Asprilla played a cross for Bayo whose header flew just over the bar.  There was a one more chance in time added on for the Hornets to go into the break ahead when Sema played the ball to Livermore in the box, but he shot wide of the target when he should have done better.  So, we went into the break with honours even and the players left the field to applause after a decent half of football.

King Ken takes a corner

The Hornets could have taken the lead in the first minute of the second half when Ngakia played a one-two with Asprilla before going on a great run into the box and putting in a shot that took a deflection and trickled just wide of the post.  The next booking of the game went to Asprilla after he pulled Saville over.   There was a delay in the match for Sierralta to be treated for a head injury.  The Hornets threatened again when Bayo closed the keeper down, but he couldn’t control the loose ball so conceded a goal kick.  The Hornets had another decent chance to regain the lead when Koné headed the ball down for Kayembe who turned and unleashed a powerful shot that Bialkowski did very well to push clear.  On the hour mark both sides made substitutions.  The visitors replaced Honeyman with Longman and the Hornets made a triple change with Asprilla, Koné and Bayo making way for Martins, Louza and Rajović.  The visitors then had their first chance of the half as Flemming hit a shot from distance, but it was well over the bar.  But there was no time for complacency as they had a great chance soon after with a shot from Longman that flew just wide of the target.  Sierralta had to leave the pitch again for treatment and returned with his head bandaged.  He immediately went up for a header (which he missed).  The Hornets threatened again as Louza went on a run and put in a cross that the keeper punched before Rajović could connect.  Then a cross from Martins was met by a weak header from Rajović, the ball dropped close to Lewis who wasn’t expecting it, so didn’t react.

Back to the centre circle after Rajović scored

The Hornets attacking continued with another cross by Martins that was blocked by the keeper, it fell to Rajović whose touch turned it wide.  Louza should have done better when he received a cross from Lewis, but he volleyed wide when he should have hit the target.  There was an odd moment when Sema appeared to be booked for timewasting when taking a corner that had been delayed when a Millwall player threw the ball back on the pitch.  Others in our party thought that he had been punished for words with the lino.  When the corner was finally taken it dropped for Sierralta at the far post, he shot over the bar when it looked easier to hit the target.  Into the final 10 minutes and each side made substitutions, Nisbet and Mitchell replaced Bradshaw and De Norre for the visitors and Sema made way for Ince for the Hornets.  The ball had been in the Millwall half for a considerable time, so it was incredibly frustrating when the Hornets conceded a corner that Saville delivered for Harding to head home to give the visitors the lead.  It was well against the run of play and there was little time for the Hornets to hit back, so a number of home fans headed for the exits.  Ismaël made a final change as Healey replaced Kayembe.  The visitors nearly had a third from a free kick, Cooper’s header was going in until Healey got his head to it and diverted it against the bar.  The home faithful cheered the announcement of six minutes of added time and were rewarded when Martins played the ball out to Louza who crossed for Rajović to head home.  The Hornets had a late chance to grab a winner as Louza crossed for Rajović whose header was blocked, the ball came out to Ince who shot wide.  So, the Hornets finished with a point which really should have been three and were applauded off the pitch again.

Louza prepares to take a free kick

It was another improved performance.  The tedium of a few weeks ago has been replaced by a team with much more attacking intent, although some of the defensive frailties remain.  The run of unbeaten games may only have stretched to three before Saturday, but it has brought with it an increasing confidence that manifests itself in more attacking play.  The return of Sema has certainly added something as he is never afraid to try to beat a player and he makes things happen.  I was also pleased that Asprilla put in a good showing after starting, proving that he isn’t just an impact sub.  The triple substitution was maybe not Ismaël’s best decision as the three who were replaced had all been playing well.  But it was inattentiveness at set pieces which let us down again.

There was some drama on the way back to the station.  As we turned into the Hornets some police officers ran past us, although we couldn’t see what they were reacting to.  Then I saw a lad trying to escape from an officer, who was caught and the two of them ended up flat out in a bush as the lad complained that he had done nothing.  Thankfully, there was no more unpleasantness for the rest of the journey, and I was soon on a packed train where Millwall fans went up in my estimation as one offered me his seat (I declined). The performances in the last four games have set us up nicely for our trip to Huddersfield although, whatever happens on the pitch, that is always a cracking day out.

King Ken Fires Us to the First Away Win Since January

Lovely Bobby Charlton, may he rest in peace

The journey to Swansea was rather pleasant.  The train was already boarding when I arrived at Paddington, so I was able to settle into my seat well before the departure time.  There was a young boy and his father in Swansea shirts in the seats in front of me.  At one point, the father said to the woman serving the drinks that he thought they would win.  I couldn’t disagree with him.

I arrived at the hotel at the same time as Graham, although he was much less relaxed than I was after a 5-hour drive from Bradford.  We freshened up and then met for drinks and something to eat in the hotel bar.  The last time that I stayed there, the bar was crowded pre-match, but the new bistro setting seems less popular with football fans.  At the appointed time, we caught a bus down to the stadium, which was an easy 5-minute ride, so we were soon in the away end. 

When I offered to get tickets for the Women of Watford and my usual crew, only Graham wanted to join me, so it was no surprise when the steward told us that there were only 250 travelling fans, so we could sit where we liked.  We grabbed a couple of good seats and settled down for the game.   

The minute’s applause

Team news was that Ismaël had made three changes from Saturday with Porteous, suspended for a fifth yellow card, replaced by Sierralta, Koné came in for Dele-Bashiru, who was dropped for missing a team meeting, and Louza dropped to the bench with Kayembe coming into the midfield.  So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Lewis, Hoedt, Sierralta, Ngakia; Koné, Livermore, Kayembe; Martins, Bayo, Ince.  It is annoying to hear of another player being dropped for a disciplinary issue, most of which seem to be related to time keeping, but at least Ismaël is being consistent in trying to keep the lads on the straight and narrow.  The Swansea team included Harrison Ashby, son of Barry formerly of this parish.

Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for Bobby Charlton which was to start on the referee’s whistle but broke out immediately it was announced and was heartfelt.  They had also told us that there would be fireworks in the build-up, but I could only hear them, not see them. 

