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

Watford vs Leicester City

• Kick off: 3:00pm Sat 19 Sep 09
• Referee: Craig Pawson
• Venue: Vicarage Road

Final score:

Watford 3 - 3 Leicester City

• Comments(13)
• Have your say »

90:00: There is an inevitable sense of disappointment when you get pegged back in injury time but, let's be honest, we would have all taken a point at the interval. That was terrific from the Hornets after the restart and, as for that man Helguson, what can you say...see you next week at Reading for what should be another interesting afternoon...

90:00: Final whistle And that's it. Honours end even after a pulsating second half.

90:00: Chance for the Hornets. Ellington gets up well to meet a corner from the right but is unable to direct his header on target.

90:00: Not quite sure what happened there but Leicester broke down their left and substitute N'Guessan looked largely unmarked as he headed in.

90:00: Goal! Even worse...N'Guessan equalises.

90:00: Not what we wanted to see...the fourth official's board shows five extra minutes.

87:00: So close to a fourth for Watford. Leicester fail to properly clear their lines from a corner, Eustace lifts the ball back into the danger zone and it slices off the boot of Brown and on to Weale's left-hand post. Unfortunately Ellington is unable to react in time.

86:00: Substitution Watford's third and final change. Harley comes on for his obligatory substitute appearance in place of Cleverley. Today's attendance is also confirmed as 14,467, with a superb 2,243 making the journey down the M1 from Leicester.

85:00: This game isn't won yet. The ball is played in from the right and Adams connects well with a volley from the edge of the area that goes a yard over Loach's bar.

84:00: Neilson's gets some running repairs to a head wound, but the right-back is fine to continue.

82:00: Substitution What a real, real shame. Helguson goes down holding his right shin and limps out of the contest to be replaced by Ellington. Needless to say he - Helguson that is - is afforded a tremendous ovation.

77:00: Eustace switches to play to Hodson on the right, and spotting the run of Helguson, he delivers a peach of a ball to the far post where the Iceman pulls off his man and guides the ball inside the near post. The returning hero will rightly get the headlines but a young right-back's contribution to this turnaround shouldn't go without mention either.

77:00: Goal! Quite simply...BRILLIANT! And it's H again!

74:00: Substitution Nigel Pearson plays his final hand. N'Guessan comes on for Gallagher but, more surprisingly, Fryatt is replaced by Waghorn.

70:00: Pause to catch breath...but Watford should have had a penalty just now? Helguson is tripped by Hobbs but the officials decide the offence happened outside the box...it looked inside to me. Anyway, Cleverley tries to whip the free kick across goal but overhits it.

63:00: Another good chance for Leicester. Howard connects well with Neilson's long throw from the right but Loach is equal to it, pushing his header over the bar.

60:00: Hodson was again the supplier, this time with a low cross from the right that deflected off a defender and gave Helguson a chance he couldn't really miss from barely two yards out. Absolutely fantastic stuff!!

60:00: Goal! And he's done it! Helguson sends Vicarage Road into raptures.

58:00: Watford were seemingly going nowhere when Eustace laid the ball back to Hodson, but he clipped the ball into the area, Helguson's presence caused Hobbs to flick a header back to his own goal, but Graham intercepted it, turned Brown and with the outside of his right foot turned the ball past Weale. Helguson may not have scored it but his presence made a big difference.

58:00: Goal! Game on! And it's Graham again!

55:00: Substitution First change for Leicester. Adams comes on for Wellens.

52:00: Mariappa is off target with an ambitious attempt from 25 yards, but this is much better from Watford. There's more purpose to their play and Helguson has given them a physical edge that was lacking in the opening period.

49:00: Another lucky escape for the home side. Wellens clips the ball into the area and Howard dives to glance the ball narrowly wide of Loach's right-hand post.

47:00: Watford could be 2-1 behind...but they could also be losing 3-0. This time Oakley finds space on the right to deliver a good cross but Howard can't direct his header on target.

46:00: And the substitute's impact is almost instant. Straight from the kick off, Graham's flick on finds Cowie on the right and his low cross is just too far ahead of the Icelandic international's outstretched boot.

45:00: Substitution It was almost inevitable in the circumstances but Helguson is on for the second half in place of Lansbury. And that's the Iceman's 200th appearance for the Hornets.

45:00: Not that it's any consolation but Watford are up against a striker in red hot form. Fryatt's first half brace means he has scored five in his last two-and-a-half games and taken his tally this term to eight in all competitions.

45:00: Half time A mountain to climb for the home side in the second half. The Hornets have had the better of it in territorial and possession terms but just seem flat today. What is particularly concerning is that Watford mustered just one goal attempt in the first half and Graham looks like he's carrying a knock. Also Lansbury is having one of those days where everything he tries doesn't come off. Here's hoping for better after a half-time cuppa.

45:00: Howard sees a left-footed effort on the turn deflected behind after Berner is allowed to advance 30 to 40 yards unhindered down the left flank.

45:00: Two minutes of stoppage time folks.

40:00: Gallagher played in Fryatt down the left side of the area and he had half-a-yard on Cathcart before turning inside the on-loan Manchester United defender and sliding the ball beyond Loach. A good finish but Malky will have his work cut out at half time now.

40:00: Goal! Not good. Fryatt's second puts Leicester in complete command.

