Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

Gathering for a corner

Another bank holiday meant another weekend that the line from Euston to Watford was closed.  On the Met line I ended up changing twice as no Watford trains were in evidence.  Finally, after a 25 minute wait at Moor Park, the Watford train arrived and I saw Richard in the front carriage so had company for the last leg of the journey.  On arrival we were told that Rod was at the bar, so caught up with him and he kindly bought the beers.  It was a gorgeous sunny day and we were enjoying the company so much that it wasn’t until I saw some people leaving that I looked at the time and found that it was already 2:35 and we should have been on our way to the ground.  We really weren’t looking forward to this game were we?

Team news was that there were three changes from the trip to Man City with Ngakia, Cleverley and King making way for Femenía, Kucka and João Pedro.  So, the starting XI was Foster, Femenía, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara; Sissoko, Louza, Kucka; Sarr, João Pedro, Dennis.  In a late change, former Watford man Vydra joined former loanee Cork in the Burnley team.

Unfortunately, our late arrival meant that we missed Helen Ward being congratulated on her 100^th cap for Wales and being presented with a signed shirt and flowers by Kenny Jackett.  What an achievement.

Celebrating Kucka’s goal

The game started with a couple of surging runs and crosses from Kamara, but both efforts were easily gathered by Pope.  The first proper sight of goal for the Hornets came when Louza played a back heel to Dennis, whose strike was wild and way off target.  The Hornets took an early lead when Kiko crossed for Kucka whose shot hit the underside of the bar and bounced off Tarkowski into the net.  A proper celebration ensued with smiles and hugs.  Maybe this would be a good day after all.  On 8 minutes the crowd rose to applaud the memory of Jasper Bryan Cook a “proud Yorkshire Hornet” who recently passed away suddenly at the age of 8.  It was a lovely gesture.  The architects of the goal combined again as a free kick from Femenía was met by the head of Kucka but, on this occasion, his effort was well over the bar.  Then João Pedro went on a run and fed Dennis who found Kucka in a dangerous position, his shot deflected off Tarkowski and almost found the net but just went out for a corner.  Femenía’s delivery was heading for the goal until Pope intervened and punched it clear.  The Hornets had a decent chance of a second when a clearance from Foster reached João Pedro, but the youngster was unable to control the ball at the first attempt and ended up shooting over the bar under pressure. 

Sarr in the wars

A quarter of an hour had elapsed before the visitors threatened the Watford goal, a free kick was headed out to Brownhill who shot wide of the target.  Soon after, a cross from Lennon flew across the goal, Weghorst was close but unable to apply the finishing touch.  The visitors then had a couple of corners, the first was headed behind by Samir, the second was caught by Foster.  The Hornets threatened again as Sarr went on a run and found Sissoko whose cross was blocked for a corner.  Femenía did well again with his delivery, this time hitting the outside of the near post.  There was almost a disaster for the Hornets when a McNeil run into the Watford box was stopped by Sissoko and the referee pointed to the spot.  Thankfully the VAR check indicated that the foul occurred outside the box.  McNeil took the free kick himself and hit a low effort into the Watford wall.  The Hornets had a great chance to increase their lead when Dennis tried a shot from a narrow angle, but Pope was able to turn it into the side netting.  The Hornets won a free kick in a dangerous position when João Pedro was pushed over.  Dennis stepped up to take the set piece which he powered into the side-netting.  Just dreadful.  There were appeals for a penalty as a ball into the box from Femenía hit Tarkowski on the arm, but VAR decided that the contact wasn’t deliberate.  The visitors had a great chance to hit back when McNeil crossed for Vydra who headed wide of the target.  Vydra had another chance to grab an equaliser when he received a ball in the box and brought it down before shooting into the side netting.  Dennis fell over a defender when trying to reach a cross to the far post, but nothing was given (rightly).  Just before half time, Sarr was tripped on the right of the box.  Louza took the free kick and it was a decent effort that looked to be curling in until Pope punched it away.  The half time whistle went on what had been a decent half of football, so much better than of late.