Hoedt on the ball as Koné looks on

The first chance of the game went to the home side.  A Paterson free kick was met with a defensive boot and rebounded back for him to hit a cross that was met by Darling who headed just wide of the target.  The first chance for the Hornets came after Livermore released Lewis who broke forward and crossed for Ince whose shot was saved by Rushworth in the Swansea goal.  The next chance for the Hornets came from a Swansea error.  Koné pressured Fulton into an ill-advised pass, Bayo picked up the ball and played it to Kayembe whose shot from the edge of the area flew just wide of the near post.  The next chance for the home side came when a headed pass fell to Paterson, his low shot was saved at the near post by Bachmann.  The first booking of the game went to Livermore for pulling Paterson over.  The home side had a great chance to take the lead just after the half hour mark when Grimes hit a shot from distance that Bachmann did really well to reach and tip around the post.  The home side continued to threaten, their next chance came from a shot from outside the box by Darling that flew wide of the target.  The Hornets had a great chance to take the lead just before half time.  Ngakia put in a deep cross for Bayo, his header was blocked by the keeper, the loose ball fell to Kayembe, but his follow-up effort was weak and easily gathered by Rushworth.  The whistle went on the best first half that we have seen for a while.  The game was pretty even, but the Hornets had the best chance of the half with the header from Bayo, although he should have done better than aiming it straight at the keeper.

Kayembe takes a corner

Ismaël made a change at the break bringing Sema on for Martins, who had been marked out of the game.  The first chance of the second half fell to the Hornets with a shot from outside the area by Koné that flew high and wide.  Kayembe then played a promising ball over the top, but it was too far in front of Bayo for him to capitalise.  King Ken’s first contribution was to win a corner and then deliver the set piece for Sierralta whose header cleared the bar.  Ince should have done better when he received a headed pass from Bayo, but he opted to hit a shot from a mile out that flew well over the bar when he could have advanced and picked his shot.  An hour into the game both sides made a double substitution.  Tymon and Cooper replaced Cullen and Paterson for the home side.  While Ince and Bayo made way for Asprilla and Rajović for the Hornets.  The two Hornets substitutes were involved in the next chance for the Hornets, Asprilla played in Ngakia who crossed for Rajović whose shot was blocked.  The home side then had the ball in the net when a corner was headed home.  The goal would have been against the run of play, but the whistle had gone for a foul on Kayembe and the celebrations in the home stands were cut short.  There was another decent chance for the Hornets as Lewis played a lovely cross-field ball for Asprilla, but his cross was too far in front of Rajović for him to meet it.  With ten minutes remaining, each side made a further substitution.  Walsh replaced Ashby for the home side and Koné made way for Chakvetadze for the Hornets. 

Celebrating the goal

Watford took the lead in the 82nd minute.  Asprilla played a cross-field pass for Sema who took a couple of strides before walloping it past Rushworth.  We were behind the goal, and I feared that the shot would burst the net and do someone in our stand a mischief.  Ken’s celebration was joyous as he went running to the bench to celebrate.  It was no more than the Hornets deserved.  The travelling fans greeted the goal with a chant about us never winning away.  I really do not understand why you would greet a goal with such a negative song, but the days when the majority of songs were in support of your team rather than abusing the opposition or your local rivals have long gone, much to my dismay.  I don’t sing anywhere near as much as I used to.  The Hornets were pushing for a second goal as Sema broke into the box and played the ball back to Rajović who was unable to control it.  The Hornets threatened again as Kayembe passed to Asprilla in the box, but his shot was straight at Rushworth.  In the last minute of normal time, the home side had a great chance to prove the chant correct as a Grimes free kick was met by the head of Darling, but Bachmann did really well to keep it out.  There was five minutes of added time at the end of the game.  The Hornets had a decent chance to make the game safe after Chakvetadze went on a storming run, he played a back heel to Sema, who was being closed down by the defence, and couldn’t find a Watford man with his pass.  Instead, Lowe broke down the other end and crossed for Darling whose low shot was pushed clear by Bachmann.  There was only time for Pollock to make an appearance in place of Lewis and the final whistle went on our first away win of the season.

Koné mightily celebrated the win

You could see how much it meant to the players.  I was surprised to see Koné run over to the away fans where he celebrated like a mad man.  The rest of the players took a while to complete their pleasantries with the officials and the opposition.  When they finally gathered as a group in front of us, King Ken was pushed forward to ensure that he got the plaudits.  There was no doubt that the crowd were sending him love and he was beaming and bowing down to us.

It was a considerably better performance by the Hornets.  Given that Swansea had been on a four game winning streak scoring 11 goals before their weekend defeat to Leicester, they were surprisingly poor and, as one guy behind me kept saying, there for the taking.  Watford were much more positive than of late, the pressing game was back and there was much less of the cagey passing around at the back.  I always think that you can’t concede if you have the ball in the opposition half and if you create chances something will go in.  It was an encouraging performance that we need to build on.  This was our first away win since the new year’s trip to Norwich and all those who made the journey to Swansea thoroughly deserved that performance and result.  We have now had two wins and two clean sheets and are at the heady heights of 15^th in the table.  The visit of Millwall to the Vic on Saturday will not be easy, but there will be some confidence in the team and, hopefully, we can start looking up again. I felt for the Watford fans who had a long journey back home by coach and car.  Graham and I had a short bus journey to reach the hotel for a post-match celebration.  We met a familiar face in the bar.  He asked if I had an early train home as he was getting the 6:30 train to get into work at a reasonable time.  I was able to say that I planned to spend the day on the Gower Peninsula walking along the coast.  It turned out to be a glorious sunny day and it is a beautiful coastline.  I was just annoyed that I didn’t bring my swimming costume.  Retirement is marvellous.

A Late Winner Brings Smiles Back to the Vic

Tom Dele-Bashiru on the ball

The journey to Watford on Saturday was totally without incident.  I arrived at the West Herts before the gate guards did and was soon sitting comfortably with Jacque and a pint.  The usual suspects joined us and we had a lovely chat about theatre and live music that we had seen, with very little reference to football.  Rose and I chatted about the Taylor Trek, from which we had finally recovered.  Discussion of the route brought happy memories to those who were brought up locally.

