Saturday, January 30, 1999

Without a goal in three games and without a win in five, Watford's promotion push was wobbling as runaway first division leaders Sunderland arrived at Vicarage Road.

The profile of the fixture proved a rallying point, as a crowd in excess of 20,000 roared the Hornets to a 2-1 victory.

Most memorable of the goals was Gifton Noel-Williams' second-half winner, trapping the ball on his chest from a looping Ben Iroha throw-in and then hooking a shot over his shoulder to score from a tight angle.

The young striker, making his 100th senior appearance, subsequently suffered an injury that was to limit him to three outings in the next 18 months and restrict his later career.

Reproduced by kind permission of Matt Rowson from his book, Watford FC On This Day