Louza and Femenia prepare for a free kick

At half time, there was a film on the big screen highlighting the work being done by the Trust on combatting loneliness in Mental Health Awareness week.  They also took time to remember Richard Strange who had worked tirelessly on the Trust’s programmes in this and other areas. 

The second half started with a good chance for the visitors as Sarr lost the ball, allowing Lennon to go on a run before taking a shot that Foster pushed around the post.  The first booking of the game went to Tarkowski for pulling João Pedro down right in front of the referee.  Louza took the free kick, his delivery was met by the head of Kucka whose effort flew wide.  There was a promising move as Sarr found Dennis who played the ball to Kucka whose shot was blocked.  Dennis then had a decent chance when he got on the end of a cross from Sissoko and turned but shot wide of the far post.  The first substitution of the game came as Barnes replaced Weghorst, who was forced to walk along the front of the Rookery and was jeered all the way.  The Hornets had another decent chance to increase their lead as Sissoko released Sarr who found João Pedro in the box, but he was unable to fashion a shot. 

Dennis takes a free kick

At the other end, McNeil tried a shot that was deflected for a corner.  Brownhill’s delivery was met by the head of Tarkowski but his effort was high and wide of the target.  At this point there was a chorus of Super Matĕj Vydra from the Rookery.  I can’t say that I understand the adoration for Vydra who had brilliant spells but blew very hot and cold.  Although I will never forget that magnificent goal at Brighton.  Burnley should have drawn level from a corner when Barnes headed against the bar, but the ball rebounded down and was pushed clear by Foster.  There was a call for a penalty when João Pedro went down in the box under a challenge from Brownhill.  There was little sympathy from the referee as he had been tumbling all afternoon, and the decision was upheld by VAR.  The visitors threatened again through a free kick from McNeil that was punched clear by Foster.  With 10 minutes remaining, the ball fell to Kucka who was a long way from goal but decided to try a shot and there was no surprise when it flew into the crowd at the Vicarage Road end.  Then, on 83 minutes, the visitors drew level when a cross from Taylor was met by a diving header from Cork that beat Foster.  They scored a second a couple of minutes later as a free kick fell to Brownhill who beat Foster from the edge of the box.  That was the signal for the home stands to start emptying.  The Hornets tried to hit back as Sarr crossed for Kucka but, again, the shot was wild and cleared the bar.  The visitors made a second substitution bringing Lowton on for Lennon.  The Hornets caused problems for themselves when a poor clearance from Kabasele fell to Barnes but, thankfully, he shot over the bar.  There was a VAR check for a red card, but nobody in the crowd had the faintest idea who was likely to be penalised and what they had done.  The decision was that a card was not warranted so we are still none the wiser.  The final change for the visitors saw Stephens coming on in place of Vydra.  The Hornets had one last chance to salvage a point in time added on when João Pedro crossed for Louza but his shot was well over the bar and the final whistle went on yet another home defeat for the Hornets.  

The players came over to applaud the fans in the Rookery and were greeted with a mixture of boos and applause.  I think we were all a bit shell-shocked.

Foster takes a free kick

We headed back to the West Herts to drown our sorrows and try to make sense of it all (we failed).  The first half had been very good.  Full of energy and commitment and the early goal certainly raised the spirits but, as so often this season, we didn’t make the most of our chances and when the equaliser went in, we just collapsed.  It is hard to pin-point the source of the problems.  The personnel should be good enough to compete in this division, but there are too many misplaced passes and poor decisions.  I couldn’t help thinking that there was a time when Dennis used to run past people and Sarr used to run, but neither of them have been effective of late.  Is that an issue with their characters or their confidence?  The fact that most of the shots on goal for the Hornets came from Kucka highlights the problems upfront.