Team news was that Ismaël had made three changes from the Cardiff game as Porteous, Ince and Louza came in for Sierralta, Asprilla and Kayembe.  So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Lewis, Hoedt, Porteous, Ngakia; Dele-Bashiru, Livermore, Louza; Martins, Bayo, Ince.

Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s silence for the innocent lives lost in Israel and Palestine.  The introduction to this stated that there was no room for anti-semitism or islamophobia at Vicarage Road.  They also expressed solidarity with Ken Sema after the murder of two Swedish football fans in Brussels.  The silence was impeccably observed.

Porteous and Livermore waiting for the ball to drop

The first chance of the game came as Ngakia broke into the box and took a shot, but his effort was high and wide.  Soon after, Ince found Martins whose shot was blocked.  It was another 15 minutes before there was an incident worthy of note and it wasn’t that exciting as Martins played a ball to Ngakia on the right who put in a cross that flew past the far post.  Watford had most of the possession but, just before the half hour, it was the visitors who had the best chance of the game so far as, from a Wednesday free kick, the ball came to Hendrick who crossed for Windass who headed just over the bar.  Wednesday possibly had an argument for a penalty during this move as Diaby appeared to be bundled over in the box by Bayo, but the referee either didn’t see it or didn’t think it was a foul and there was no protest by the players.  On the half hour, Ince played a lovely through ball for Ngakia who put in a great low cross that was a fraction too far in front of Bayo and was deflected for a corner that came to nothing.  The next chance for the Hornets came as Hoedt tried his luck from distance, but his effort was high and wide.  At the other end, from a Wednesday corner, the ball was played out to Buckley who shot over the target. 

Martins takes a free kick

The next chance for the Hornets was a free kick from Martins that flew wide of the far post.  There was a decent chance to open the scoring when Ngakia crossed for Louza, but the header cleared the bar.  The first shot on target by either side came in the last minute of the first half, but the shot from distance by Hendrick was straight at Bachmann.  There was just time for Porteous to get booked for a late foul on Windass.  He protested vehemently, which was pointless as the card was deserved.  The resultant free kick was met by the head of Iorfa and headed wide.  There had been a lot of moaning from the crowd during the half at the reluctance of the players to play forward balls, so the half time whistle was met with loud boos.  While I don’t boo, I couldn’t blame anyone who did.  It had been a terrible half of football.  I seem to have documented a number of chances above, but there had been no excitement in the half, it felt utterly tedious.  Our Amelia said she could hardly keep her eyes open.

Sema and Chakvetadze livening up the game

Ismaël made two changes at the break bringing Rajović and Koné on for Bayo and Dele-Bashiru.  The first chance of the second half was another shot from distance by Hoedt which was wide of the target.  Lewis was the second Hornet to find his way into the referee’s book after taking down Valentín.  Windass delivered the free kick into the box where it was headed over by Hendrick.  Hornet hearts sank as Musaba appeared to throw himself over as Lewis tackled him in the box and the referee pointed to the spot.  Fair play to the ref, he went to speak to the lino who had a great view of the incident and concluded that Lewis had won the ball and awarded a corner instead, much to the relief of the Watford faithful.  Before the corner could be taken, Lewis was replaced by Sema.  The appearance of King Ken was met with a loud roar of approval.  The visitors had the next chance as a cross from Famewo was headed goalwards by Musaba, but Bachmann was equal to the effort.  Musaba had another chance as he received a ball into the box from Paterson, he skipped past a defender and had only Bachmann to beat, but Dan came out to meet him and made the save.

Hoedt congratulates Asprilla on his goal

The next chance for the visitors came as a corner was headed clear to Buckley whose shot from distance was well over the bar.  Each side made a change at this point with Musaba making way for Wilks for the visitors and Chakvetadze coming on in place of Louza for the Hornets.  There was an immediate increase in the tempo of the game.  Sema played the ball to Chakvetadze who played a great ball for Ince who was unable to capitalise, the ball fell to Koné whose shot was blocked.  The first booking for the visitors went to Hendrick for a foul on Koné, which seemed harsh as the Watford man looked to have fallen over.  With about 15 minutes remaining both sides made a change with James replacing Buckley for the visitors and Ince making way for Asprilla for the Hornets.  Sema had been a breath of fresh air since his introduction, and he had the crowd on their feet as he ran down the wing before dancing past a couple of defenders on the byline and taking a shot from an acute angle that Dawson saved at the near post.  The Hornets took the lead in the 81^st minute and it was a lovely goal.  Koné played a gorgeous pass that released Asprilla on the right, he cut inside and ran along the top of the box before picking his spot and shooting past Dawson into the bottom corner.  We were right behind the goal, and he had a very narrow channel to shoot into, so I was both surprised and delighted when his effort hit the net.

Hoedt on the ball as Lewis looks on

The visitors made two late changes with Hendrick and Windass making way for Smith and Gregory.  The Hornets looked for a second as Asprilla fed Martins, his shot was blocked, the ball rebounded to Chakvetadze whose shot was straight at Dawson in the Wednesday goal.  There was six minutes of added time, and the Hornets had a couple of chances to increase their lead.  First Ngakia fed Martins whose shot was saved.  Then Chakvetadze played a back heel for Martins who was on the run and took a first time shot that cleared the bar, when he had time to take a touch and give himself a chance of a shot on target.  So, the final whistle went on what was a just about deserved win for the Hornets.  It was testament to the goal and the improved performance in the last half hour that there were no boos at the end of the match and the players were applauded off the pitch.

The post-match consensus was that it had been a poor game between two sides low on confidence.  In the first half the Hornets had appeared afraid to attack.  A frustrated shout from one of my neighbours of “Bachmann is open” when the ball was being played about the midfield summed it up.  But the introduction of Koné, Sema and Chakvetadze led to a more positive approach and more willingness to run at the defence.  The goal came from an audacious move by Asprilla, which was great to see.  Hopefully Sema will be fit to start on Tuesday as he makes a tremendous difference.  The others have to show that they can affect the game for ninety minutes rather than being impact substitutes.

