AS old codgers tend to say, I can remember it as if it was yesterday, well at least as if it was a year or so ago. Was it really 18 years ago, writes Oliver Phillips.

I remember Nigel Callaghan telling me that David Armstrong of Southampton had turned to him during the second half and asked: "Do you always play with four attackers?"

When Callaghan said they did, Amstrong remarked prophetically: "You will shock a few in this division."

That much I do recall and the quality of Nigel Callaghan's display. He was a special player and his loss of application and fall from grace is a sad reflection on his own self-discipline.

He could have been so much more.

What else do I remember? Well I often think of that Southampton game whenever I see or play The Last Waltz, the final concert given by The Band.

The film was on television for the first time that night and I asked my wife to tape it. When I got back, the adrenaline was still running, so I immediately turned on the video and watched it all the way through.

When I switched it on, my wife apologised. "I missed the first few minutes". So every time I see the tape, the beginning is missing and it reminds me of that night.

The other Christmas, one of my daughter's rectified the omission and bought me a whole copy.

But it still reminds me of that feeling the night we beat Southampton, hurrying back, knowing the report would almost write itself the next day, and sitting down to watch the concert.

But then I was so much younger then.

From The Watford Observer, Friday, September 3, 1982

Southampton: Shilton, Wright, Roffe, Williams, Nicholl, Agboola, Ball, Lawrence, Fashanu, Armstrong, Puckett. Substitute: Cassells did not play.

Watford: Sherwood, Rice, Bolton, Jackett, Rostron, Blissett, Lohman, Callaghan, Armstrong, Jenkins, Barnes. Substitute: Taylor did not play.

WATFORD demonstrated the route back to the hearts and souls of soccer's missing millions as they combined with Southampton on Tuesday night to produce a barn-storming thriller, played with cup-tie fervour, which must have made even the most jaundiced of Saints' fans feel they had received value for money.

Perhaps the moment which epitomised the attitude of the night came for me when a local Pressman exclaimed: "Watford are 3-1 up away from home and still playing 4-2-4".

Graham Taylor, down in the director's box close to the crowd heard a similar comment from a nearby Southampton fan, who said: "They've come here to win. They've got two wingers!"

Watford attacked and attacked and kept right on attacking even when 3-1 up and this very approach, combined with shrewd execution of their basic pattern of play, made Southampton look second-rate for much of the game.

The Hornets once again touched the heights to Southampton's cost to chalk up their biggest away win in the League since the Third Division days when they beat Lincoln 5-0 in 1978.

There was some vintage stuff from flankmen Nigel Callaghan and John Barnes; some superb defensive work and much midfield tenacity as Watford produced all the hallmarks of their best play. When they look good, they look very good and for the second match in succession, Division One opponents took on the overall appearance of an ordinary side.

Perhaps it is their style, possibly that extra commitment but Watford have shaken two Division One teams to a degree not so often seen in their rise through the lower divisions.

At the after-match press conference, Taylor pointed out that Southampton hit the woodwork twice when the score was 3-1, but Watford had similar clear-cut opportunities and at one stage, seemed to be queuing up to score - situations which projected through a further 12 months of composure and experience, would probably have been more productive.

Man-of-the-match was Nigel Callaghan, whose display had one section musing to the chant "Nigel Callaghan walks on water" while the main body of Watford supporters chanted "We want eight." Callaghan poached one, took another superbly and brilliantly created a third. Unless this campaign is to reach even dizzier heights than even the increasingly optimistic band of Watford supporters can currently imagine, Callaghan's second goal and his overall display will be on the honours list next May.

"We knew what to expect. We just didn't cope," admitted McMenemy, perhaps seeking to hide behind the slightly glib assessment of "Four crosses, four goals". There were of course 18 crosses, but Watford scored from four.

It was one hell of a game and it was a pity more Watford fans were not allowed to see it - Southampton's 1,000 ticket restriction being made to look pretty mean in the light of a far-from-capacity crowd.

But the near 20,000 attendance saw football as it was meant to be played. Conviction, pace, skill and constant attacking had Pressman complaining of wrist-ache as they sought to note the succession of goalmouth incidents.

Sherwood provided the odd spectacular save but he had a quieter night than his opposite number, who was far from impressive as he conceded more goals in a night than had been put past him in the World Cup finals. Shilton made some fine saves, but looked so very vulnerable to crosses behind a static defence.

Other much-vaunted stars such as Fashanu, impressed earlier on but were reduced to the level of mediocrity as they faded in the exacting pace and were out-anticipated by a determined Watford rearguard.

David Armstrong was the only Saint to really impress but he lacked the service Watford provided their front men.

One trusts Les Shapter will have better games, for this referee seemed harsh on Watford and lenient on Southampton, booking at a ratio of 2-1, while allowing Alan Ball to run 20 yards to crouch for nearly half a minute doing up his laces in front of the ball, as Watford prepared to take a free kick.

Such time-wasting deserved a booking as it went against the grain of a swiftly flowing, well-competed game.

Southampton played with more pep and verve than did Everton on Saturday but certain individuals attempted to play with insufficient urgency, as if believing Watford's pace and commitment were just a passing phase.