But, despite the fact that the football has been terrible this season, I cannot join in with the section of the crowd who are calling for the Pozzos’ heads.  Some people have very short memories.  I noted that there was a lot of mythologising this week about GT’s last home game.  There were comments on social media about that being when Watford was a “proper club”.  What people seem to have forgotten is how awful that match was both on and off the field.  The players were not playing for the manager, the crowd was angry and the cards that had been put on the seats in the Rookery for a post-match display reading “Thank you, GT” were being made into paper planes and thrown onto the pitch.  Many in the fanbase were glad to see the back of GT who had “taken us as far as he could” and were thrilled at the prospect of Vialli coming in and propelling us into the Premier League.  Be careful what you wish for.  Having been involved with the Supporters’ Trust in the late 2000s and seen how close we came to not having a club, I still believe that the Pozzos have done wonders for us and are the best owners that we have had since Elton. I was back at Vicarage Road on Sunday to see the women playing a crucial game against Coventry United.  Sadly, this was not to provide any more joy.  The visitors had the better of the play, but the Golden Girls held out until the 97^th minute when a free kick from the visitors gave them a win which took them to safety and relegated the Hornets.  With the men’s side 12 points from safety with 12 points to play for, it seems that we will have a double relegation season.  But I will still be looking forward to the fixtures coming out in June and some trips to places that we haven’t visited for a while.  I have seen a lot worse than this in the 40+ years that I have been following the Hornets and will always be back for more.   

A Cruel Loss Made Bearable by the Petes

Heurelho Gomes Baby

Having managed to dodge it for two years, I finally succumbed to covid a couple of weeks ago.  Thankfully, I had a very mild dose, a rotten cold for a few days, but it meant the weekend in Liverpool was cancelled and I was still testing positive last Saturday, so I also missed the Leeds game and, more to the point, the opportunity for a close encounter with lovely John McClelland.  That was heartbreaking for me.

So, I finally found myself going to a match a month after the wonderful trip to Southampton.  Engineering work meant that there were no trains out of Euston, so I took a trip on the Met line, encountering plenty of Liverpool and Man City fans on their way to Wembley.  As I walked to the West Herts, I bumped into Fuzz who was just arriving at her Ma’s, so had a lovely catch up.  Following the construction work, the West Herts have finally reopened the main bar and very lovely it looks too.  But the sun was shining, so we sat outside and enjoyed our beers and jerk chicken.  The icing on the cake came when Glenn arrived with crème eggs and pork scratchings.

I arrived at the ground just in time to see Heurelho Gomes being interviewed.  It was his first chance to return to the club and say goodbye to the fans after leaving the club during lockdown.  His comments were as warm and lovely as you would expect, and it was great to remember happier times on the pitch.

Louza takes a corner

Team news was that there was one change from the Leeds game with Dennis coming in for the injured Hernández.  So, the starting XI was Foster, Femenía, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara, Sissoko, Louza, Kucka, Sarr, João Pedro, Dennis.

Prior to kick-off the announcement of Christian Eriksen’s name was greeted with a huge cheer and applause from the Watford fans.  It was the Dane who created the first chance of the game in the ninth minute with a shot from the edge of the area that curled past the far post.  The Hornets then had a half chance as a corner came out to Sissoko, his shot through the crowd found Kucka who could only turn it wide.  Kiko then played a one-two before crossing for Sarr whose header was high and wide.  It has to be said that at this stage of the game there was a great atmosphere with the Watford faithful really getting behind their team.  The mood was dampened after a quarter of an hour when a long throw was headed on by Kucka to Nørgaard who was in an acre of space when he turned it past Foster.  It was awful defending yet again and the Hornets were behind, although there was plenty of time to remedy that.  Brentford had another chance soon after with a shot from distance by Wissa that was straight at Foster. 

Challenging at a corner

The Hornets had a chance to hit back, a shot from Sarr was blocked and fell to João Pedro but his shot was disappointing flying well over the bar.  Brentford manager, Frank, was forced into an early substitution due to an injury to Pinnock who was replaced by Sørensen.  The Hornets had a chance to draw level when Dennis played the ball back to Kucka, but his shot flew well over the target.  At this point, there was some drama in the SEJ stand as an old fella had come down to pitch level to berate the players and was having some argy-bargy with the stewards who were trying to calm him down.  Clearly there was some sympathy for him from his neighbours in the stand as he was applauded as he returned to his seat near the back.  From our vantage point he looked ridiculous.  The Hornets threatened again as Dennis tried to get on the end of a decent cross from Sarr but he was blocked by the defender and Raya was able to gather the ball.  Eriksen came over to take a corner between the Rookery and GT stands and was greeted with a massive round of applause.  The Dane was the next to threaten Watford’s goal with a shot from distance that was straight at Foster.  A series of Brentford corners finished with the ball falling to Janelt on the edge of the box but he fired over the bar.  The visitors nearly did the Hornets a favour when a corner from Femenía reached Ajer who put in a decent attempt on his own goal that just flew past the post.  Into time added on Watford had their first shot on target.  A cross from Kiko was cleared to Louza whose shot was poor and easily gathered by Raya.  The half time whistle was greeted with some boos.  It had been a terrible half of football. 

