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

Watford vs Sheffield Wednesday

• Kick off: 7:45pm Fri 23 Oct 09
• Referee: Phil Crossley
• Venue: Vicarage Road

Final score:

Watford 4 - 1 Sheffield Wednesday

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95:00: Final whistle Watford win in dramatic fashion with a couple of cracking solo and team goals.

93:00: Wednesday win a corner and Loach can only punch the ball back to Esajas and the midfielder's shot to the near post is deflected wide

92:00: Doyley does well to win a throw in deep in Wednesday's half but again nothing comes of it

91:00: Grant does well to clear under pressure from Graham after a poor back pass

90:00: There are four minutes of added time

90:00: Play has begun once again after treatment to Eustace, who suffered a head injury

88:00: Attendance is 14,591

87:00: Cleverley wins a free kick deep in Wednesday's half but it is wasted and the visitors clear

86:00: Wednesday have a corner but it is partially cleared and then they give away a free kick

85:00: It looked as though Ellington had created space to shoot but he passed to Cleverley and the United youngster could keep the ball in

83:00: Substitution Severin comes on for Harley for his first appearance since August due to injury

81:00: Ellington wins a throw deep in the Wednesday half but the chance to deliver a cross is wasted

79:00: Cleverley wins a corner and his delivery is gathered by Eustace before it goes out for a throw and the centre midfielder's cross is fumbled by Grant, who gathers at the second attempt

78:00: The visitors are awarded another tame free kick, this time on the left byline. But it is cleared by Graham

77:00: Substitution Ellington comes on but not for Harley but Cowie

75:00: If the result stays the same then it will be Watford's biggest league win since February 2006 against Coventry

74:00: A long throw is cleared by the Watford defence

73:00: Wednesday are awarded a tame free kick 30 yards out and the ball is rolled to Esajas but his powerful strike goes narrowly wide

72:00: More lovely build up from Watford sees Cowie shoot from the corner of the box but Grant saves low down at his near post

71:00: Etienne Esajas whips in a dangerous cross from the left and Sodje was just about to head it when Cathcart beat him in the air

65:00: Nathan Ellington looks set to come on for Harley

64:00: Scary moment for Watford. The referee gets in the way of an aerial challenge and Harley lands awkwardly. He remained motionless for some time but he is back on his feet now

63:00: Substitution Jermaine Johnson off and Akpo Sodje on

61:00: Lansbury bursts from midfield, slips the ball to Cleverley instead of shooting from 25 yards and then Cleverley beat a number of defenders as he ran to the byline and pulled the ball back to Lansbury, who coolly slotted home

61:00: Goal! What a goal from Watford. And it is Henri Lansbury again

59:00: Watford are completely on top now but memories of Coventry are coming to mind

58:00: Harley lofts another cross into the box but it is too far ahead of Cleverley

56:00: Doyley has never scored for Watford but he almost scored one of the goals of the season. Superb build up play from Watford saw Doyley pass to Cowie inside the box, who slipped Harley in and his pull back was headed just wide by Doyley

54:00: Wednesday do not clear properly from a corner and the ball is passed to Harley just inside the area and he puts tyhe ball into the far top corner

54:00: Goal! Goal for Watford and its Jon Harley

53:00: Watford's first chance of the half fell to Lansbury as Eustace switches the ball to Harley, who heads into the path of Lansbury but he is unable to get a shot away and it is cleared for a corner, which is also cleared

49:00: Potter has a 25 yards shot saved by Loach

49:00: Substitution Injured Gray off for Etienne Esajas

46:00: Varney could have been in then had his touch been better but it ran through to Loach

45:00: Substitution Tommy Miller for O'Connor as second half begins

45:00: Half time Big blow for Watford just before the break conceding that goal.

