Strong defensive display holds leaders

7:12pm Saturday 11th March 2006

WATFORD moved another point closer to faltering Sheffield United in the race for the second automatic promotion spot after claiming a deserved goalless draw at leaders Reading on Saturday, March 11.

A game of few chances saw the home side come closest to taking all three points in the first-half but a magnificent goalline interception from Malky Mackay prevented Ibrahima Sonko from scoring a simple tap-in. But the centre-half's determination personified a sterling defensive display by the Hornets, who were well worth a point and ended the Royals' outstanding run of ten consecutive home wins in the process, as the second-placed Blades went down 2-0 at Coventry.

Adrian Boothroyd made three changes to the side which drew with Derby but pulled off one major surprise, leaving the Championship's leading scorer Marlon King on the bench. Darius Henderson, as expected, returned, as did Jay DeMerit and Anthony McNamee, with Clarke Carlisle and broken foot victim Hameur Bouazza making way.

With the injured Steve Sidwell and Glen Little unavailable, Steve Coppell was forced into one change from the team which saw off Burnley 3-0 last time out. Dave Kitson returned to the starting XI in place of Leroy Lita, who sustained a broken leg at Turf Moor, while former Hornet Bryn Gunnarsson kept his place in the heart of midfield.

Both sides started in an attacking vein but it was Reading who had the better of the opening exchanges, although it was the visitors who had the first attempt after nine minutes when Ashley Young dragged a shot wide from 25 yards.

However, the home side had an opportunity soon after when Matthew Spring was dispossessed by John Oster, who ran at the heart of the Watford defence before slipping in Kitson, whose shot was blocked by DeMerit. The visitors then had to survive a penalty appeal when Mackay went shoulder-to-shoulder with Kevin Doyle in the area, but referee Steve Tanner wasn't interested. The Royals maintained the pressure with a long Nicky Shorey free-kick picking out the head of Sonko, ten yards out, but his attempt went across the goal and wide.

Watford produced the next attempt, with McNamee striking an ambitious half-volley from the left angle of the area which went wide, before Bobby Convey fired an effort over from just inside the edge of the area after DeMerit had failed to get sufficient distance on a clearing header.

But the best opportunity of the game so far fell to Watford after 20 minutes. Chris Eagles took on and beat Sonko down the right before sending over a cross from the by-line which Marcus Hahnemann could only push out as far as Spring but, from 12 yards out, he fired a left-footed shot over. The midfielder was also off target with an effort on his more favoured right foot after a long Lloyd Doyley throw from the right had been partially cleared to the edge of the area.

The Hornets had another reasonable sight of goal after 28 minutes when a fine Gavin Mahon ball from the left picked out Young in space, but instead of advancing into the area he chose to go for the early shot from 22 yards and hit it wide of the far post. Next Henderson did well to win back the ball on the left before floating over a cross but a stretching Spring couldn't direct his header on target.

But Reading went closer still when a long Hahnemann clearance ran right the way through to Kitson, who got goalside of the defence but, after a couple of touches which pushed him to the right side of the area he fired badly over with only Ben Foster to beat.

Young did have the ball in the net on 33 minutes but the whistle had long since blown for a foul by Henderson. Two minutes later Convey was bizarrely booked for taking a free-kick too quickly, but that was the prelude to a rapid-fire sequence of events.

First, Shorey struck the 30-yard set-piece straight at Foster, then Convey played in a cross from the left, Kitson glanced on and Sonko looked to have a simple finish at the far post but Mackay produced an amazing clearance, hooking the ball backwards to safety off his own goalline. Watford immediately counter-attacked, with McNamee marauding clear down the left and his cross broke for Young, who took time to steady himself in the D before unleashing a goal-bound right-footed half-volley that was deflected behind.

However, Watford survived another let-off in first-half injury-time when Kitson was given far too much space to latch onto Oster's low cross from the right, and the striker slid the ball past Foster but Doyley did well to get across and block as the opening period finished goalless.

Having kept the Royals at bay in the first-half, Boothroyd introduced King at the start of the second period for McNamee, with Young switching to the left flank.

It took until 53 minutes for the first attempt of the second-half to arrive when Young clipped in a free-kick from the right and Mackay won the ball, with his back to goal, and then hooked a shot wide.

The Hornets then withstood their second penalty appeal of the match when Henderson was adjudged to have chested, and not handled, an Oster free-kick in the area, but chances were few and far between after the break, although Spring lashed an ambitious 25-yard attempt wide after 62 minutes.

But the visitors then forced two corners in quick succession and a reasonable spell of pressure ended with Henderson flicking on a long throw which, had it bounced in front of King, may well have caused the Reading defence big problems.

The game then opened up momentarily, with Eagles shooting straight at Hahnemann from 20 yards before Convey struck an effort from the edge of the area over at the other end. Gavin Mahon was the next to try his luck from distance but his shot was blocked.

Another reasonable opening fell the Hornets way after 74 minutes but King was unable to keep his snap-shot inside the area down following an aerial tussle involving Henderson.

There was a moment of concern for the visitors a minute later when Reading were awarded a free-kick in a good position on the edge of the area but Shorey was unable to keep his curled set-piece down. This was immediately followed by the home side's first substitution, with Stephen Hunt replacing Oster.

Al Bangura came on for Young with seven minutes remaining, and then Gunnarsson was yellow carded for a foul on the substitute.

A goal was still looking elusive, although Ivar Ingimarsson had one as the game entered injury-time, but he headed Shorey's corner from the left over.

The last opportunity fell to King when Spring's header gave him the opportunity to attack the right side of the area but Hahnemann held his low cross-shot, but neither side could feel hard done by the outcome.

Reading: Hahnemann; Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey; Oster, Gunnarsson, Harper, Convey; Kitson, Doyle. Substitutes: Hunt for Oster after 66 mins; Halls, Makin, Long and Halls not used.

Watford: Foster; Doyley, DeMerit, Mackay, Stewart; Eagles, Spring, Mahon, McNamee; Young, Henderson. Substitutes: King for McNamee after 45 mins; Bangura for Young after 83 mins; Chambers, Carlisle and Chamberlain not used.

Bookings: Convey for taking a free-kick too quickly after 35 mins; Gunnarsson for a foul on Bangura after 88 mins.

Attendance: 23,724.

Referee: Steve Tanner (Bristol).