Clearly it was designated goalkeeper day as the half time guest was Kevin Miller, who has the accolade of winning Player of the Season on two occasions.

Kamara on the ball

The first booking of the game went to Kamara for a challenge on Mbeumo.  The visitors had a great chance to extend their lead when a free kick from Eriksen reached Toney, but the shot was very poor rolling across in front of the goal and wide.  A minute later the Hornets were level as a cross from Sissoko was flicked on by Sarr to Dennis who powered his shot into the roof of the net.  The celebrations were cut short by the linesman’s flag.  There was the long wait for VAR before the referee made the sign of the VAR screen and pointed to the centre circle and the celebrations resumed, although were a little more muted as the players were already lined up waiting for kick-off.  Just after the half hour mark Toney was booked for tripping Kucka just outside the box.  Louza’s free kick hit the wall, the ball eventually dropped to Sarr whose shot was mishit and easily gathered by Raya.  The Hornets had a great chance to take the lead when a cross from Kamara reached Samir who took it down before shooting just wide of the near post.  Brentford made a couple of substitutions around the middle of the half.  First Ghoddos replaced Wissa, then Janelt made way for Jensen.  The visitors nearly regained the lead in spectacular fashion when Toney tried a very hopeful shot from distance which wasn’t far wide.  Then Jansson met a cross with a header that almost sneaked in, but Ben Foster was able to reach it and make the catch. 

Dennis and Louza discuss a free kick

Hodgson made a couple of substitutions with King and Cleverley coming on for João Pedro and Kucka.  Watford then had a decent flurry with Cleverley and Louza both putting dangerous balls into the box, but both were cleared.  There was one final substitution as Cathcart replaced Femenía.  The Hornets had a chance to grab a winner in normal time when Sarr won a free kick in a dangerous position.  Dennis stepped up to take it and went close but Raya stretched and tipped it over.  There were cheers at the announcement of 5 minutes of added time.  The Hornets really should have taken the lead as a shot from Dennis was blocked and fell to King, his shot rebounded off the post, the ball fell to Louza whose shot was just wide.  But at the other end, Kamara gave away a free kick, Eriksen stepped up to take it and Jansson rose to head it home.  It was like a punch in the guts.  The Hornets had played really well in the second half, that end to the game was just cruel.  There were a couple of half-hearted boos at the full-time whistle, but most of those still in the ground applauded the efforts of the players who must have been as devastated as we were.  By all accounts, Louza had to be consoled as he left the pitch.

A whole load of lovely Petes

We all trudged back to the West Herts feeling downhearted.  I think that we had all accepted relegation as a certainty after the Leeds game but, after a decent performance in the second half, the last minute defeat was something that neither the players nor the fans deserved.  On our way we got chatting to Michael, who has sat a few seats along from my sister for more years than I can remember.  He told us about a man that they had meant in the West Herts before the game.  He had recently lost his wife of 60 years and the crowd in the West Herts were a godsend to him.  They had a lovely chat and resolved that he would now be part of their pre-match gathering.  This reminded me of a David Squires cartoon that had been shared during the week in which he paid tribute to Pete, someone who he sat near at A-League games.  This had struck a chord with all of us, as we have all been Petes at some time and we all have our own Petes.  In the end, the team wins and loses, and the ups are exhilarating and the downs can be devastating, but the joy is in the community of Petes who gather together and somehow make it all worthwhile.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/ng-interactive/2022/apr/15/david-squires-on-the-death-of-a-friend-and-the-power-of-football-connections

