9:45pm Tuesday 2nd February 2010
By Anthony Matthews
Watford ended their seven-game winless streak – and jumped five places in the table as a result – with an impressive 3-0 victory over Sheffield United tonight.
Playing their first game at Vicarage Road for 37 days, the Hornets started to take control from midway through the opening period and deservedly went in front when Tom Cleverley capitalised on a defensive mix-up six minutes before the break to head in his tenth of the season.
More poor defending from the Blades allowed Heidar Helguson, who could have netted a hat-trick, to add a second ten minutes after the restart before a somewhat fortuitous Don Cowie free-kick wrapped up a first win for Watford in almost two months.
Malky Mackay gave a debut to new signing Martin Taylor in the only change from the 3-2 defeat at Blackpool a week-and-a-half ago, with Lee Hodson rested after being an ever-present in the matchday 18 this term.
Sheffield United had the first chance of the game when Jay DeMerit could only head the ball straight to Stephen Quinn just inside the area but his half volley was sliced comfortably over the bar.
Watford enjoyed their share of possession in the opening ten minutes without really creating anything of note.
The home side had a slight scare from a James Harper inswinging corner in the 11th minute when Scott Loach just about managed to tip the delivery away under pressure from former Hornet Darius Henderson.
United had another half chance which they should have done more with when Jamie Ward was quickest to react to a flick-on from a throw in but he failed to make decent contact and Loach easily saved.
There was nothing simple about the England Under-21 international's next stop though, as he saved low down from a point-blank Chris Morgan header following a Harper free-kick.
Watford had to wait until midway through the first half for their first attempt as Helguson's flick-on header was instinctively saved by Mark Bunn.
Helguson almost helped his side open the scoring soon after also, when he powered a header back across goal from a corner but neither DeMerit or Henri Lansbury were able to apply the final touch from close range.
The Hornets were starting to take control more as the half wore on and went even closer to scoring when Cleverley rattled the post with a 25-yard free-kick.
And that pressure paid off on 39 minutes when new signing Taylor launched a long ball from his own half and after Helguson dropped off and did not challenge, three United defenders left the ball for Bunn only to see Cleverley beat the on-rushing keeper to head into the empty net.
The link-up play between Lansbury and Cleverley has been one of the features of Watford's season so far and the on-loan pair helped create the space for Cleverley to send in a dangerous low cross wide right but Bunn dived on the ball before anyone could arrive.
Loach had to gather a Richard Cresswell header deep into injury time but the visitors created nothing of note in the later stages of the first half.
The visitors made a change at the start of the second half, with Mark Yeates replacing the ineffective Ward, but they really should have been two down within 60 seconds of the restart.
Jonathan Fortune totally fluffed a back pass, leaving Helguson one-on-one with Bunn, but the on-loan striker took too long to make up his mind what to do and although he got a shot away, Bunn was able to parry it to safety.
Another chance came and went after 49 minutes when a Mariappa long throw fell for Ross Jenkins and he fed Taylor in space on the right side of the six-yard box. The centre-half made the correct decision by playing in a low cross but no team-mate was able to get a touch.
But Helguson was to make no mistake when presented with another opportunity after 55 minutes. The Blades were caught out by another ball through their ranks and this time the Icelandic international struck it sweetly first time past Bunn to make it 2-0 and net his first at Vicarage Road since November.
Henderson became the third Blade to be booked after an incident with Lloyd Doyley on 64 minutes, but there was very nearly another moment to savour for the popular Hornets left-back soon after when he found himself with the chance to break onto a John Eustace pass on the edge of the area but the ball ran away from him.
Henderson’s evening came to an end after 69 minutes when he was replaced by Ched Evans but the former Hornets striker was given a superb ovation by the Rookery and he responded in kind by applauding them.
But the win was wrapped up five minutes later, albeit with a degree of good fortune, when Don Cowie drilled in a free-kick from all of 40 yards out wide on the left and the ball inexplicably missed everyone as it beat Bunn inside his far post.
Cleverley then made way for Danny Graham and he was soon into the action, seeking to get on the end of a Helguson knock down.
Still the home side kept coming forward, with Helguson picking out Lansbury on the right side of the area with a cross-field ball but the on-loan Arsenal man struck an ambitious first-time attempt wide.
Helguson made way for Will Hoskins with nine minutes remaining and he was soon forcing Nyron Nosworthy to concede a free-kick, for which he was booked. From the resultant set-piece, Jenkins saw a goal-bound effort blocked. The young midfielder was then replaced by Jon Harley.
Graham nearly ended his goal drought in sensational fashion with three minutes remaining when he attempted to latch onto a long ball forward, saw the pace taken off the ball by a defender’s head and struck a superb 20-yard half-volley which Bunn had to dive to push behind.
Nick Montgomery could have netted a consolation in the last minute of normal time, but he struck a rising drive from the right side of the area over. But there was still time for the Hornets to almost add a fourth when Hoskins capitalised on more sloppy defending from Nosworthy and curled a shot narrowly over.
Watford: Loach; Mariappa, DeMerit, Taylor, Doyley; Cowie, Jenkins (Harley, 83), Eustace; Lansbury, Cleverley (Graham, 76); Helguson (Hoskins, 81). Substitutes: McGinn, Lee, D Bennett and Bryan.
Sheffield United: Bunn; Geary, Morgan (Fortune, 41), Nosworthy, Stewart; Ward (Yeates, 46), Harper, Montgomery, Quinn; Cresswell, Henderson (Evans, 69). Substitutes: France, Evans, Williamson, I Bennett and Camara.
Bookings: Harper for a foul on Eustace after 15 mins; Quinn for a foul on Loach after 28 mins; Henderson for a foul on Doyley after 64 mins; Nosworthy for a foul on Hoskins after 82 mins.
Attendance: 13,076.
Referee: Keith Hill.
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