9:45pm Tuesday 16th September 2008
By Simon Mail
Watford's winning run at Vicarage Road came to a grinding halt tonight after strugglers Plymouth sent them crashing to a 2-1 defeat.
Karl Duguid's excellent first-half strike and a penalty from Luke Summerfield made it a miserable week for the Hornets and eased the visitors' worries after a winless start to the season. John-Joe O'Toole struck his third goal of the season seven minutes from time but it was too little too late for Watford.
Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock made seven changes after their defeat to Norwich at the weekend which sent them bottom of the Championship. The Hornets were unchanged despite a lacklustre performance at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
Watford's first effort on target came after 15 minutes when Lloyd Doyley passed to Tamas Priskin and the Hungarian cut in from the right before hitting a tame shot which Romain Larrieu easily held.
The match was heading towards a stalemate after 30 minutes when the visitors took the lead with their first noteworthy effort on goal. Chris Clark's cross from the left was knocked back by Rory Fallon and Duguid lashed a half-volley beyond Mart Poom into the net.
The Hornets tried to respond immediately but Tommy Smith's touch let him down, and the ball rolled through to the goalkeeper, after the ball fell to him in the penalty area. Five minutes before half-time, Watford almost carved out an opportunity but Doyley's excellent cross was well defended with Priskin hovering dangerously.
Plymouth went close shortly afterwards when Paul Gallagher's free-kick from the edge of the area arrowed past the right-hand post. But the visitors had a scare when Smith's cross was dropped by Larrieu but the Frenchman recovered to claim the ball. It was largely uninspired football from both sides with the exception of the well crafted goal from the Pilgrims.
Aidy Boothroyd reacted to another ineffective showing by Priskin and replaced him with Will Hoskins at the start of the second half. The Hornets created the first chance of the second half when Mathias Doumbe's clearance was seized upon by John Eustace and the midfielder's half-volley was pushed around the post by Larrieu.
Watford were forced into a second substitution after 50 minutes when Doyley twisted his knee and he was immediately replaced by Adrian Mariappa.
Eustace again went close after 53 minutes when he cracked a fierce volley, heading for the goal, but fortunately for the visitors it deflected off a defender.
But the hosts missed the best chance by some margin soon afterwards when Leigh Bromby flicked on a free-kick and Hoskins somehow smashed his effort wide of the target from close-range.
Plymouth were not really threatening the home defence but they mustered a rare effort on goal after 66 minutes when Gallagher turned sharply and rifled a shot which Poom comfortably held. It sparked the visitors into life and Duguid almost added his second but his volley was charged down by a defender. The pressure on Watford's goal continued and Hoskins nearly turned the ball into his own net from a corner but it went out for another set piece.
But Watford conceded a penalty in the 71st minute when Jay DeMerit inexplicably handled the ball from Rory Fallon's header. Summerfield made no mistake as he sent Poom the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Boothroyd acted in desperation by throwing on Lionel Ainsworth in place of Jobi McAnuff. The pacy winger made an immediate impact by sending in a dangerous cross which Smith just failed to direct his header to the target.
It should have been 3-0 to the visitors in the 80th minute when Jamie Mackie's cross was headed against the crossbar by the lively Gallagher.
Watford did not give up and Hoskins should have done better after he was released but his effort went wide of the goal.
But they gave themselves a lifeline in the 83rd minute when Smith pulled back a corner and O'Toole maintained his scoring form by firing the ball into the net from yards out.
Plymouth had another chance to kill off the game late on when Mackie's cross was volleyed at goal by Gallagher but Poom was equal to the effort.
And Watford kept the pressure on with a series of long range efforts which were desperately blocked by the opposition defenders. Watford had the ball in the back of the net in injury time when Ainsworth headed on and Hoskins slid it underneath Larrieu but the linesman flagged for offside.
Watford: Poom; Doyley (Mariappa 50), Bromby, DeMerit, Harley; Eustace, O'Toole, Williamson, McAnuff (72); Smith, Priskin (Hoskins HT).
Subs: Loach, Bangura.
Plymouth: Larrieu; Doumbe, Cathcart, Seip, Paterson (Barker 57); Summerfield, Duguid, Clark; Mackie, Gallagher (Foally 89), Fallon.
Subs: Marin, Mpenza, Barker, Easter.
Booked: Doumbe Referee: Clive Penton Attendance: 13,237.
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