9:50pm Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Anthony Matthews
Watford maintained their impressive home form with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Bristol City at Vicarage Road tonight.
First-half goals from Heidar Helguson, with his eighth of the season, and Martin Taylor’s first for the club put the Hornets firmly in the driving seat at the interval.
Although the visitors improved after an abject display in the opening half, with the exception of one fine save from Scott Loach they rarely looked like breaking through the Hornets’ organised defensive ranks.
With Tom Cleverley still not fit to return, Malky Mackay made just the one change from Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Barnsley, with Danny Graham returning at the expense of Ross Jenkins.
The Hornets started well and had the first chance in the third minute when Martin Taylor headed a Don Cowie corner narrowly wide.
Louis Carey headed wide at the other end, but Watford were well on top in the early stages and their supremacy was deservedly rewarded in the 14th minute when Adrian Mariappa sent over a fine cross from the right and Helguson pulled off his man to score with a trademark header to make it 1-0.
Boosted by the goal, the Hornets continued to dominate and Henri Lansbury and Lloyd Doyley had efforts blocked before a deserved second arrived in the 34th minute.
Alvaro Saborlo became the second City player to be booked in three minutes for a crude challenge on Jay DeMerit and Lansbury struck the resultant free-kick precisely to the back post where Taylor stole in to guide home his first Hornets goal from a tight angle on the right side of the six-yard box.
City were abject in the opening period and it was no surprise that boss Gary Johnson made a double change at the restart, bringing on Marvin Elliott and Ivan Sproule for Saborlo and Jamie McAllister respectively.
And, but for fine save from Scott Loach, the visitors would have reduced the deficit six minutes after the restart when Liam Fontaine was left totally unmarked to connect with Lee Johnson’s free-kick from the right, but the England Under-21 stopper superbly tipped his header over.
The visitors continued to try and force their way back into the contest, with Patrick Agyemang heading narrowly over, but the Hornets defending was largely calm and assured and they were able to see out the remainder of the game with few alarms.
Watford: Loach; Mariappa, DeMerit, Taylor, Doyley; Cowie, Eustace, Lansbury (Jenkins, 84), Harley; Graham (Henderson, 71), Helguson. Not used: McGinn, Lee, Bennett, Bryan and Hodson.
Bristol City: Gerken; Orr, Carey, Fontaine, Nyatanga, McAllister (Sproule, 46); Johnson; Skuse, Clarkson; Saborlo (Elliott, 46), Agyemang. Not used: Hartley, Collis, Williams, Sproule, Wilson and Edwards.
Bookings: Skuse; Saborlo; Nyatanga; Fontaine; Elliott.
Attendance: 12,179.
Referee: Danny McDermid.
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