At the end of the game, it was announced on the big screen that Bobby Charlton had passed away.  This news was met with great sadness from all there.  Bobby was so well respected by all who love the beautiful game.  He will be greatly missed.

A Pleasing Point in the October Sun

Bachmann and Hoedt

I was at Paddington bright and early for the train to Cardiff.  I met Jacque there and we had an uneventful journey, the highlight of which was a lovely view of some Red Kites who put on a display of diving as we passed by.  We arrived to a lovely sunny day in Wales and walked to our pre-match hostelry.  We meet in the café bar of an arts centre, which was introduced to Toddy and I some years ago by the late lamented Kimmo Muttonen.  Jacque and I met Serena there and had good beer and a lovely lunch sitting in the sunshine.  Very unexpected for October. 

It is a short walk from there to the ground.  On the way, I overheard a Cardiff fan saying that he would be happy with a point, given their injury list.  After Wednesday, I thought that his expectations were far too low.  Jacque had just commented that we hadn’t encountered Ross from Ayrshire when he and Zoe appeared at our side.  He was amazed at the weather and bemoaned the fact that his pre-match pub had not had a garden for him to top up his tan.  He should have joined us.  On arrival at the away end, I am pleased to say that we were met by some absolutely lovely stewards who made sure that we had all the information about the ground that we needed.  The away end at Cardiff is mostly safe standing now, which is a great idea.  Given that most people now stand at away games, the rails make it much more comfortable as well as being safer.

Livermore on the ball with Sierralta and Kayembe looking on

Team news was that Ismaël had made four changes from midweek as Martins, Livermore, Kayembe and Asprilla came in for Chakvetadze, Porteous, Louza, and Ince.  So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Lewis, Hoedt, Sierralta, Ngakia; Dele-Bashiru, Livermore, Kayembe; Martins, Bayo, Asprilla.    As on Wednesday the Hornets were wearing a change strip, this time the white and maroon away shirt which has always appealed to me as they are Galway colours.

The game started very slowly, the first action in either box coming in the 12^th minute when Martins played a low cross for Bayo, who was unable to connect allowing the keeper, Alnwick, to gather.  Then Dele-Bashiru played a through ball for Martins whose shot was blocked.  The Hornets threatened again as Asprilla put in a cross, but it was too high for Bayo.  The first real chance of the game fell to the home side as Grant broke down the left and hit a shot, Bachmann got a hand to it and Hoedt cleared the loose ball before anyone could capitalise.  Grant caused more danger for the Hornets as he beat Kayembe in the midfield and broke forward, but his shot was terrible, flying well over the bar.  The home side took the lead in the 26^th minute, it started with some dodgy defending as a looping header from Sierralta dropped for Lewis who lost out to Tanner whose shot from distance was deflected out.  Ralls delivered the resultant corner which was headed on and dropped for McGuinness to volley home.  Hearts sank in the away end as we contemplated another defeat.

Matheus Martins

Cardiff could have had a second soon after when Dele-Bashiru lost out to Ralls, but he tried a shot from distance that was well over the target.   It took over half an hour for the Hornets to have a shot, although I am not sure that it was worthy of the name, as the ball broke to Bayo who really should have done better than steering his effort well wide of the far post.  The next move started with Lewis who found Bayo, he tried to play a one-two with Kayembe, but the return pass hit a defender and was deflected out.  The resultant corner was headed on by Hoedt to Asprilla at the back post, but he was stretching to meet it so could only head over the bar.  The first booking for the Hornets went to Sierralta for a shirt pull.  The resultant free kick from Ralls was headed wide by Ng.  As half time approached, the away crowd became impatient, booing a pass back to Bachmann and even louder when the launch upfield was nowhere near a Watford man.  The Hornets should have been level just before half time when Bayo intercepted a back pass, he had the goal at his mercy, but tried to pass to Martins instead of shooting and ended up conceding a goal kick.  There were loud boos at half time.  It had been a very poor half of football.  Watford had a lot of possession but did nothing with it and conceded from poor defending at a set piece.

Livermore waiting to congratulate Bayo on his goal

The first chance of the second half fell to the home side with a header from Grant, but it was an easy catch for Bachmann.  Then Asprilla did really well to win the ball but, instead of shooting, he passed back for Martins to the position that he had just vacated, and the chance was gone.  The Hornets were level on 54 minutes due to a disaster in the Cardiff defence.  There seemed to be no danger when McGuinness played a back pass to Alnwick, but the keeper failed to control it, Bayo intercepted and found the net.  Bayo’s shot lacked power, so I feared that it would be cleared, but it reached the net before the defender arrived to clear off the line.  Again, Bayo didn’t celebrate.  There was a rash of substitutions just before the hour mark.  First Robinson replaced Ralls for the home side.  Then Louza and Ince came on in place of Dele-Bashiru and Asprilla for the Hornets.  Soon after, Sierralta picked up an injury and was replaced by Porteous.  The Hornets had a chance to take the lead when Louza found Martins, but his shot from the left cleared the bar.  Then Louza and Martins combined again, this time Matheus broke into the box and tried to pull the ball back for Bayo who was unable to capitalise.  The home side had their first chance for some time from a corner, but McGuinness headed it into the arms of Bachmann.  The Hornets should have taken the lead when Wintle lost out to Ince in the box, he should have tested the keeper, but his shot cleared the bar.

Porteous on the ball

The home fans were a bit disgruntled at this point so one decided to make his own entertainment by invading the pitch.  He skipped away from a couple of stewards before being taken down and dragged off.  What on earth was the point of that?  The Hornets had another half chance when a cross from Ngakia was cleared to Livermore outside the box, but his shot cleared the bar.  Both sides made a late change as Rajović replaced Martins for the Hornets and Ugbo made way for Sawyers for the home side.  When they announced that there would be 5 minutes of added time, there were roars from the travelling Hornets.  But the closest that we came to a winner in added time was a shot from distance by Kayembe that he blasted against a defender.  So, we gained a point on the road.  For the first time in a few weeks, the players were applauded off.  They all came over to applaud the travelling fans and a number of them showed their appreciation by giving away their shirts.

