Ten-man Watford battle to victory (From Watford Observer)
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Ten-man Watford show real character to battle to 2-1 win at Charlton Athletic
9:50pm Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in Watford FC News By Frank Smith
Watford held on to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory away to Charlton Athletic tonight despite having ten men for the whole of the second half.
Watford took the lead half an hour into the contest when Tommie Hoban, making just his second start, headed past Ben Hamer with the help of a deflection.
Charlton replied immediately though and equalised after Ricardo Fuller was put through one-on-one.
And the Hornets were then reduced to ten men when Fernando Forestieri went down in the box and was accused of diving by referee Mike Dean, although some in the ground believe he slipped due to the wet conditions.
Charlton spent considerable time in the Watford half during the second period but the visitors left with the three points after Almen Abdi found the top corner with a delightful free kick midway through the half.
Watford named an unchanged line-up for the first time this season tonight, despite leading scorer Matej Vydra returning to fitness. The Czech Republic international had to settle for a place on the bench.
The victory means the Hornets have still not lost to Charlton for 16 years, winning the last three contests between the sides.
The opening quarter of an hour passed with very little action. The only moments of note were a good recovery tackle from Neuton and a long-range drive from Troy Deeney, which was gathered at the second attempt by Ben Hamer.
Charlton’s first opportunity came from a set piece. Fernando Forestieri was booked for blocking Salim Kerkar’s initial strike with his hand and the second effort was deflected wide for a corner, which amounted to nothing.
It was an uneventful game and neither side were able to keep possession or create any real chances.
But then Watford took the lead just before the half-hour mark when Fernando Forestieri sent in a corner which was glanced on by Marco Cassetti and then Hoban headed past Hamer, with the help of a deflection from a Charlton defender.
Young Hoban had been coping well up against Fuller in the early stages but the striker switched sides, to go up against Neuton, and it wasn’t long before Charlton equalised as the striker was put through one-on-one and he coolly slotted past Manuel Almunia with 35 minutes gone.
Charlton raised their game following the equaliser and had Watford fans worried when Almunia misjudged the flight of Dale Stephens’ free kick and there were Charlton attackers at the far post. But none of the Addicks’ players could apply a touch to the delivery.
Watford’s hopes of securing victory were diminished when Forestieri was sent off for a second yellow card just before half-time. The first yellow was for handball whilst jumping in the wall and then Forestieri went down inside the box whilst cutting inside the defender. Some thought the player slipped but Mike Dean and the majority of the home crowd accused him of diving and the forward saw red.
The Hornets stayed with three at the back at the beginning of the second half, although the two wide players – Cassetti and Daniel Pudil – were dropping deeper when their side were not in possession.
Watford remained calm when they had the ball and created the first opening of the second period, as Deeney was unable to reach Pudil’s low cross.
Bradley Wright-Phillips was the first to have an effort saved though when Almunia could only parry his stinging strike from distance.
Watford then had a period on the back foot as Charlton piled on the pressure, with several blocked shots, corners and failed Hornets clearances.
After a Watford attack when Deeney had a tame volley saved, the visitors were a little fortunate Wright-Phillips showed honesty by remaining on his feet as Neuton, who had already been booked, clearly pulled at the striker when last man and the striker subsequently sliced wide.
Wright-Phillips was proving a real threat and Almunia needed to be at his best to save with his feet following a low drive by the striker ten yards from goal. Chalobah then did well to block Stephens’ follow-up.
But it was the Hornets who regained the lead when Leon Cort was penalised for climbing over Deeney 20 yards out, on the right side of the area, and Abdi curled the subsequent free kick past Hamer to make it 2-1.
Watford had another two chances from set pieces – one indirect – but both efforts were blocked by the wall.
Charlton were camped in Watford’s half but apart from Rob Hulse’s header over, Charlton did not create many clear-cut chances heading into the five minutes of injury time.
But then the home side had a glorious opportunity to grab an equaliser when the ball was laid off perfectly for Stephens. However, his side-footed effort from 18-yards went over the bar.
There was still more to come though. Cort headed a deep cross back into the goal-mouth and under pressure from Hulse, Almunia just managed to parry the ball clear.
There was more than the five minutes of injury time in the end, due to the substitutions, but Watford held on for a hard-fought victory.
Charlton: Hamer; Wilson, Morrison, Cort, Solly; Green (Hulse 79), Stephens, Hollands (Pritchard 79), Kerkar; Fuller, Wright-Phillips.
Subs: Button, Evina, Dervite, Razak, Wagstaff.
Watford: Almunia; Hoban, Hall, Neuton (Ekstrand 75); Cassetti, Hogg, Chalobah (90+1), Abdi, Pudil; Forestieri, Deeney (Iwelumo 90+5).
Subs: Bond, Yeates, Murray, Vydra.
Referee: Mike Dean.
Comments(42)
kingofpop
says...
9:56pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Hatfieldhorn
says...
10:03pm Tue 2 Oct 12
stuegs
says...
10:03pm Tue 2 Oct 12
We v found the team i think, two hard fought away wins, says alot about the spirit and desire in the club right now.
We v got flair and we can grind out ugly results too, thats the mark of a winning side.
DuffmanWFC
says...
10:10pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Ekstrand will be quality and now everyone can see how good we are going to be! No more slagging off the loan players now ay?
stewbyhorn
says...
10:10pm Tue 2 Oct 12
mickallen57
says...
