Sport: Local and national sport in and around Watford - Watford Observer

Watford vs Doncaster Rovers

• Kick off: 3:00pm Sat 8 Aug 09
• Referee: Neil Swarbrick
• Venue: Vicarage Road

Final score:

Watford 1 - 1 Doncaster Rovers

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93:00: Although the game has ended, we will be leaving the live report open for another couple of hours so feel free to discuss today's match. Today was the first time we have used the live reports so if you have encountered any problems, please leave a comment. Thanks,

93:00: Final whistle The game ends Watford 1 Doncaster 1. Probably a fair result on reflection.

90:00: Referee has indicated three minutes of injury time left

87:00: Substitution James O'Connor comes on for John Spicer

81:00: Severin back on after treatment

81:00: The impressive Severin is tackled from behind just as he was about to pull the trigger from 20 yards and remained down

80:00: Tommy Smith has a tame shot from distance easily saved by Sullivan. Watford are on top but are not really troubling Rovers' goal

79:00: Severin smashed volley into row Z after goal-mouth scramble

76:00: Substitution Will Hoskins comes on for Jobi McAnuff

74:00: Substitution New signing John Oster comes on for the disappointing Paul Heffernan

71:00: Mariappa long throw was headed just wide of the far post by Tommy Smith

69:00: Big penalty appeal for Watford. Graham was pulled down in the box by Adam Lockwood six yards out but the ref rejected the appeals

67:00: Substitution First substitution of the game. Dean Shiels off and James Coppinger on

65:00: Smith deflected shot from range easily gathered by Sullivan

62:00: Jenkins is having more licence to go forward playing with Severin and the 18-year-old had a volley from 18 yards go narrowly over

60:00: Smith through one on one with Roberts, the full back fell and was obstructing the ball but the ref blew up against Smith for trying to retrieve the ball. Poor decision which could have led to a Watford goal

56:00: Loach just made an outstanding save when Gareth Roberts flicked on Stock's corner and Shiels was at the back post. Shiels was two yards out and Loach managed to scramble across the goal to claw the ball away before it went over the line. The referee dismissed the expected Doncaster appeals

55:00: Jay DeMerit cleared a Doncaster free kick straight to Stock on the edge of the area and his half volley was well parried away by Loach

54:00: Doncaster have been playing a high defensive line and Severin put Graham through but again veteran Sullivan was off his line in a flash

50:00: Attendance for today is 15,636. Doncaster fans make up 1,419 of the attendance.

49:00: Watford started the second period stronger and had the first chance through Tommy Smith, although you could hardly call it a shot. The forward's left-footed cross hit the cross bar

45:00: Second half has kicked off and neither side has made any changes

45:00: Just off for a half-time soft drink (it's too warm for a cuppa!), but thanks to those of you who have commented so far. Oh and some guy's just proposed to his girlfriend at half-time on the pitch...and she's said yes!! Congratulations to the happy couple! All we need is a Watford win now and everyone will be happy!

45:00: Half time And that's it after one minute of stoppage time. 1-1 is probably a fair reflection of the game so far, but I'm just picking myself off the floor after hearing the scoring from Carrow Road. Norwich 0, Colchester 5!! Bets on the final score anyone?

40:00: Audacious attempt that nearly pays off. McAnuff tries to latch onto Mariappa's ball down the inside right channel, Sullivan beats him too it, the ball runs out to Severin at least 35 yards out tight to the right touchline, but he hits it first time and the ball looked on target until it was headed clear. Worth a crack...

38:00: Watford 1 Doncaster 1. Stock lifts in the ball from the left and Hayter gets ahead of Doyley to loop a header over Loach from all of 16 yards. Should Scott have done better? Possibly...but he wouldn't have expected an attempt from there and it was a superb effort.

38:00: Goal! Oh dear! One apiece now. Hayter equalises.

34:00: Another chance for the Golden Boys. Severin is chopped down 22 yards out after Smith launches a surging counter-attack, but Cowie lifts the set-piece over the bar.

30:00: That should settle the Hornets down...and a quick footnote to the goal. Remember the 'super Tamas Priskin' chant? Well it's now 'super Danny Graham'. Worth baring in mind if you couldn't make it today.

