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

Crystal Palace vs Watford

• Kick off: 3:00pm Sat 28 Nov 09
• Referee: Oliver Langford
• Venue: Selhurst Park

Final score:

Crystal Palace 3 - 0 Watford

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92:00: Final whistle Watford almost pulled one back when Cleverley hit the post from 20 yards but the game ended Crystal Palace 3 Watford 0

92:00: Substitution N'Diaye for Ambrose

85:00: Substitution Henderson on for Helguson

83:00: Substitution Smith on for Moses

81:00: Doyley gives away a free kick wide on Watford's left but Andrews was unable to direct Ambrose's free kick goalwards

80:00: The ball comes to Lansbury 30 yards out but his effort is hopelessly wide

79:00: Lansbury failed to clear the ball and Ambrose shot wide of the near post from eight yards

77:00: Substitution Andrews on for Lee and straight away the former Luton man outmuscled Mariappa but then sliced his shot comfortably wide

74:00: Watford had a chance to score when Speroni was unable to gather the ball under the pressure of Ellington. Helguson picked up the ball but felt he was clipped by the keeper and fell to the floor. He then slipped as he got up and became tangled with the keeper

71:00: Loach punches when he maybe should have caught the ball and Ertl fires in a shot but it is deflected wide by Eustace

70:00: Some good build up sees Ellington lay the ball off to Graham but his shot from outside the box is well wide

67:00: Cleverley picks out Helguson with a diagonal ball into the box but the striker's shot went comfortably over

64:00: The ball falls to Moses in the box but his shot is blocked by Mariappa

63:00: Watford are now playing with a front three, with Ellington on the left and Graham on the right of Helguson

62:00: Ellington immediately wins a corner but the Hornets concede a free kick as Cleverley's ball is delivered

61:00: Substitution Ellington on for Harley

61:00: Substitution Ellington on for Harley

60:00: Cleverley's corner picks out Cathcart but his looping header is tipped over

56:00: Moses could have netted a fourth but his near post effort was saved by Loach

54:00: Goal! What a goal from Ambrose. Moses breaks from his own half after beating Hodson and feeds the ball to Ambrose on the edge of the Watford area. The midfielder shifted the ball on to his right foot and put it in the top corner

48:00: An Ambrose free kick is headed well wide by Fonte

46:00: Watford won a free kick 30 yards out but Cleverley's cross did not beat first man Derry. Palace broke with pace but Moses did too much after beating Hodson qand gave away a free kick

46:00: Watford came out for the second half a little eaqrly. Mackay was not happy before the break. Lets hope for an improvement in the second 45

45:00: Half time Watford should be going in 2-1 down following Graham's missed spot kick but the Hornets have been disappointed for much of the half

45:00: But Danny Graham's spot kick is saved by Speroni. His effort was in the corner but Speroni did well to save low to his left

45:00: Watford win a penalty after Lansbury is brought down by Lee

44:00: Yellow card Jon Harley picks up his usual yellow card

42:00: Neil Danns should have made Loach work harder as he headed the ball into the ground

38:00: Lee looked set for a simple tap in from a dangerous Ambrose free kick but Lansbury just managed to intercept the ball in time

34:00: Watford should have done better. Cleverley broke from his own half and the Hornets found themselves three on two. But Cleverley's pass sent Lansbury too wide and Graham was unable to generate enough power on his header and it was saved

31:00: Watford had their first sniff at goal for a while. Some steady build-up play saw Eustace slip Cleverley in but the ball was nicked off him as he was set to shoot. Mariappa ended up sending the ball back into the box but Lansbury's shot was closer to the corner flag than the goal

22:00: More steady build-up from Palace sees Derry cross for Moses but his overhead kick went well wide

20:00: It is not looking good for Watford. Ambrose picks out Moses with a 40 yard pass and the forward was brought the ball down on his chest and was just about to shoot when Hodson flicked the ball away. Danns then fired the ball over from the resulting corner

19:00: Palace go close to a third. Cleverley's header is only as far as Derry and the captain's powerful half volley goes just wide of the post

15:00: Eustace had all day to cross into the boss but it was overhit and easily cleared

10:00: Cleverley's free kick goes narrowly wide from 20 yards. The midfielder did well to get it up and over the wall.

9:00: Yellow card Lansbury is brought down by Davis and 20 yards out and the centre back is booked

6:00: Goal! Palace go two up in opening six minutes. Watford had their first attempt of the game when Graham crossed for Cleverley and his shot was blocled. But Danns then broke from midfield, switched the ball to Butterfield and the right back was allowed to advance and then pick out Lee at the back post. The short Hodson was never going to compete with the physical presence of Lee and he headed the ball into the far corner

2:00: Goal! A long ball from Speroni is flicked on by Lee and Moses is able to knock the ball past Mariappa and Hodson and then slip the ball into the bottom corner from eight yards out with his left foot

1:00: The game has kicked off and Palace had the chance to score in the opening minute. Cathcart failed to clear and Moses kicked his volley into the ground and Loach saved

0:00: Don Cowie has failed to recover from his calf injury in time for Watford's trip to Crystal Palace this afternoon. Jon Harley has recovered from the illness he suffered this week to replace Cowie. Harley's selection means Tom Cleverley is expected to switch to the right of midfield and Mat Sadler is on the bench. Other than that, it is the same side which has started the last two matches. Crystal Palace make one change, with Victor Moses coming in for on loan West Ham United forward Freddie Sears. Crystal Palace: Speroni; Butterfield, Davis, Fonte, Hill; Derry; Danns, Ertl; Ambrose, Lee, Moses. Subs: Clyne, Carle, Sears, Andrew, Comley, Smith, N'Diaye. Watford: Loach; Hodson, Mariappa, Cathcart, Doyley; Cleverley, Eustace, Lansbury, Harley; Helguson, Graham. Subs: Lee, Bennett, Sadler, Severin, Bryan, Henderson, Ellington.