Most leaving the ground seemed quite happy with the performance.  While the first half had been woeful, the second half was much better.  The players were closing the opposition down and making things difficult for them, which we haven’t seen for a while.  The attacking effort was also better than of late although they were still far too shot shy.  There were a couple of occasions (Bayo and Asprilla come to mind) when a shot seemed a better option than the pass that they ended up failing to make.  Livermore had a solid game and Kayembe looked more solid as the game went on.  Louza impressed me on his appearance from the bench showing some decent touches which have been all too rare in the past few weeks.  It was not a great performance, but there was a spirit there and it was good to see the team come back from a goal down and they were the most likely winners of the game.  It was certainly good to break the losing streak before the international break.

Martins lines up a free kick

As we had a while to wait for the train, Jacque brought some beer for the journey home.  I decided to wait and have wine on the train.  When the train arrived, we found that it had only 5 carriages instead of 10, so it was declassified and all seat reservations were cancelled.  Jacque and I managed to get seats, but there were a lot of people standing in the aisles and the vestibules.  At a number of the stations, there were requests for people to give up seats for new passengers who needed them, and it was gratifying to see some lovely youngsters willingly doing so.  As if the crowding wasn’t bad enough, there is no free wine on GWR, so that was terrible planning on my part having been lulled into a false sense of security by the service on LNER during the week.

During the international break next week I will be filling my time by taking part in the Taylor Trek in aid of the Watford Community Sports & Education Trust.  If you have a few spare pennies, please send them my way https://watfordfccsetrust.enthuse.com/pf/frances-lynn.  It is a great cause.

A Lovely Day by the Sea Spoilt by the Football

The bridges on the Tyne

When I made the booking for this game, I reached out to the Women of Watford and my usual group of travelling Hornets and there were no takers at all.  In search of company, I asked the Happy Valleys if they were going, as they are usually in attendance at the northern games.  Most of them had planned an evening together in front of the telly in Halifax, but I finally connected with Angela who had planned a few days in the northeast around this game, so I would have a friend after all.

I had also arranged to spend a couple of days in Newcastle, which turned out to be good planning as there was a train strike on the day of the game.  My hotel booking was less successful as, when I booked a hotel on the quayside, I failed to notice that it was the Gateshead side beyond the Baltic, which isn’t that far out of the city centre but felt it as I dragged my bag along the banks of the Tyne on a blustery day.  I also discovered on arrival that I hadn’t packed my camera (which I discovered when I got home had somehow dropped into an empty box in the kitchen), so the photos are even poorer than usual as, unlike everyone else in the ground, I seem to be unable to take photos on my phone using the zoom.

The exhibition at the Baltic

I started the day on Wednesday with a visit to the Baltic gallery for an interesting exhibition which was centred around a recreation of a relief panel depicting the Assyrian gardens in Nineveh.  This was a collage made up of packaging from South Asian and African foodstuffs.  It was surrounded by beds of plants used for food, spices, and medicinal uses with informative captions about the use of each plant.  I managed to latch on to the tour that was taking place, which really opened it up for me.  Each day they have sessions at which therapeutic teas are brewed and on offer and people are allowed to grind their own spice mixes.  Sadly, I couldn’t stay around for this, as I had planned to take a walk by the seaside.

Seaburn Beach

In all the times that I have been to Sunderland, I have never seen the sea, so I decided to remedy that.  The weather was looking rather unwelcoming as I travelled out and I was caught in a shower when changing trains (due to taking the wrong branch line).  But the sun came out as I arrived in Seaburn, and I was soon on the seafront.  I visited a seafood restaurant to get a crab sandwich for my lunch, which I had while sitting gazing out to sea.  From there I walked the length of the prom down to the Roker Beach.  It was rather lovely.

At the appointed time, I headed into the town.  We usually have our pre-match drinks in Newcastle but, due to my desire to see the sea and the fact that Newcastle were playing PSG that evening, I decided to follow the EA Horns recommendation for a Sunderland pub and very good it was too.  I arrived early doors and it filled quickly before Angela joined me.  She had been on a tour of the Victoria Tunnels during the afternoon, something I had not heard of before, but it is now on my list for a future visit.

No I don’t

We left in plenty of time to reach the ground.  I had forgotten that there was quite a climb to the away end, although they have amusing comments on the walls at each landing to distract you from your aching legs.  On arrival at our section, we were told to sit where we liked.  It was not going to be packed in the away end.  We were joined for the game by Ross from Ayrshire, another glutton for punishment.

Team news was that Ismaël had made two changes from the experimental line-up that played Middlesbrough as Chakvetadze and Ince came in for Rajović and Asprilla.  So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Lewis, Hoedt, Porteous, Ngakia; Dele-Bashiru, Sierralta, Louza; Chakvetadze, Bayo, Ince.  Martins was absent due to a death in the family, so my thoughts are with him and his family.  Former Watford youngster Luke O’Nien started for Sunderland.  I am glad that he has done so well, I always had a soft spot for him as a Hemel boy.  The Hornets were wearing the light blue third shirt for the first time this season, even though there was no colour clash, so my purchase wasn’t in vain.

Porteous on the ball

There was an early warning from the home side as Clarke broke into the box, Bachmann saved his shot, but the ball was pinging about rather alarmingly until the Hornets eventually managed to clear.  In the 6^th minute, there was applause for Bradley Lowery from all corners of the ground with chants of “One Bradley Lowery” from the away end.  The home side threatened again as Roberts broke down the left before playing the ball back to Ba whose shot was blocked.  The next effort, from Bellingham, had the same outcome.  The first attack of note for the Hornets came in the 20^th minute when Lewis broke upfield, but his cross was into no man’s land.  The first booking of the game went to Ngakia for a foul on Clarke.  The next chance for the home side was a low shot from Bellingham that was easily gathered by Bachmann.  The Hornets then had a decent chance as Bayo played a short pass to Ince who curled a shot straight at Patterson in the Sunderland goal.  Chakvetadze was the next to try his luck, but his shot was also straight at the keeper.  Chakvetadze was in action again soon after and should have done better after receiving a pass from Louza, but he delayed before taking his shot and lost the ball.  The Hornets threatened again with a cross from Ngakia that was just too high for Bayo to reach.  The Hornets were shouting for a penalty as, following a Chakvetadze free kick, Sierralta appeared to be pushed over by O’Nien.  It looked a clear foul to us from our position high behind the goal, but the referee decided that Sierralta was the aggressor (possibly due to the difference in physiques of the two players) and awarded a free kick to the home side.  I may have revised my opinion of O’Nien at this point.  Sunderland immediately broke down the other end and Huggins beat three defenders as he skipped into the box before shooting past Bachmann.  It was another soft goal to give away and incredibly frustrating as the Hornets had been dominating and really should have had a penalty.  The Hornets had a chance to hit back in time added on at the end of the half, a decent move saw Ince exchanging passes with Ngakia before crossing for Chakvetadze whose shot was soft and straight at Patterson.  So, we went into the break a goal down.

