12:39pm Wednesday 10th March 2010
By Frank Smith
Malky Mackay was left “frustrated” as Watford were unable to break down a resilient Swansea City last night and secure the three points he believes his side deserved.
“I am frustrated, like my players are,” Mackay said.
“I think the amount of chances we created tonight, we certainly deserved something if not all three points with the amount of possession we had and the amount of ball that were scrambled around the Swansea box.”
It was end-to-end in the first half and both sides had a combined total of 22 efforts at goal.
Shefki Kuqi had already hit the post before he made it 1-0 after 18 minutes and Scott Loach did well to deny Craig Beattie.
But it was Watford who had the best opportunities in an excellent first-half display.
Danny Graham and Jay DeMerit had attempts blocked on the line and Dorus de Vries denied Heidar Helguson and Jon Harley in the first half.
Helguson, DeMerit and Henri Lansbury also had efforts go narrowly over in the opening 45 minutes.
“At times it was as good as we have played,” Mackay said about his side’s first-half display.
“We peppered their box and at times, through sheer luck, the ball didn’t end up in the net. The keeper made a magnificent save off Jon Harley’s header, Heidar had two or three and the one off the line as well.”
Swansea are the masters of 1-0 wins and it showed in the second half as they got 11 men behind the ball and sat deep.
Watford went very direct most of the second half but Mackay, and most of the people inside Vicarage Road, felt the Hornets deserved a penalty on 72 minutes when Adrian Mariappa was brought down.
Mackay said: “He made a great run inside two players and the guy has come across him and not touched the ball and body-checked him and Adrian is still in control of the ball.
“For me it is inside the box and a clear penalty but I am not surprised [it was not given].”
He added: “It would certainly have been easier for the referee to give that if it had been 30 yards from goal and maybe the linesman may have even joined in as well.”
Watford have now lost three league games on the bounce for the first time since November 2008 and sit just two points above the drop zone.
Mackay said: “We have got to make sure we win as many games as we can between now and the end of the season. There are still 13 games to go and there are a lot of points up for grabs.
“If we keep playing like that, the ball will drop for us and we will win games.”
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