45:00: Goal Wednesday. A long throw from Spurr is headed into the bottom corner by Marcus Tudgay. I may be wrong but it seems Loach should have done better

43:00: Gray volleys a shot wide from 30 yards. Never going to trouble Loach

43:00: Wednesday work the ball well from a throw in on the left and Johnson drags a shot wide of the near post

39:00: Referee somehow awards a corner but Harley clears at the near post

37:00: Cathcart gives the ball away in the middle of the park but Cleverley helps Hodson challenge Johnson and the ball is cleared

34:00: Referee has a word with Mark Beevers after another foul on Graham. Cowie sends in a cross but Graham mistimes his run and it goes straight out

33:00: Graham crosses and Cleverley heads goalwards but Grant makes the save

30:00: A cross from Johnson goes straight out of play

29:00: Good build up play from Watford sees Graham do well to keep the ball in play and pass to Doyley, who sends in a decent cross but it is cleared before Eustace arrives

26:00: Lansbury plays a one-two with Cleverley and the Arsenal youngster shows quick feet to beat two defenders on the edge of the box and then slotted the ball past Grant at the near post

26:00: Goal! What a goal Henri Lansbury

24:00: Wednesday's corner is headed clear by Cathcart

22:00: Chants of who the **** is Brendan Rodgers are soon followed by songs about Malky Mackay. The Scot could not have asked for a better start to his reign. Well maybe if you take away the Cardiff result

20:00: Goal! Lansbury has a shot deflected wide for a corner. Cowie delivers a quick corner to the front post, which Graham flicks to the back post and Eustace's first touch is to smash the ball back into the box and Mariappa turns it into the net

20:00: Substitution Watford are forced into an earlier change. John Eustace on for the injured Jenkins

17:00: Graham has a tame shot from 30 yards easily saved and then Varney skies one over soon after

16:00: Johnson beats Hodson but his cross from the left goes straight out

16:00: Some good play from Sheffield Wednesday ends with Gray's cross being claimed by Loach

14:00: Some neat interplay from Watford only results in a throw in, which is cleared

13:00: Loach can only punch a Gray cross a few metres but the ball is cleared

12:00: A dangerous ball by Cowie cannot headed goalwards by Harley and Grant gathers

11:00: Watford concede another free kick. This time deep into their half. Gray crosses and Tudgay climbs all over Cathcart but because Loach gathered the ball, he played advantage

9:00: Wednesday whip in a deep free kick and Mariappa is beaten in the air and then Jenkins slips to allow Varney to get a shot away. But Loach is equal to it and the resulting corner is cleared

6:00: Watford attack again but Cleverley's low cross into the box is cleared

5:00: Graham was almost through after an in-swinging cross from Cowie but Graham couldn't quite reach

4:00: Watford have a throw in deep into Wednesday's half after some skill from Doyley but it is quickly cleared

3:00: The first chance of the game goes to the visitors. A cross is headed wide by Tudgay. Never going to trouble Loach

1:00: Our seat positions have changed for tonight due to Sky Sports covering the game and we are now seating right next to the pitch on the half way line

0:00: The game has kicked off with Watford playing from left to right

0:00: The usual pre-match music is playing and the teams are walking on to the pitch

0:00: Watford boss Malky Mackay has made just the one change for tonight’s televised clash with Sheffield Wednesday at Vicarage Road. Tom Cleverley is fit to return after missing the 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town and it is John Eustace who is the one to make way and drop to the bench. This means Henri Lansbury reverts to centre midfield, with Don Cowie coming in off the flank to operate behind Danny Graham. But the man who earned the last-gasp point at Portman Road, Nathan Ellington, again has to be content with a place on the bench. Owls boss Brian Laws also makes one change from the mid-week 2-1 home reverse to Preston North End, with Marcus Tudgay replacing Leon Clarke up front. This means the visitors continue to have six players who have started every league game to date. Watford: Loach; Hodson, Mariappa, Cathcart, Doyley; Cleverley, Jenkins, Lansbury, Harley; Cowie; Graham. Substitutes: Severin, Bennett, Henderson, Ellington, Eustace, Bryan, Bond. Sheffield Wednesday: Grant; Spurr, Buxton, Purse, Beevers; Gray, Potter, O’Connor, Johnson; Tudgay, Varney. Substitutes: Hinds, Miller, McAllister, Jeffers, Sodje, Esajas, O’Donnell.