BRADFORD City's keeper Gary Walsh turned to Watford fans behind the goal during the match and jokingly asked one for a slice of pie. When a pie was thrown in his direction, he picked it up and took a bite.

While such camaraderie between rivals is to be welcomed, it also served as an observation on the amount of work Walsh had to undertake.

Watford, against Portsmouth and Bradford, (and again against Cambridge) have provided little work for the keepers yet have finished with maximum points from games they might just as well as lost.

Is this a case of happenstance, which I personally believe is responsible for some 30 per cent of football theories and reputations, or another example of Watford's undeniable mental strength that they can keep pegging away and grind out a result against the evidence of our own eyes?

No one in the Watford camp denied that Bradford enjoyed and wasted the calibre of chances about which the Hornets' forwards dream. City could have been a couple of goals to the good by the interval and the hapless Rankin enjoyed and spurned another great opening after the break when his pace unhinged the home defence.

Even Graham Taylor, who, at the moment, is undergoing a pick 'n' mix process, admitted that had City scored earlier, it would have been "hard" for the Hornets to have come back.

It has long been established that the further you rise in the League the more clinical the finishing and there are a number of Third Division strikers who would have been distraught had they failed to find the net as often as Rankin, let alone someone who has cost £1.3m. The City boss claimed that the player's debut had been impressive, which was at best supportive or more probably a case of turning the telescope to the blind eye.

However, Easton looked the part, was in control of his patch and behind him the likes of Robinson and Yates, with his emergent fitness, were influential. Remembering that Mills also cost £1m, Bradford must have cast envious eyes at Ngonge, who cost nothing.

The enthusiasm and pace of the striker, who is also short of match practice, was impressive. After a lengthy opening spell during which Bradford dominated, it was a sliding tackle from Ngonge that enlivened the crowd and his team mates, prompting Watford to finish the first half with the greater possession even if they had not seriously opened up the visiting defence.

With a change of formation and new partnerships throughout the team, Watford had that appearance of being a convention of strangers, but they slowly came to terms with elements of understanding. Their second-half showing was more incisive but they still let Rankin break clean away and took some time before curbing the threat of Beagrie.

Plainly, Watford's line-up, given more time to settle and establish itself, is capable of improvement but creating only one clear-cut chance, mustering just four on-target attempts and allowing the opposition a trio of excellent opportunities, is not usually the best approach to obtaining three points.

Rosenthal and Daley, who both seek to recapture their old sparkle after what are differing lengths out with injury, are extremely impressive substitutes for anyone outside the Premiership to call upon.

It was interesting that, soon after the substitutions, the Hornets took the lead and it could be said that the substitutions also worked at Portsmouth, turning the tide Watford's way. There was a touch of anxiety in the Bradford camp. They had spent so long looking capable and spurning chances to win, it was almost as if they felt the winds of fortune were about to change.

After falling behind, they had some moments, notably with Beagrie popping up in different positions, but Watford finally shut up shop. It was unusual to see a Taylor side fielding five defenders in front of the keeper, with instructions to stay back, but it was most certainly effective.

Briefly, the action commenced with Rankin firing against the post, then Bolland went through, latching onto a headed clearance and, with only Chamberlain to beat, rolled the ball to the keeper.

Rankin then blazed over a good chance after 23 minutes before Beagrie tested Chamberlain in the 40th minute with their first shot on target. The half finished with Watford going close from Ngonge's header but City were back causing anxiety soon after the break when Beagrie sent a dipping shot over the bar following a free kick.

When Rankin's speed took him clear of the Watford defence, it looked a certain goal but Chamberlain spread himself well and gathered what was a tame shot from the £1.3m man. Easton had a shot pulled down and after Ngonge had given Watford the lead, Kennedy came close to adding a second. His well-struck free kick eluded a defender and Walsh was forced to move late to punch the ball away.

Beagrie and Lawrence had half-chances but eventually Watford ran out the winners - Taylor's reaction to a bad decision over a throw-in indicative of the final tension of the afternoon.

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