Louis taking a throw

Ismaël made a change at the break bringing Andrews and Asprilla on in place of Ngakia and Ince.  The first chance of the second half fell to the Hornets as Lewis found Dele-Bashiru who fed Louza, but his shot was easily dealt with by Patterson.  The next booking of the game went to Burstow for a foul on Porteous.  The Hornets really should have done better with their next chance as Chakvetadze found Bayo on the edge of the box, but his shot was wild, flying way over the target.  It was a waste of a great position.  Dele-Bashiru was then harshly booked for a tackle in which he won the ball but clipped the man.  The referee had been giving soft fouls all evening and making some very odd decisions.  Roberts delivered the resultant free kick into the box where it was met by the head of Ballard whose effort flew just over the bar, much to the relief of the Watford fans behind the goal.  The players’ inability to play the ball around at the back nearly caused trouble again as the ball was given away, the resultant shot from Roberts was deflected wide.  The Hornets conceded a second following the resultant corner, Burstow lofted the ball into the box, Bellingham headed it back across goal and Ba headed it past Bachmann.  The Watford keeper appeared to be injured in the move, but I didn’t see any contact.  The Hornets had a half chance to pull one back as Chakvetadze tried a shot from distance, but it was over the target.  At this point Ismaël made a double substitution replacing Dele-Bashiru and Chakvetadze with Koné and Healey.  The home side also made a change bringing Aouchiche on in place of Roberts.  The Hornets almost conceded a third after a poor pass from Hoedt was intercepted by the substitute, Aouchiche, Bachmann came out to meet him and took the pace off the shot allowing Porteous to clear off the line.  Hoedt redeemed himself soon after with a great tackle on Hume after he jinked into the box, the loose ball fell to Clarke whose shot was blocked.  There was a double booking for the Hornets after Louza was fouled, he was cautioned for his reaction and Bachmann for his protest.  It was chucking it down at this point as Ismaël made a final change bringing Rajović on in place of Louza.  Emblematic of our performance, the Hornets won a free kick and the delivery from Lewis flew out for a throw-in on the opposite side.  Very poor.  Porteous then took one for the team earning a yellow card for fouling Clarke just outside the box.  The resultant free kick hit the wall.  There was more misery for the Hornets as Andrews was shown a straight red for a late tackle on Clarke.  Sunderland made a rash of late substitutions and the fourth official indicated six minutes of added time as the ground emptied.  The Hornets had a chance to pull one back as a Bachmann free kick dropped to Healey, but his effort flew high and wide.  There was one final ball into the Sunderland box, but Patterson reached it before Bayo and the Hornets fell to their third consecutive defeat.   

Louza and Chakvetadze preparing to take a free kick

There were loud boos from the travelling Hornets and some in the crowd got rather animated as they expressed their displeasure, so much so that the stewards got involved.  It was another frustrating loss.  Based on possession and chances it had been an even game, but the Hornets were undone by poor defending and being wasteful with their chances.  There was an argument that we were unlucky to go behind in the first half as we had been on top and should have had a penalty just before they scored the first.  But you can’t defend like that and expect to get something out of the game, and we never looked like getting back into it once the second goal went in.  I do worry about Ismaël’s insistence on the players playing out from the back as they are clearly not comfortable doing so.  Hoedt, in particular, looks to be in a complete panic while looking for a pass.  That doesn’t help anybody’s confidence.

I had feared that a defeat here and at Cardiff would mean the departure of Ismaël during the international break, but the new contract announced this week means that will not be the case.  I hope that the good work that the management are seeing on the training ground results in some improved results very soon, as we are in a very precarious position in the table.   Thank you to those who have already sponsored me.  Just a reminder that I will be taking part in the Taylor Trek again this year in aid of the Watford Community Sports & Education Trust.  If you have a few spare pennies, please send them my way https://watfordfccsetrust.enthuse.com/pf/frances-lynn.  It is a great cause.

Defensive Frailty Spoils an Entertaining Game

Celebrating Laura’s Golden Anniversary

Due to the train strike on Saturday, there were only Overground trains running to Watford.  It was rather odd to see the boards outside Euston station only displaying trains to Watford Junction.  I settled in for the journey and got off at the High Street station, which was convenient for my visit to the Mad Squirrel.  My change in pre-match venue was to have a drink with Laura from Women of Watford for whom this was the nearest home game to the 50^th anniversary of her first visit to Vicarage Road.  She reflected how lucky she was to have witnessed the entire GT era with the rise through the divisions (twice) and European competition.  Those of us who lived through that time were totally spoilt.

For the end of September, it was a gorgeous day as we walked to the ground.  My fleece and waterproof were surplus to requirements as we settled down to watch the game in conditions that were in stark contrast to the deluge the last time we were there.

Team news was that Ismaël had made four changes from the Leeds game as Ngakia, Dele-Bashiru, Asprilla and Bayo came in for Andrews, Koné, Ince and Martins.  There was also a change in formation to 3-4-3.  So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Hoedt, Sierralta, Porteous; Lewis, Dele-Bashiru, Louza, Ngakia; Bayo, Rajović, Asprilla.