38:00: Yellow card King is rightly booked for preventing Cleverley from breaking into space.

35:00: Gallagher whips in a superb free kick from wide on the left that bounces in front of Howard before going wide of Loach's left-hand post. The linesman had his flag up but the Hornets didn't know that at the time.

32:00: Pretty much all Watford for the last five minutes, but what they're trying isn't really coming off at the minute.

26:00: Another close call. Gallagher gets in a cross from the left to the near post where Fryatt sees his first attempt blocked by Mariappa, before sending the follow-up into the side netting.

25:00: Yellow card And it's Leicester left-back Bruno Berner who is the first player to see yellow.

23:00: Thanks d_ol. Unfortunately we haven't seen a replay and Eustace had his back to us when he committed the 'offence', so unable to comment one way or the other.

22:00: Encouraged by the goal, Leicester have another chance. Again it originates from another ball in from the right from Neilson, but this time Fryatt can only shoot straight at Loach after twisting in the area.

20:00: Goal! Fryatt makes no mistake from 12 yards as Loach guesses the wrong way and dives to his left.

19:00: Oh dear...Neilson crosses from the right, Eustace goes to chest it down but is adjudged to have handled it in the area - penalty!

14:00: And just as I type that Leicester almost take the lead. Howard chests down a cross from the right, gets away from Doyley and fires in a right-footed shot that looked to be going in until Hodson made a superb block to concede a corner.

13:00: Perhaps it's the weather - or more encouragingly that both sides are seeking to play the game in the right fashion - but the game has been lacking in cut and thrust action so far.

10:00: And the Watford striker rather gingerly limps back on, but hopefully he'll be able to run it off.

9:00: Slight concern for the home side - Lansbury kicks the ball out of play to allow Graham to get some treatment after he is clobbered from behind.

4:00: Watford bossing the early exchanges, with much of the play going through Eustace, but the first attempt of the game sees Jenkins fire well wide from 25 yards.

4:00: Little to report yet but here's a more accurate Leicester formation: Weale; Neilson, Hobbs, Brown, Berner; Oakley, King, Wellens, Gallagher; Howard, Fryatt.

0:00: And we're underway...

0:00: Well if there was a popularity contest for making a signing Malky would win it hands down. The roof almost came off the Rookery when Helguson's name was read out just now...great stuff!

0:00: The teams have just come out of the tunnel, led by the officials who are wearing a fetching shade of...now I'm no fashion expert but I'd say salmon. What's wrong with just black...?!!

0:00: No surprises really but Helguson was treated to a tremendous ovation by the Rookery when his name was read out for the first time. Incidentally, anyone who is watching the game unfold on Sky Sports News this afternoon will be kept updated on events by Chris Kamara. 'Kammy' has just made his way up to the gantry in front of the East Stand.

0:00: Helguson will have to wait to make his second Watford ‘debut’ after Malky Mackay opted to make just the change from Tuesday night’s 1-0 win at. The Hornets legend, who returned to Vicarage Road on loan from Queens Park Rangers this week, has to be content for a place against the Foxes, but fellow loanee Craig Cathcart does go straight into the starting line-up. Captain Jay DeMerit is again missing through injury, but it’s the unfortunate Dale Bennett who makes way after helping to keep back-to-back clean sheets in his first two senior starts. Leicester boss Nigel Pearson has also made one change from the team that was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Peterborough United in mid-week, with Andy King coming in for Dany N’Guessan. Watford: Loach; Hodson, Cathcart, Mariappa, Doyley; Cowie, Jenkins, Eustace, Cleverley; Lansbury; Graham. Substitutes: Helguson, Harley, Lee, Bennett, Hoskins, Ellington, Bryan. Leicester City: Weale; Neilson, Brown, Hobbs, Berner; Gallagher, King, Oakley, Wellens, Howard, Fryatt. Substitutes: McGivern, Tunchev, Logan, Adams, N’Guessan, Waghorn, Kermorgant.

0:00: I've resisted the temptation to mention his name until now... but 'H' is back! Heidar Helguson has just emerged from the tunnel with the rest of his team-mates for the warm-up. As expected, fellow new loanee Craig Cathcart is also out on the pitch, but if the Iceman does make his second 'debut' it will be his 200th appearance in a Watford shirt as he goes in pursuit of his 65th goal for the club.

0:00: Don't forget, if you have any thoughts or questions, please post them and we'll do our best to respond if required.

0:00: A couple of more early statistical thoughts for you: Leicester have yet to win away in the league this term, but Watford have won only two of the last 16 league matches against the Foxes. Furthermore, the Hornets have only won once out of the last nine encounters between the two teams at the Vic.

0:00: Speaking of Loachy, he's just emerged from the tunnel to join Richard Lee and Alec Chamberlain for the Watford keepers' pre-match warm-up.

0:00: Following the Scott Loach-inspired victory at Plymouth on Tuesday night, Watford will be looking for a third successive victory - and third straight clean sheet - for the first time since February. You have to go back almost another year - March 2008 - for the last time the Hornets went six league matches unbeaten.

0:00: This game sees the protagonists put almost identical records on the line. The Foxes sit a place below the Hornets in the table but, like their opponents have 12 points having won three, drawn three and lost one of their seven games to date.

0:00: Good afternoon everyone and welcome to another sunny Saturday at Vicarage Road for this afternoon's clash with Leicester City.