ON loan striker Michael Chopra struck four times as Watford scored one of the most amazing results in their history with an incredible 7-4 victory at Burnley on Saturday, April 5.

In an astonishing contest that will be talked about for years to come, Ray Lewington's men scored five in a nine-goal first-half, and secured their first league win in ten outings with a further two goals after the break to finally exceed 50 points, and all but kill off any lingering fears of getting dragged into the relegation scrap.

The Hornets' boss made two changes from the side that drew 2-2 at Sheffield Wednesday, with Allan Nielsen, fit again after a month lay-off, returning, along with Micah Hyde. Paul Robinson was rested, while Sean Dyche was ruled out with a groin problem, but the changes in personnel led to a reshuffle of the playing positions. Gavin Mahon was switched to right-back, with Neil Cox reverting to centre-half, while Stephen Glass played at left-back and Nielsen was deployed on the left side of midfield.

A fairly uneventful first ten minutes gave no clue as to what was to come, but it was the visitors who drew first blood after 12 minutes when Wayne Brown timed his run to perfection to get on the end of a Neal Ardley corner from the right to head back across keeper Marlon Beresford and net his first goal since signing for Watford on a permanent basis.

Two minutes later, though, the home side were level. Robbie Blake was allowed to get to the left by-line and his deep cross was converted by Gareth Taylor's head at the far post.

However, the feeling it would be one of those games was enhanced within 60 seconds when Mahon's driven cross towards the near post was converted by the outstretched right leg of Hyde.

Steve Davis shot straight at Alec Chamberlain before Watford netted their third on 25 minutes when an unmarked Cox was allowed a free header from another Ardley corner, and he made no mistake from around ten minutes.

The Hornets were in dream land three minutes later when a poorly struck Davis free-kick landed at the feet of Brown, who clipped the ball back over the top to Chopra, who juggled the ball superbly before lifting the ball over Beresford to net a wonderful fourth for the Hornets.

However, if the visitors thought the game was won, they were in for a nasty shock. First, Davis bundled the ball home after Taylor was again allowed to get free at the far post from a set piece, and then Taylor repeated the trick, getting in the back post to head home to make it 4-3.

That was on 38 minutes, but a minute later, as the mounting disbelief at what was happening grew around Turf Moor, Watford made it 5-3. Paolo Vernazza was played in on the left side of the area, and his cross found Chopra, who chested the ball down before slipping it past Beresford.

But the fun was still not over as the Clarets scored the third of the last four goals and the ninth in a breathtaking 33 minutes in first-half injury-time when Taylor out-muscled Cox on the edge of the area before drilling home from 16 yards to complete his hat-trick.

The momentum was now with the home side, and the next goal was always going to be crucial, and it took two fine Chamberlain saves to prevent the Clarets from getting it at the start of the second period. First, he parried away a low Taylor shot, and then the Watford keeper did even better to keep out Arthur Gnohere's header from a corner.

The game then settled down for a while, but it was the Hornets who restored their two-goal advantage on the hour when Mahon set Ardley free down the right, and, as keeper Beresford needlessly charged from his goal, he managed to knock the ball across to Chopra, who, despite getting clattered behind, slipped the ball into the empty net to seal his hat-trick

A great day for the Newcastle United striker would have got even better had he managed to convert a good headed chance or put another great opening past Beresford, but he registered his fourth late on when Watford sprung the counter-attack, and he slammed a cross from Jason Norville's cross high into the home side's net from close range.

Previously, though, Taylor came close to netting his fifth when he smacked a near-post header against the woodwork as Chamberlain looked beaten.

Watford: Chamberlain; Mahon, Cox, Brown, Glass; Ardley, Vernazza, Hyde, Nielsen; Smith, Chopra. Substitutes: Norville for Smith after 87 mins; Robinson, Ifil, Hand and Lee not used.

Burnley: Beresford; West, Davis, McGregor, Branch; Moore, Grant, Weller, Briscoe; Blake, Taylor. Substitutes: Gnohere for Grant after 45 mins; Papadopoulos for Branch after 60 mins; O'Neill for McGregor after 76 mins; Pilkington and Michopoulos not used.

Bookings: Briscoe for a foul on Smith after 44 mins; Hyde for a foul on Taylor after 50 mins.

Referee: Phil Dowd (Stoke).

Attendance: 13,215.

April 6, 2003 01:00