Watford maintain improvement in thriller

WATFORD 3 Johnston 6, Reilly 34 Callaghan 36 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 2 Birtles 16, 49

WATFORD: Sherwood, Bardsley, Sims, Franklin, Price, Jackett, Rostron, Callaghan, Johnston, Reilly, Barnes. Sub: Sinnott did not play.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST: Van Breukelen, Anderson, Swain, Fairclough, hart, Bowyer, Wigley, Hodge, Birtles. Davenport, Walsh, Sub. Thijissen did not play.

Referee: J Deakin (Cardiff), Attendance 14,047.

Free kicks: Watford 21, Forest 27.

Corners: Watford 8, Forest 13.

Goal attempts on target (off target): Watford 6 (8), Forest 9 (9).

Watford goal attempts by: Johnston 4, Callaghan 2, Reilly 2, Barnes 1, Sims 1, Barsley 1, Rostron 1, Price 1, Jackett 1.

Bookings: Walsh for foul on Rostron (51); Reilly sent off for persistent fouling (67) after caution (59).

WATFORD won a five-goal thriller at Vicarage Road on Saturday, against a background of good goals, fine football, crunching tackles and pathetic refereeing. And feelings ran high as the home crowd got behind the ten-men Hornets for the last 23 minutes of this game and willed them to victory in a match which almost had everything.

The commitment of the last half hour, both on and off the field, enabled supporters to forget the chill of the afternoon as they vented their disapproval of the referee and bit their nails in anxiety while Watford hung on for the points.

Earlier the Hornets had demonstrated that their performances are improving. There was more teamwork and understanding, better service to the front men and that certain bite in midfield. While the defence still gives cause for some anxiety, this display built on the result at Wolves and pushed to the background the disappointment and annihilation in Prague.

Nigel Callaghan became the club's leading scorer and chief goal-maker, scoring one and making two more, while Mo Johnston, with a goal right out of the Jimmy Greaves' repertoire, demonstrated his own brand of clinical finishing with his fist goal at Vicarage Road.

Alongside Johnston, George Reilly although cumbersome at times, showed that he and Johnston are developing a useful understanding. This in itself provides a further option for the remainder of the team who have looked to Barnes and Callaghan to provide the match winning ingredients this season.

Watford took the lead after just six minutes when Callaghan fired in a free kick which Van Bruekelen could not hold. The ball bounced behind Johnston who turned quickly, raced back and then swivelled to fire home.

Johnston went close with a rising drive and a header before Forest began to assert themselves and Birtles, collecting a return pass from Davenport in the 13th minute, sent a curling chop shot past Sherwood. Such is the concern of late that Sherwood's every move is analysed.

"It was a great goal. You just have to accept that we have had some great goals put past us this season," said Taylor.

Johnston and Jackett went close as Watford came back but they went ahead again through a lucky break. Sims contested Callaghan's corner at the near post but, as it bounced down, the ball struck Reilly on the legs. The striker attempted to dig the ball out but instead clipped it backwards over the line for goal number two.

"Things must be looking up," said Reilly, "when balls are hitting off me and gong in."

That was in the 34th minute, and two minutes later Watford went 3-1 ahead. Rostron chipped the ball over the back of the defence for Callaghan to run on to and send a low drive into the far corner of the net.

"That was a Watford goal. I'd like to think that was one of our specialities over the years," said Taylor.

Four minutes after the interval, Forest pegged a goal back. The tricky Wigley, who Price played well throughout, sent the ball through towards the near post. Birtles reached the ball with an outstretched foot to toe-end it over the transfixed Sherwood and into the net.

"My own view was that if Birtles had gone for a ball with his foot that high in midfield, he would have been penalised for dangerous kicking," Taylor contended.

The game became rougher and the tackles more frequent as the referee, and not the football, became the focus of attention. But with the dismissal of Reilly, Watford were plainly up against it. Sherwood did well to block an effort by Hodge and somehow a Bowyer header was deflected off the line and the ball eluded all and sundry. Walsh also found Sherwood well-positioned when he fired in a close-range shot and the Forest man later hooked a ball following a long throw, just wide of the upright.

But with Barnes and Callaghan coming into their own with time wasting exercises by the corner flags, the minutes ticked by.

Barnes sent a free-kick against the bar and Callaghan had a shot from free-kick saved by Van Bruekelen. And so into injury time and belatedly the final whistle signalled that Watford had won their second successive First Division game after lean pickings over the past two months.

If the Hornets led something of a charmed life in that final 20 minutes, then it was only justice, for they had suffered from the ill fortune of having Mr Deakin refereeing the epic.

And the season certainly owes Watford the rub of the green. Perhaps another slice of luck at Arsenal can start the flooding of belief back into the side.

There are things to build on. Johnston is still not able to match his colleagues fitness but has demonstrated a keen eye for goal and Callaghan's title of top scorer looks to be in jeopardy before 1983 is completed. Barnes has shown some improvement over the past few weeks and David Bardsley looks a class buy.

Overall there was something of the Watford we have come to know and enjoy over the past two seasons which has been reflected in the last three league outings.

The defence will gives cause for concern and while Taylor has voiced the possibility that the incoming transfers are over, it may yet take an import to remedy a part of the problem.

April 23, 2002 15:00