No celebration for Bayo’s Goal

It was a dreadful start to the game for the Hornets who were a goal down in the 4^th minute as Howson skipped past Dele-Bashiru in the midfield before playing a lovely defensive-splitting pass to McGree who finished past Bachmann, it was all too simple.  The first chance of the game for the Hornets came after 11 minutes when Ngakia crossed for Bayo whose header flew wide of the target.  From the goal kick, the ball was quickly moved upfield to Crooks who played a square ball for McGree to score his second of the afternoon.  The Hornets pulled one back after 18 minutes as Porteous played a lovely cross-field ball, Fry failed to cut it out, so it fell for Bayo who finished past Dieng.  The visitors had a chance to increase their lead after another quick break, Coburn’s cross was interrupted by a defensive foot, but the ball fell to Jones, who shot over the target.  The Hornets then had a great chance to grab an equaliser when Sierralta won the ball in midfield and exchanged passes with Hoedt before playing the ball out to Asprilla who played a lovely through ball for Bayo who broke into the box, but the keeper narrowed the angle, so he could only shoot over the target.  The Hornets threatened again as Lewis played a ball to Asprilla in the box, his shot was deflected out for a corner.  The initial delivery was poor, but the ball came out to Louza on the edge of the box, his shot flew over the target.  The visitors had another chance as Howson chipped the ball into the box, but Crooks missed the header.  Boro were forced into an early substitution as the injured O’Brien was replaced by Smith.  The Hornets threatened again after Ngakia did well to battle his way onto the bye-line and win a corner, which was taken short and Louza crossed for Bayo who headed wide of the target.  The first booking of the game went to Porteous for a robust foul on Howson.  The Hornets had a chance to draw level before the break when Hoedt played a lovely cross to the far post, but Rajović was unable to connect.  Then Asprilla exchanged passes with Bayo before taking a shot that was blocked.  So, the Hornets reached the break a goal down. 

Challenging at a corner

There were some boos at the half time whistle, which I thought were a bit harsh.  It had been a terrible start to the game with the two early goals, which were both down to poor defending, but the Hornets came back into it and could have been level at the break.

The tannoy announcer was a voice that I hadn’t heard before.  She was very enthusiastic.  I have never heard anybody so excited about the half-time shootout.

Ismaël made a change at the break bringing Martins on in place of Rajović, who had been invisible.  The substitute was involved immediately winning a corner.  His next contribution was to find Dele-Bashiru whose shot from outside the box cleared the bar.  The Hornets should have equalised when a cross from Ngakia was met by a great header from Bayo that was on target, but Dieng made a wonderful save to keep it out.  The resultant corner was cleared to Hoedt on the edge of the box from where he found the bottom corner to level the game.  It was interesting that he ran to the dugout to celebrate.  There was another booking for the Hornets as Sierralta was cautioned for a rash challenge on Crooks.  The Boro player stayed on his feet, which was as well, or Sierralta could have seen red.

Porteous receives a throw from Ngakia

There were nerves jangling in the Rookery as a Boro corner resulted in a goalmouth scramble at the other end of the pitch, we couldn’t see what was happening, so it was a relief when the ball was finally cleared.  The visitors scored their third on 63 minutes.  The defence stood off as Boro played the ball upfield, Coburn received a through ball from Crooks, shrugged off the attentions of Hoedt and shot past Bachmann.  It was another simple goal that looked preventable.  At this point Ismaël made a triple substitution with Sierralta, Louza and Asprilla making way for Kayembe, Chakvetadze and Ince.  The Hornets had a chance to hit back when the ball was played to Chakvetadze, but his shot was terrible and cleared the bar.  Then Bayo found Martins on the left, he hit a lovely shot that Dieng pushed out for a corner.  The delivery was met by Lewis whose shot was blocked.  The visitors had a chance to increase their lead when a shot from Crooks took a deflection off Hoedt, Bachmann was scrambling back to make the stop, but the ball rolled just wide of the target.  Hoedt was then in action at the other end, putting in a cross that Porteous could only direct over the target.  The visitors then made a change replacing Jones with Forss.  There were shouts for a penalty when Ince broke into the box and appeared to be pulled over by van den Berg, but the referee awarded a free kick to the visitors.  McGree had a chance to score a hat-trick after jinking into the box, but he was falling as he took his shot and could only shoot wide of the far post.  Ismaël made a final change bringing Healey on for his league debut in place of Dele-Bashiru.  The Hornets had a good chance to equalise after Ince exchanged passes with Ngakia and hit a shot that was blocked by the foot of Dieng, the ball eventually bounced to Bayo who did really well to get to the near post, but the box was crowded, and he could only flick the ball over the bar.  There was a final substitution for the visitors as Crooks made way for Greenwood.  In time added on the Hornets won a corner.  Bachmann originally came up for it, but was told to get back.  No matter as it was directed straight to Dieng.  The Hornets had a couple of late chances to salvage a point.  First Hoedt released Martins who broke upfield before unleashing a lovely shot that hit the crossbar.  Then Martins hit a shot from wide left that flew high and wide of the far post.  The final whistle went to loud boos which, again, I thought was harsh as it had been a decent second half. 

Bachmann (almost) coming up for a corner

Disappointing as the result was, it was a considerably better performance than last Saturday.  The change in formation had not worked.  The move of Sierralta to the back three had left the midfield rather porous and that was where the game was lost.  There was no pressing.  Players were standing off the opposition leaving them too much space, which led to all three goals.  This improved when Kayembe came on, maybe he needs to start on Wednesday.  Asprilla has been excellent off the bench, but was ineffective and the introduction of Martins sparked a late resurgence.  Bayo was the man of the match, scoring one and creating plenty.  The Hornets had mostly done well after the first 15 minutes but, by that time, we had given ourselves too much to do.  We really must stop conceding soft goals.

So, we finished the weekend in 20^th position with two tricky away games to come before the international break.  I will be travelling next week more in hope than expectation.  I really hope that the travelling Hornets in Sunderland and Cardiff are given something to cheer.

On another note, I will be taking part in the Taylor Trek again this year in aid of the Watford Community Sports & Education Trust.  If you have a few spare pennies, please send them my way https://watfordfccsetrust.enthuse.com/pf/frances-lynn.  It is a great cause.

