Troy Deeney nets Watford's first hat-trick in ten years as Bournemouth heavily beaten

The Cherries were more than in the contest at the interval after Lewis Grabban had equalised to deservedly cancel out Gabriele Angella’s headed opener from a corner. But once the Hornets had netted a quick-fire double within 15 minutes of the restart – Angella heading home another set piece before Fernando Forestieri and Troy Deeney combined for the latter to score the hosts took complete control.

Lewis McGugan made it four midway through the second half before Deeney took centre in the closing stages, slamming in a stunning fifth from the edge of the area before a superb second 45 minutes was rounded off by Deeney completing his treble from the penalty spot after Diego Fabbrini had been fouled.

With Ikechi Anya fit to return from the calf injury he sustained at Birmingham City last Saturday, Gianfranco Zola reverted to the same starting line-up for the 1-0 win at St Andrews after making nine changes for the mid-week Capital One Cup victory at Bristol Rovers.

Indeed, the Hornets named the same match-day 18 from the opening-day league success which meant there was no place in the squad for Sean Murray despite his two goals on Tuesday night.

Bournemouth came to Vicarage Road defending an unbeaten record of 11 matches in all competitions but Eddie Howe switched formation to 4-5-1 as he made two changes to the side which beat Charlton Athletic 2-1 on the opening day.

Mohamed Coulibaly missed out with an Achilles injury, while Wes Thomas dropped to the bench, and their places were taken by on-loan Norwich City midfielder Andrew Surman, who made his debut in the 1-0 cup win over Portsmouth on Tuesday, and Ryan Fraser.

The hosts were given an early opportunity to test Ryan Allsop when a direct Fernando Forestieri run was ended by a foul 30 yards out in a central position in the second minute. Lewis McGugan’s free-kick was struck well enough but the Cherries keeper was always comfortably behind it.

The visitors’ second foul of the game came soon after and it resulted in a yellow card for Harry Arter for his over-zealous challenge on Almen Abdi.

Watford had the majority of the play in the opening stages but Bournemouth’s first effort came in the eighth minute when Marc Pugh chanced his arm from fully 30 yards but his right-footed strike was always flying wide of the diving Manuel Almunia’s goal. Soon after, Grabban hit a snap-shot into the side netting when the Hornets keeper failed to get much distance on a clearing punch following a long throw from the right.

Watford were soon back on the front foot though, with Anya receiving the ball on the left angle of the area and he took on two opponents before coming inside and hitting a right-footed shot which was deflected wide of Allsop’s near post. From the hosts’ first corner of the match, they were to open their scoring account at Vicarage Road this season.

Abdi’s set piece from the left was allowed to bounce in the area and although Troy Deeney was having his shirt tugged, he did well to out-muscle a defender and the ball broke invitingly for Angella to slam it into the roof of the net to score for the second match running and make it 1-0 to Watford in the 13th minute.

The next opening came Bournemouth’s way three minutes later when Grabban ran off and in behind Marco Cassetti to latch onto a pass before hitting a low right-footed angled strike from the right side of the area which Almunia had to block behind with his legs. The danger was still not over though, as from the resulting corner from the right, the ball broke for Grabban and his on-target strike hit a team-mate.

The Cherries striker was to drag another effort wide of the far post as Howe’s side continued to look back to get on level terms before McGugan lashed a long-range strike wide at the other end.

But it was the visitors who continued to offer the greater offensive threat after falling behind, with Arter the next to see a shot blocked and then Fraser saw a driven cross-cum-shot from the right deflected into the arms of the diving Almunia.

And it was Fraser who was to set up the Cherries’ 29th-minute equaliser when he got clear on the right and played in a low cross which Grabban tapped home from close range after getting first run on Lloyd Doyley.

The sting then went out of the game for a spell, although three minutes before the break Elliott Ward saw a right-footed strike blocked after another long throw into the Hornets’ 18-yard box had posed questions.

Watford had found it tricky to get their attacking game going for most of the first half but they were presented with an effort at Allsop’s goal in first-half injury time when Deeney did well to open up a shooting chance, only for a Bournemouth player’s hand to halt its progress. As with McGugan’s set piece earlier in the contest, the free-kick was in a central position but Abdi saw his 25-yard effort held by the Cherries keeper.

Zola’s men started the second period positively with a long Abdi pass finding Deeney turning away from goal in the area. He laid it off to Anya who in turn found McGugan. A neat turn took him between two opponents and into the area but his placed effort looped up off a defender and was claimed by Allsop.

Davide Faraoni picked up Watford’s first yellow card four minutes after the restart for a late challenge on Arter but as Ian Harte was being readied to come on, the Hornets went back in front.

They were awarded a free-kick tight to the left-hand corner for a foul on Anya, Abdi swung over the set piece and Angella rose highest to double his account for the match and make it 2-1.

Harte duly did enter the fray as a replacement for Charlie Daniels but within three minutes of coming on, his side were completely up against it.

Like at Birmingham seven days previously, it was the same combination that worked to devastating effect as Forestieri played the ball through to Deeney, who got clear of the backline before lifting the ball beyond Allsop to make it 3-1 in the 55th minute.

The Hornets were now in the mood to go for the jugular and after Deeney had seen a shot blocked, Anya beat Simon Francis on the outside before his cross fell for Forestieri, who teed himself up for the overhead but his spectacular effort was straight at Allsop.

Anya flashed a driven cross-shot across the target and wide and Allsop dropped to his knees to hold a McGugan shot as the hosts continued to press although in between times, Howe had made his second change with Brett Pitman coming on for Shaun MacDonald.

Zola’s first change came in the 65th minute when Daniel Pudil came on for Faraoni and within a minute the Hornets had their fourth.

Again Abdi was the creator, this time finding space in the centre of the park before slipping in McGugan to his right and he kept his composure to slide the ball wide to the right of Allsop to make it 4-1 with his first goal for the club.

More changes followed with Diego Fabbrini replacing Forestieri before Eunan O’Kane came on for Pugh and then Cristian Battocchio took the place of McGugan.

Bournemouth’s second half was summed up with ten minutes remaining when Surman looked certain to net a consolation after being picked out by a pull back but Doyley did very well to help deflect it wide.

Cassetti saw yellow for a foul on Arter with five minutes remaining but Watford saved their best goal for last as Deeney latched on to a pass and came back outside the area before rifling a terrific shot with his right-foot past Allsop and in off his far post.

Still the Hornets were not done and in the second minute of injury time, a Fabbrini run in the area was ended by a trip and there was no way Deeney was going to let anyone else take the spot kick as he comfortably sent Allsop the wrong way to become the first player in a Watford shirt to score a hat-trick since Michael Chopra in that 7-4 win at Burnley in April 2003.

Watford: Almunia; Doyley, Angella, Cassetti; Faraoni (Pudil 65), Abdi, Iriney, McGugan (Battocchio 75), Anya; Forestieri (Fabbrini 69), Deeney. Not used: Bond, Ekstrand, Smith and Acuna.

Bournemouth: Allsop; Francis, Ward, Cook, Daniels (Harte 52); Fraser, Surman, MacDonald (Pitman 61), Arter, Pugh (O’Kane 69); Grabban. Not used: Flahavan, Thomas, Hughes and Stockley.

Bookings: Arter for a foul on Abdi (3); Faraoni for a foul on Arter (49); Cassetti for a foul on Arter (85); Attendance: 16,295 (1,605 away).

Referee: James Adcock.

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