Sunshine on the South Coast

Sculptue on Itchen Boardwalk

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

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

Challenging for a corner

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

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

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

Celebrating the first goal, the home fans are not impressed

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

Cucho celebrating his second goal with the away fans

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

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

Kamara launches a throw

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

Cucho and Joao Pedro celebrating the second goal

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

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

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

A Dispiriting Display on the Pitch Remedied by the Return of a Legend

The programme cover is a thing of beauty

The performances at Burnley and West Ham had been very encouraging, so I came into this game feeling more positive than of late.  My journey to the game was a little unusual as, due to an upcoming holiday, I had to take a detour via a dive shop in Chiswick.  My purchases complete, I took the Overground from Gunnersbury via Willesden Junction to the High Street station and was in the West Herts bright and early.  Needless to say, Graham and Jacque were already there.  I was a little surprised to be joined at Willesden by a large number of Brighton fans.  My investigation of their route indicated that they had travelled via Clapham Junction (I am sure Richard would have told me that if I had asked).  The West Herts had a new beer on offer, Butty Bach, which happens to be my brother-in-law’s favourite beer and turned out to be a treat for us all.

We arrived at the ground to find ridiculously long queues to get into the SEJ stand, while we walked straight into the Rookery.  I went to buy my programme and had to take a moment to admire its beauty.  The programme covers this season have been paying tribute to “Men who made the Vic” and the designs have been gorgeous.  But this one was special as it had Luther as its cover star with the design echoing those of the programmes in the 84-85 season.  My chat with the programme seller indicated that we had a shared admiration for the programme design as that was our era.

On the way through the concourse to our seats, I heard my name and turned to see our friend from Burnley, the legendary Ross from Ayrshire.  I had to introduce him to my sister and niece.

Kiko takes a corner

Team news was that the Hornets were unchanged from the West Ham game.  So, the starting line-up was Foster; Femenía, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Kucka, Sissoko, Kayembe, Cleverley; Dennis, King.  Sarr, returned from injury and the AFCON win, was on the bench.

Before kick-off, the new management team were welcomed to Vicarage Road.  First Ray Lewington was welcomed back and then Roy Hodgson.  Both were given a very warm welcome by the Watford faithful.

The visitors dominated the early exchanges and forced an early save as, from a throw-in, the ball reached Moder whose powerful shot was saved by Foster.  The first chance for the Hornets came from a corner, the delivery was met by Dunk who headed it down, King connected and volleyed over the bar.  At the other end a cross from Moder reached Groß, who headed back across goal and wide of the far post.  The visitors had a great chance to open the scoring when Maupay hit a shot from distance, but Foster dived and made the save.  Then a cross from King caused issues for the Brighton keeper, Sánchez, but there was no Watford player on hand to capitalise, so he was able to gather at the second attempt. 

King and Cleverley

At last, on 25 minutes, there was a wonderful attack from the Hornets.  Cleverley won the ball on the wing and released Dennis, he should have passed to King, but held on to the ball too long and was taken down on the edge of the box by Dunk, who was booked for his trouble.  Dennis took the free kick himself and curled his effort wide.  Then a great throw from Foster released Cleverley, he fed Dennis whose shot was blocked, but the flag went up for offside anyway.  King should have done better when he got on the end of a cross into the box, but it was a bit high for him and seemed to bounce off his head and loop to Sánchez who was able to make the catch.  The sight of Sarr warming up drew applause from the Rookery.  The visitors had a chance to open the scoring as a corner was hit deep to Dunk who had a free header which landed on the roof of the net.  At this point, with five minutes to go until the break, there was an exodus for half time refreshments.  Those who headed for the concourse missed the visitors taking the lead as Lamptey crossed for Maupay to volley home.  The goal was well taken, but the Watford defence had gone missing.  The half time whistle was greeted with a few boos from the home crowd. 

