Hornets fail to spoil Canaries' party

5:12pm Saturday 24th April 2004

WATFORD failed to take the gloss off Norwich City's promotion celebrations as the Division One leaders celebrated their elevation to the Premiership with a 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road on Saturday, April 24.

Goals from Damien Francis and Leon McKenzie's controversial second put the Canaries in control in front of their 4,000-plus travelling fans, who were in real party mood. However, Sean Dyche, with a 30-yard blockbuster, skimmed the bar, before Dominic Blizzard, named on the bench for the first time, pulled one back with his first senior goal. And but for the intervention of the woodwork again, Bruce Dyer would have earned a point late on.

Not surprsingly, Ray Lewington kept faith with the same team that performed so magnificently to turn the game on its head at Milwall in mid-week, but there was one noticeable change on the bench, with Blizzard winning a first outing in the 16, in place of Paolo Vernazza.

Fresh from winning promotion to the promised land without kicking a ball, like West Bromwich Albion shortly before kick-off, Canaries boss Nigel Worthington also named an unchanged line-up from the side that demolished Walsall 5-0 last weekend.

It was the visitors who had the first chance inside the opening two minutes when the ball was played in from the left and McKenzie brought it down, before firing a low drive on the turn wide of the near post.

Norwich continued to have the better of the early stages, and they had another chance after nine minutes when a low Darren Huckerby cross from the left was only cleared as far as Adam Drury, who drove the ball back in and Mathias Svensson deflected it over the top.

Having been on the back foot for most of the opening 20 minutes, Watford had an opportunity when a Lee Cook corner from the left was headed down and wide by Gavin Mahon following a useful counter-attack started by Dyer's lovely lay-off on the turn to Hameur Bouazza.

The Hornets then began to enjoy a better period, with Bouazza testing keeper Robert Green after cutting in from the right following a fine pass from Cook.

But on 29 minutes the Watford defence were cut open by a good move. Kevin Cooper, in space, advanced before playing in McKenzie inside the area, and he laid a reverse pass off to Francis, who slid a low shot beyond Alec Chamberlain to give Norwich a 1-0 lead.

Watford did have a shot on 38 minutes when Dyer tried his luck from 25 yards after beng found by Hyde, although the effort went well wide, as did Gary Holt's attempt at the other end soon after.

Hyde then forced Green to go to ground to save a low drive after a shooting opportunity didn't quite open up for Mahon on the edge of the area, as the opening half drew to a close.

Dyer had the first attempt of the second-half, firing straight at Green from the edge of the area, after linking up with Devlin, but then Chamberlain was fortunate not to escape for handling outside his area. However, from the free-kick after 47 minutes Watford were punished. Cooper flighted over the set-piece from the left edge of the area and McKenzie mistimed his header, only for the ball to strike his left shoulder and loop beyond Chamberlain to hand the Canaries a 2-0 advantage.

Having offered little in the second period, Watford came within inches of levelling from the most unusal of sources after 61 minutes. A free-kick was played forward into the area to Dyer, who held it before laying it back to Sean Dyche, and the centre-half let fly from fully 30 yards, with Green completely beaten as the ball skimmed the top of the bar.

However, it didn't stop Lewington from making a double change a minute later, with Scott Fitzgerald replacing Bouazza and Blizzard coming on for his debut in place of Hyde.

Watford had another chance after 70 minutes when Dyer flicked a long Paul Mayo throw into the path of Fitzgerald, but the striker chose to go it alone and curled his shot over the top.

Devlin pulled a shot wide of the near post as the Hornets continued to look for a way back, but without any real conviction, only to disprove that theory with 13 minutes left in fairytale fashion. A Chris Baird throw-in from the right was cleared as far as Devlin, who hooked a shot back into the area, which Blizzard flicked across the face of Green with his head to register his first senior goal.

Five minutes later, Watford were so nearly level.

Devlin fed Fitzgerald on the overlap down the right, and he drove in a low cross, which Dyer managed to get his foot round at the far post, only to see it cannon to safety off the woodwork.

Huckerby, under strong pressure from Dyche, screwed a shot wide of the near post at the other end, and then Francis went even closer with a volley from the edge of the area that he pulled wide of the target.

Chamberlain did well to deny Huckerby with three minutes left after he tricked his way past Baird following Green's long throw out, as the League leaders managed to hold out for another three points of their triumphant campaign.

Watford: Chamberlain; Baird, Dyche, Gayle, Mayo; Devlin, Mahon, Hyde, Cook; Bouazza, Dyer. Substitutes: Fitzgerald for Bouazza and Blizzard for Hyde after 62 mins; Ardley, Doyley and Pidgeley not used.

Norwich City: Green; Edworthy, Fleming, Mackay, Drury; Cooper, Francis, Holt, Huckerby; McKenzie, Svensson. Substitutes: Mulryne for McKenzie after 69 mins; McVeigh for Cooper after 86 mins; Roberts for Svensson after 89 mins; Brennan and Crichton not used.

Bookings: Mahon for a foul on Francis after 67 mins; Mackay for time-wasting after 88 mins.

Attendance: 19,290.

Referee: Mick Fletcher (Wolverley, Worcs).