A Spirited Draw in a Deluge

Darling Toddy with another wonderful gent

Wednesday was the 6^th anniversary of Toddy’s passing.  He was a great friend to me, and I have so many happy memories of following the Hornets with him.  The post-match discussions of exciting games often mention how much Toddy would have enjoyed that.  I am sure glasses were raised by many of his friends before the match.

The journey to Watford was eventful.  There was an obstruction on the line in the Harrow area, so no Overground trains were running and there were delays to the mainline services.  I was initially on the 16:39 which had just started moving when there was a loud bang.  We were all ushered off and eventually boarded the late-running 16:54, which was absolutely heaving.  Luckily, I got a seat.  The rain was falling heavily for the walk to the West Herts, which was sparsely populated when I arrived.  Surprisingly, Don was in place, he is usually on his way to the ground at that time, but Trond was stuck in traffic.  Our numbers were sparse as many had decided to watch from home on what promised to be a filthy evening.

Team news was that Ismaël had made just one change from the Birmingham game as Koné came in for Dele-Bashiru.  So, the starting XI was Bachmann; Morris, Hoedt, Porteous, Ngakia; Koné, Sierralta, Louza; Martins, Rajović, Ince.

Martins looks thrilled after his goal

The Hornets started brilliantly taking the lead in the third minute.  It was a lovely team goal as Morris released Martins, he broke down the left and the ball was played, via Koné and Louza, to Ince who curled a beautiful shot into the top corner.  The visitors hit back after 14 minutes.  Ngakia lost out, Bachmann had to come out to make a save, but there was danger from the loose ball, so Ngakia was forced to concede a free kick.  Swift’s delivery flew over the wall, Bachmann misjudged the flight of the ball and was moving away from it as it hit the net.  The Hornets had a half chance to regain the lead as Louza hit a shot from distance, but it was straight at the keeper.  It was the visitors who took the lead with a second goal in 3 minutes.  Morris was dispossessed and Furlong crossed into the box for Wallace to turn it in.  But the Hornets were not behind for long as Martins raced down the left wing before cutting in and curling a lovely effort past Palmer in the West Brom goal.  It was breathless stuff.  The first booking of the game went to Molumby for a late tackle on Louza.  The next chance fell to Martins, but a defensive head got in the way of his shot.  Then Martins crossed for Rajović, but his connection was poor.  Martins had the next chance himself, but his shot flew wide of the near post.  The Hornets should have regained the lead with the next chance as Morris won the ball in midfield and found Martins, he passed to Koné in the box, the keeper came out to meet him and he shot over the target.  It was a great move that deserved a goal.  At the other end, Wallace crossed for Swift whose effort cleared the bar.  It was end-to-end stuff as Martins played the ball back to Ince whose shot flew over the bar.  It had been a rollercoaster half of football.  Both sides put together some decent moves, but equally both were guilty of giving the ball away.

Bachmann takes a free kick

At half time, the club marked World Alzheimer’s day by welcoming guests from the Alzheimer’s Society.  There was mention of the Trust’s Golden Memories scheme which caters for fans with dementia, and it was lovely to hear that the sensory room had been given over to supporters that have attended that scheme so that fans with dementia could attend the game in a safe environment.  There was also a presentation for Organ Donation Week which highlighted the importance of signing up for organ donation.

The first incident of note in the second half was a booking for Porteous for a foul on Thomas-Asante.  The resultant free kick led to a bit of a goalmouth scramble before the Hornets finally cleared the ball.  The visitors had the first chance of the second half with a decent shot from distance by Thomas-Asante that needed a great save from Bachmann to tip it over.  It had been raining all evening but by this point it was absolutely chucking it down.  Just before the hour mark both sides made triple substitutions.  For the Hornets, Ngakia, Morris and Ince made way for Andrews, Lewis and Asprilla.  For the Baggies, Townsend, Sarmiento and Mowatt replaced Phillips, Swift and Molumby.  There were shouts for a penalty when Kipré went through Andrews in the box.  It appeared to be a nasty foul, but the referee was unmoved.

Koné prepares for a free kick in the rain

The Hornets then had a great chance to regain the lead as Asprilla crossed for Koné whose powerful header was on target, but Palmer made a great save and pushed it onto the bar, the loose ball came to Andrews who had a shot blocked.  Porteous had been injured during that passage of play and was soon replaced by Pollock.  The visitors threatened again as deep cross by Sarmiento was met by the head of Furlong, but his effort was straight at Bachmann.  There was then a lovely move by the Hornets as a great ball found Asprilla, he crossed for Martins, who was unable to take advantage, the ball ran through to Lewis whose shot was saved at the near post, the follow-up from Martins was blocked.  The visitors made another change and Nathaniel Chalobah was given a warm welcome from the Vicarage Road faithful as he replaced Wallace.  The Hornets also made a change with Bayo coming on in place of Martins.  The Hornets nearly played themselves into trouble as Hoedt gave the ball away to Sarmiento, he found Thomas-Asante, but Bachmann did really well to block the shot.  Watford threatened again as Asprilla won the ball and played in Bayo, but the attentions of a defender meant that he could only win a corner.  At the other end, the visitors threatened with a low cross, but nobody was there to turn it in.  Watford had one final chance to grab a winner as Asprilla got into the box, but his shot flew just wide, so the game finished with honours even.

Porteous and Sierralta getting wet

In the end, a draw was probably a fair result.  All of the goals had been in the first 20 minutes, but both teams had chances to win it in the second half and had their keepers to thank for making terrific saves.  The conditions had been horrible, so misplaced passes could be excused, and I was glad that the weather didn’t lead to any catastrophic errors.  Watford’s game is still annoyingly error strewn, but the attacking threat continues, and it was a very entertaining game for those that braved the elements. 

If the conditions were bad on the pitch, they were horrendous in the Rookery.  The water had built up on the roof and came streaming down, drenching us.  We had to move to seats that were not under the deluge.  As we left, there was a river streaming down the steps in the Rookery, so we were surprised to emerge onto Occupation Road into slight drizzle.  After the final whistle the tannoy played “Why Does it Always Rain on Me”.  I couldn’t help a wry smile even though I was absolutely drenched.  Thankfully the journey home was uneventful.  I was certainly glad to be back in the warm and, all in all, it was an evening well spent.