Renaming the Family Stand

The match had been designated as Trust Awareness Day and the half time guest on the pitch was Ann Swanson, who has agreed to be a Patron of the newly re-launched Junior Hornets.  For those who were fans of the Hornets in the 80s, even those who were too old for the Junior Hornets at that point, Ann is remembered as a Watford legend.  She was the driving force behind the organisation of the Family Enclosure and Family Terrace as well as the Junior Hornets trips to away games.  At that time, there was a lot of violence attached to football and many people avoided going to games for that reason.  Ann, in collaboration with GT, made Vicarage Road a safe place to visit and encouraged families to attend.  Many of the young fans that attended games in those days still remember her with great fondness and they are now bringing their own children to games.  Ann said that she will be travelling to Southampton with a group of Junior Hornets, just like old times.  At the end of the interview with Tim, he told her (and us) that the Family Stand would now be known as the Ann Swanson Family Stand.  She was visibly moved and quite emotional about it, as was I.  I don’t think that there was a dry eye in the place.

Sarr back from AFCON

Roy Hodgson made two changes at the break replacing Kayembe and Kucka with Louza and Sarr.  As Tim announced Sarr, he congratulated him on his involvement with the Senegal team who won at AFCON, which was greeted with a huge roar of appreciation.  Sarr started promisingly as he went on a great run before cutting the ball back to King who found Dennis who lost the ball and committed a foul to stop a Brighton break.  The Hornets then had a decent spell of pressure.  Louza played a ball over the top to King who went down in the box, but the referee was unmoved.  Then Sarr played the ball back to Kiko, who put in a cross that was caught by Sánchez.  The next caution of the game went to Dennis who was booked for persistent fouling.  Sarr maybe should have done better when he received the ball outside the box, he turned away from a tackle to get a shot in, but his strike was wayward.  The best chance for the Hornets so far came when Dennis skipped past a couple of tackles and broke into the box, sadly his shot hit the crossbar and rebounded out.  Graham Potter made a double substitution on 64 minutes as Groß and Welbeck made way for Bissouma and Mac Allister.  The next caution of the game went to Kamara who was booked for a late challenge on Lamptey.  Mac Allister took the resulting free kick and there was a goalmouth scramble that, thankfully, finished with a shot from Moder deflecting for a corner.  This led to another scramble, but this time Foster came away with the ball. 

Kiko and Louza prepare for a free kick

With 20 minutes remaining, Hodgson made his final substitution bringing João Pedro on for Cleverley.  The next incident of note was a foul on Mac Allister by Louza that prompted a chant of “Dirty Northern B*rstards” from the away end (of course it did).  The visitors threatened again with a shot from Cucurella that was parried by Foster who gathered it at the second attempt.  Then Lamptey was booked for a late challenge on Sarr.  Watford tried to strike back from a Louza free kick, the ball bounced around the box and then out to Sarr whose shot was blocked.  Louza then played the ball into the box for Sarr but his pass ran straight to Sánchez.  At the other end the visitors launched a good passing move which finished with a cross to Moder whose shot was blocked by Femenía.  With seven minutes remaining, the visitors scored a second and it was down to poor defending again, as the Hornets failed to clear a corner, Webster took a shot that was blocked but he buried the follow-up.  At this point, the home stands at Vicarage Road started emptying.  The Hornets looked to reduce the deficit when Kiko played a ball over the top to Sarr, but Sánchez blocked the shot.  There was only two minutes of added time during which Duffy replaced Lallana for the visitors and Louza tried a shot from outside the area that was blocked.  The final whistle went to boos from the few Watford fans left in the stadium.

Ann Swanson after being told the Family Stand would be named after her

It was a very sorry group who trudged back to the West Herts.  The post-match analysis was very dispiriting.  After the very positive reactions to the Burnley and West Ham games, this performance had just been deflating.  The previously well organised defence had forgotten how to defend, and the forward line looked as though they had never met before.  There were far too many clever flicks and back heels to nobody in particular and Sánchez had not been tested.  The overwhelming impression was of a team completely lacking in confidence and that is very hard to remedy.

After the games on Sunday, we are six points adrift of safety and it is hard to see where the points are coming from.  I will be out of the country for the next three matches and, while that seems like a good thing at the moment, I know that I will really miss being at the games.  To put a positive slant on this, I have a habit of missing 6-1 away wins for the Hornets.  In the past, that has been due to trips to Tokyo, but maybe that was a coincidence.  It is hard to see us surviving this season, but I would just like to be entertained on the way down.