It was great stuff for Watford, who have now beaten the teams that finished eighth and seventh in last season's Division One table.

It was soon apparent that this was to be a different game from Saturday as Fashanu was almost put through in the very first attack and, as Watford came back, Callaghan's header into the path of Jenkins was whisked off the striker's foot for a corner.

And when Lohman misread a dribble by Barnes, as he eeled between two opponents, and he (the Dutchman) obstructed his colleague, Mr Shapter gave Watford a free kick which led to yet another Watford corner. This saw Callaghan cross to the far post where Barnes seemed certain to head home, but caught the side-netting instead.

Then Callaghan, repeating Saturday's athleticism, cut inside and sent in a potent shot before Blissett's long through ball caused Shilton, stretching, to mis-punch straight to Lohman, who fired over. Watford were very much on top during this early spell and Jenkins then went close when he skimmed a Callaghan cross past the face of the goal.

Watford had already established supremacy and squandered a few chances before they scored. The breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Rostron's corner was pushed out to Blissett who headed back into the centre. Armstrong headed for goal, Shilton blocked it and as players converged, Callaghan was there to hook the ball into the net.

Armstrong featured strongly in another promising attack before Puckett, breaking strongly down the right, sent in a shot which was deflected by Rostron just past the far post.

Fashanu, Lawrence and Puckett looked a useful trio at this stage and Rostron was having a difficult time. When a cross came in from the right from Alan Ball in the 17th minute, Bolton's header struck Fashanu and rebounded off Bolton's back, right into the path of Lawrence who promptly drilled his first goal for the club, wide of Sherwood.

Fashanu pounced on to a weak Rostron back-pass but drove across the face of goal and went closer when he turned to scoop a corner goalwards, only for Sherwood to tip the effort over the bar. That was the Saints' best spell but, after that, Rostron gained an increasing grip of Puckett and the threat of Fashanu and Lawrence faded leaving Armstrong as their main and most impressive player.

In the 28th minute, Lohman inspired a break and worked the ball to Armstrong who shot wide but, in the 33rd, Watford regained the lead with a magnificent goal. Barnes jinked past Wright with a dip of the shoulder and a neat soft-shoe-shuffle before sending over a cross which curled away from Shilton and the Watford big men. With only Callaghan, not renowned for his ability in the air, to contest it, the cause seemed lost. But the youngster, who exploded on to the scene in that dramatic 7-1 win, proved our doubts were adrift.

Rising behind the full back he jackknifed to send the ball beyond Shilton for a stunningly executed second goal.

Then Watford forging forward again saw Lohman pounce on a loose ball and extract a good save from Shilton. Sherwood comfortably held a low 20-yard drive from Puckett; Lohman was booked for a retaliatory foul on Williams, who sinned unpunished for much of the game, before Callaghan brought the half to a close when he picked up a loose ball and, while waiting for colleagues to join him, arrogantly dribbled back and forth past three players.

"I wouldn't have minded if he had hit the corner flag after that dribble", said Taylor afterwards. Callaghan in fact finished off with a shot wide of the far post.

But he was back soon after the break. On the right he gathered the ball in the 48th minute, moved in on the full back and then sent in one of those low trajectory crosses which seem to be judged to the centimetre in order to avoid and clear the defenders heads before dropping for Armstrong to head firmly past Shilton.

Southampton stormed back with Fashanu, feeding David Armstrong who beat a static Sherwood with a curling effort, only to see the ball clip the far post and bounce out for Jackett to clear.

Then it was Callaghan, beating defenders both ways before feeding Armstrong who drove over the bar. In the 56th minute Rostron was booked for a foul on Ball before Callaghan broke through only to be denied of a hat-trick by the canny Shilton who later again went full length to save a Barnes drive.

Sherwood was soon back in action, juggling to save Armstrong's close-range effort and Watford had to thank the woodwork again when Puckett wriggled clear on the right from a free kick and hit the woodwork with another shot.

Watford's Armstrong picked out by a Rice pass as he moved behind the home defence, crossed for Barnes, whose shot was deflected away by a defender. Southampton came back picking up the ball from an errant Blissett clearance and forcing Sherwood to another save.

Then in the 77th minute Watford scored an extraordinary goal. Perhaps Shilton can be excused for expecting Jenkins to nod the ball back two yards out from the by-line, some four yards beyond the far post. Everyone expected that but then we were all caught by surprise, including both the referee and linesman.

Jenkins chested the ball into the path of Barnes who ran through the centre before pushing it out to Armstrong on the right. His deep cross found Jenkins, who promptly headed down to squeeze the ball in between Shilton and the near post. All was quiet as Southampton defender rushed to retrieve the ball from behind the gaol but as he made his vain trip, Shilton turned to retrieve it from the back of the net, while the referee and linesman recovered from their shock to signal a goal.

Shilton retrieved some of his damaged reputation by denying Callaghan again before some justice was brought to the booking stakes with the entering of Ball's name on the pad. The non-stop action ended with David Armstrong bringing a through ball down superbly, but failing to beat the able Sherwood - the best goalkeeper on the night.

January 21, 2002 16:00