27:00: Watford 1 Doncaster 0. Doncaster fail to clear a Cowie free-kick from the left side of the area, Smith hits a shot-cum-cross back across the box and there's Watford's new signing lurking at the back post to tap home from barely two yards out. And that was also Watford's first attempt on goal.

27:00: Goal! Get in there! Graham gets Watford's season up and running!

23:00: Slight technical glitch - it won't be the first time we use that phrase this season - but now back with you. Nothing new to report, apart from Rovers still look the better side.

15:00: The game's calmed down a bit, but it's the visitors who have made the more composed start.

11:00: And now Jenkins slips over in the centre of the park. No harm done, but not the most reassuring sight to see.

9:00: First sight of an opening for the visitors. The ball is played down the right flank, DeMerit slips and lets in Heffernan and breaks into the right side of the area before squaring for a team-mate, but Jenkins tracks back really well to guide the ball back to Loach.

5:00: Donny win the first corner of the campaign at the Vic, DeMerit heads it to the edge of the box, a shot comes back in but Watford clear their lines.

3:00: Predictably frenetic start from both sides. Watford win a free-kick in a promising position left of centre of the Rovers' box. It's taken quickly and McAnuff is in space...only to stand on the ball.

1:00: Watford attacking the Rookery in the first-half, but a quick footnote to the 'Sir Bobby tribute'. Brilliantly observed - well done to both the Watford and Donny fans! And the first insulting chant of the campaign is directed to a certain manager now at Reading!

0:00: Referee Neil Swarbrick blows the first whistle of the season and a new season is underway. Come on you 'Orns!

0:00: We'll shortly be having a minute's applause for the late Sir Bobby Robson. Hopefully it will be well observed because the great man deserves it.

-40:00: And the teams are emerging from the tunnel to a great reception from a pretty much full Vicarage Road. The Rookery, in particular, is in good voice for the season opener. And the weather has turned up too! Lovely warm day and the pitch is in great nick as well.

-40:00: Doncaster boss Sean O’Driscoll has been busy in the transfer market in the run-up to the game, but the manager has stuck by the tried and tested for his first team of the season. His line-up includes Watford old boy James Chambers, who has recovered from an ankle injury to take his place in starting line-up. Of the new signings, John Oster and Mustapha Dumbuya are on the bench, but former Manchester United player Quinton Fortune and Byron Webster miss out after they failed to receive international clearance in time. Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan; Chambers, Lockwood, Hird, Roberts; Spicer, Stock, Woods, Shiels; Hayter, Heffernan. Substitutes: O’Connor, Guy, Smith, Wilson, Oster, Dumbuya, Coppinger.

-40:00: No surprises in the Watford team. Following Tamas Priskin’s departure to Ipswich Town, Tommy Smith will partner new signing Danny Graham up front, with the fit-again Jobi McAnuff and Don Cowie operating out wide. Another new face, Scott Severin, lines up in the centre of the park alongside Ross Jenkins. The bench is interesting though, not least because there are now seven replacements to select from. Nathan Ellington is back after his trial at Blackburn Rovers and is included in a substitutes’ list that also includes Will Hoskins, John Eustace and youngsters Michael Bryan and Lee Hodson. Watford: Loach; Mariappa, DeMerit, Williamson, Doyley; McAnuff, Jenkins, Severin, Cowie; Smith, Graham. Substitutes: Harley, Lee, Hoskins, Ellington, Eustace, Bryan, Hodson.

-40:00: Today's game should be a close one if last season is anything to go by. The Hornets finished one place above Doncaster in 13th position but both sides ended the campaign on 58 points. Today is the first time Watford have played at Vicarage Road on the opening day of the season for fours seasons. The Hornets may take heart from the fact Doncaster have not beaten them in their last five visits to Hertfordshire and have failed to score in three of their last four opening-day fixtures.

-40:00: Good afternoon and welcome to the Watford Observer's new Live Match Reports service. This new format of bringing you the action from Watford's games is replacing the previous on-the-whistle match reports. Prior to the match Anthony Matthews and Frank Smith will be bringing you team news and other useful facts ahead of the game. Then, once the match has begun, updates will be uploaded on a regular basis. Supporters will also be able to comment on the match prior to kick-off, during the game and after the final whistle has been blown. This will enable fans to discuss the match but you can also ask us questions on the action and we will attempt to answer them. This is the first time we will be doing a live match report so we would ask you to bare with us if there are any teething problems.

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