This report has to finish with a reflection on the highlight of the afternoon, which was the announcement about the renaming of the Family Stand in honour of Ann Swanson.  I hear a lot of nonsense about the current owners not doing things the “Watford Way”.  Then I look at Vicarage Road and see three stands named for Watford legends from the 70s/80s.  The banners and posters in the GT stand that celebrate our past under our best ever manager are a joy to see.  Even while I am hating what I see on the pitch at the moment, there is still a lot to admire and I remain proud to be a Watford fan.

More Good Signs Despite Defeat

Women of Watford at the London Stadium

Looking forward to the trip to Stratford, I was less than pleased when a meeting appeared on my work calendar that finished at 5:30.  I refused to accept it, a futile act as there were external attendees, and scowled every time I looked at the calendar.  Then a message arrived telling me that I was not needed for the meeting.  I celebrated and immediately blocked the time, so nobody else would be tempted to incur my wrath.

My trips to the theatre in Stratford have always been on the tube, but I realised that I could take a train from Highbury and Islington, which was walking distance from home, so tried that route and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was.  On arrival at Westfield, I remembered how much I hate shopping centres, but managed to find Tap East without too much trouble.  It was already quite busy, but Pete and Julie had commandeered a table, so we had a base.  As I watched the door in case anyone we knew arrived, I was a little taken aback when a familiar face appeared wearing a West Ham shirt.  I took me a moment to recognise a fellow statistician who I have only ever seen at meetings wearing a suit.  It was lovely to catch up with him before we settled into our own camps.   

Isla Caton

We gave ourselves plenty of time to get to the ground as the security there can be rather time-consuming.  When we arrived, I was the only one of our group with a bag, so we went into different queues and I said I would see them inside.  While in the queue, there was an announcement that those outside should now make their way into the ground.  Yes, thanks for that!  As it happened, most of those in the “no bag” queue were carrying bags and the stewards with wands were taking their duties very seriously.  In my queue, the fella hardly looked at my bag and saw absolutely no need to waste his wandpower on me, so I was left waiting for the others to emerge.

Inside the ground, I went to buy a pie and the lads at the counter were incredibly helpful, almost fighting to supply me with a fork!   

Team news was that there were two changes from the Burnley game.  Dennis, back from suspension, came in for João Pedro and Cleverley replaced Sema.  So, the starting line-up was Foster; Femenía, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Kucka, Sissoko, Kayembe, Cleverley; Dennis, King.  After his animal abuse video, it was a surprise to see Zouma starting for West Ham.

Players from both teams were wearing pink armbands in memory of Isla Caton, a young West Ham fan who recently died from neuroblastoma at the age of seven.  There was a video message from her mother before the game and there was a minute’s applause before kick-off, which was impeccably observed.

Kayembe escapes

The game kicked off and the first thing to note was the boos (mostly from the away end) every time that Zouma got the ball.  On 7 minutes the mood changed as Isla’s picture appeared on the big screen and everyone in the ground stood and applauded.  More than a quarter of an hour had passed before the first goal chance, which fell to the visitors.  King released Kamara who broke forward and put in a lovely cross for Kucka who headed back across goal and wide when he really should have hit the target.  Then Dennis went on a great run and found Femenía who tried a cross, which was blocked, when a shot would likely have been a better option, the ball broke to Kamara who shot wide of the target.  Now I am not a big fan of songs denigrating the opposition, but the chorus of “You sold your soul for this sh*thole” was spot on.  It really is a horrible place to watch football.  Watford continued to threaten with a lovely curling shot from Femenía that flew wide of the far post.  Next a cross found King in the box, but he had his back to goal and couldn’t get a shot in before going down under a challenge from Zouma.  The West Ham man picked up a knock in the process and was serenaded with “That’s how your cat feels.”  Sissoko was the next to try to break the deadlock with a shot from the edge of the area that flew wide of the near post.  The first attempt of note by the home side came in the 28^th minute.  West Ham won a corner that was delivered by Bowen and met by Souček whose header flew just over the bar.  With 10 minutes to go to half time, the home side had a great chance to open the scoring when Bowen found Benrahma in the box, his shot was saved by Foster and his follow-up hit the post.  Then Dennis found King in the box, again he didn’t shoot when he had the chance, but was offside anyway.  The half time whistle went with the game goalless.  The Hornets had had more of the play but had created very little in the way of chances.

Kamara launches a throw-in

The first chance of note in the second half went to the home side.  After some head tennis in the box, the ball fell to Benrahma whose shot cleared the bar.  On the hour, Moyes made the first substitution of the game as Lanzini replaced Benrahma.  The home side continued to press, a cross from Bowen was cleared back to him, he crossed for Dawson whose header cleared the bar, but the flag was up anyway.  Watford then threatened as Kayembe found Dennis who won a corner.  Sissoko’s deep cross reached Kucka whose downward header was saved.  The home side took the lead on 68 minutes and it was a cruel goal.  Bowen hit a shot from distance that found the net as Foster dived in the opposite direction.  We were on the left side behind the goal and wondered why Foster had missed it until we saw the replays that showed that it took a wicked deflection on the way in.  The Hornets looked to hit back as King broke forward before cutting the ball back to Cleverley who shot over the target.  Watford should have drawn level when Cleverley hit a brilliant shot that was heading for the top corner until Fabianski intervened with an excellent save.  Hodgson then made a triple substitution as Kayembe, Cleverley and Femenía made way for Louza, João Pedro and Ngakia.  The introduction of young Jeremy was greeted with boos from the home fans.      Bowen had a chance to increase the lead for the Hammers, but Foster got a hand to his shot and deflected it on to the post.  Then some great work from João Pedro deserved better, but King was unable to get on the end of his ball.  The Hornets had a couple of late attempts to salvage a point as a Dennis shot from outside the box was blocked and then a lovely cross from Ngakia was claimed by Fabianski.  So, the Hornets fell to an undeserved defeat.

Foster takes a free kick

Despite the defeat, we left the London Stadium with our heads held high.  West Ham moved up to fourth in the table with the win, but needed a wicked deflection to claim the three points.  The memory of our abject loss to the Hammers earlier in the season is still raw and this performance was in stark contrast to that one.  Having kept our first clean sheet of the season on Saturday, we put in another very impressive display in defence.  I cannot see this team shipping the goals that we were earlier in the season.  But, unfortunately, we were again guilty of wasting opportunities in front of goal, not taking the chance to shoot when it was presented to us.  On a positive note, it was great to see Dennis put in a storming performance after a couple of poor showings recently, he looks back to his best.  But my man of the match was Kamara, who was everywhere on the field and is fast becoming a fan favourite. The signs are good, let’s hope that we can turn the positive performances into points very soon.

A Decent Showing on a Cold Night in Burnley

Bene’n’hot

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

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

The souvenir scarves

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

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

Roy and Ray in the Watford dugout

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

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

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

Kayembe and Sissoko battling with Weghorst

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

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

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

Sissoko marshalling the troops

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

Kiko takes a free kick in the rain

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

Kamara rejoins play after taking a throw-in

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

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

A Long Journey Made Worthwile by a Late Goal

A stained glass window at the Crown Posada

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

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

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

Dennis, Kayembe and Joao Pedro prepare for a free kick

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

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

Challenging at a corner

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

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

Waiting for a ball into the box

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

Congratulating the goal scorer

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

Women of Watford

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

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

A Game Worthy of Kicking a Wall

The wonderful replica FA Cup

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

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

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

James Morris making his debut

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

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

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

Goal scorer Joao Pedro

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

Tom Cleverley takes a corner

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

The illumination from the crowd

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

Shaqai Forde making his debut

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

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

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

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

Heartbreaking End to an Impressive Showing

A gorgeous New Year’s Day on Hampstead Heath

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

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

Emmanuel Dennis

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

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

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

KIng gets the better of Royal

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

Kate of Women of Watford on the big screen

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

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

Louza lines up a free kick

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

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

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

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

Gathering for a corner

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

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

Hammered by the Hammers

My lovely family at the football

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

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

The return of Sierralta

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

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

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

Dennis, the goalscorer

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

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

Kucka takes a throw-in

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

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

Bachmann stretches before a free kick

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

Gathering to attack a corner

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

Louza lines up a free kick

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

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

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

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