10:11pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Andy Hessenthaller said on the radio "you can see the players all wanted this and they are very together"
The future looks bright COYH
mullenswfc
says...
10:11pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Once we get things right at home we should be a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully we can follow this up on Saturday. Matej a very good replacement for suspended Nando. Exciting season ahead!
peter10531089
says...
10:12pm Tue 2 Oct 12
stuegs wrote:I thought winning was the mark of a winning side! :-)
Turning point right there lads .
We v found the team i think, two hard fought away wins, says alot about the spirit and desire in the club right now.
We v got flair and we can grind out ugly results too, thats the mark of a winning side.
Well done all excellent!
Forestieri will learn, he is young and extremely talented and will adapt quickly, he won't want to lose his place as Vydra and Murray will be looking to take his place in the starting 11.
DuffmanWFC
says...
10:15pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Just hope knowone gets booked again for simulation otherwise some crazy bloke from South Africa may just fly over and give them a mouth-full at the next home game..... Or maybe not! Lol
True watford fan
says...
10:16pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Casterbridge
says...
10:16pm Tue 2 Oct 12
It's results like that that really pull the team together. Everyone covering for each others' mistakes; I lost count of the number of shots blocked at point-blank range.
And quality when we most needed it up front. Bring on Middlesborough - then a fortnight for Peterborough to go off the boil. COYH!
Bush Hornet
says...
10:17pm Tue 2 Oct 12
but we're gritty
and we're pretty
It must be kinda sh1tty
to face this Watford team
oh yeah
I dedicate this to Hornet Cornet who is no doubt drinking himself silly right now
DuffmanWFC
says...
10:28pm Tue 2 Oct 12
DuffmanWFC
says...
10:30pm Tue 2 Oct 12
There's only one bitter saddo!
hornetto
says...
10:55pm Tue 2 Oct 12
kingofpop
says...
10:57pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Any way im off to bed now...i dare say our northern friend will be up for hours...what with living off the souths taxes!!!!!
endean2
says...
10:57pm Tue 2 Oct 12
I would imagine that will be the last time that Fostiere ever goes down! I was not there to see it but the warnings were there last Saturday and he took no notice,am I bieng unfair?
how did the Swede go at center back?
KeithMercer
says...
11:01pm Tue 2 Oct 12
things begining to come together now and the squad looks to have real depth to it . Eg FF out for one game ban and in comes leading scorer Matty Vydra.
Tricky game to come against a good Boro side but if the crowd can get behind the lads right from the start !! we should be able to do the biz.
Holly68
says...
11:09pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Abdi was different class ..... He is Premiership standard by a mile.
Not sure if FF dived or slipped, mixed opinion, need to see TV. Good news if we only have 6 more to replace him while he's banned, strength in depth in abundance
The team dug in, everyone was together, the committment of everyone unquestionable.....
IF carlsberg did away games
Pressure off Saturday, a win nice, a draw ok
You Horns !!!!
eltonsjohn
says...
11:27pm Tue 2 Oct 12
On train back to wat j
Been following golds for years, got to say chalobah reminds me so much of Barnes cleverly. His 2nd half performance = immense
The free kick goal was class. Don't get carried away, but not many teams will be able to handle thIs. I'm v v happy especially as I did a £20 Hertfordshire away double, us & Stevenage. Lovely!!!
eltonsjohn
says...
11:29pm Tue 2 Oct 12
lutondown
says...
11:32pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Pick the bones out of that doubters, ten men beat twelve tonight and our fans were top drawer.
Holly's right, that edge is back with some old gnarly faces, get in there you Golden boys the Horns are back in town
D.unstable
says...
11:42pm Tue 2 Oct 12
lutondown wrote:Great performance, great support, great result, great evening to be a Horn.
That's two away games in five days and six points, where I would have taken two.
Pick the bones out of that doubters, ten men beat twelve tonight and our fans were top drawer.
Holly's right, that edge is back with some old gnarly faces, get in there you Golden boys the Horns are back in town
Cannot see how FF is sent off if he did not appeal for a pen, looked to me like he slipped and stayed face down for a few seconds.
We got what we deserved 10 v 12
Remember, always 5hit on the Sarf side of the bridge....
Hornet Cornet
says...
12:16am Wed 3 Oct 12
Bush Hornet wrote:ah but its a school night so i have limited my self to a cuppa tea BUT with a sugar in it. your poem is quality, top stuff. i got no dandruff. i had a budgie called Fluff. Tulisa is moderately hot stuff. we sold Job McEnuff. The going tonight got tough. Forestieri ain't a fan of it gruff. i am putting on my earmuff. HC
the red card was a pity
but we're gritty
and we're pretty
It must be kinda sh1tty
to face this Watford team
oh yeah
I dedicate this to Hornet Cornet who is no doubt drinking himself silly right now
lutondown
says...
5:59am Wed 3 Oct 12
Buckler, Jason, D unstable, Hemel Loyal
U HORNS
buckler
says...
8:28am Wed 3 Oct 12
lutondown wrote:You forgot Harry the Hornet! We know who you are ? Hope his injury gets better!
Top shout out to the WO forum lads there last night
Buckler, Jason, D unstable, Hemel Loyal
U HORNS
Chris the Vic
says...
8:35am Wed 3 Oct 12
The truth is somewhere in between but lets enjoy the victories because with our defence it will not always be the case.
In meantime it would be nice to see a certain italian striker and btw we have already seen beleck play for us and it was not overly impressive.
Frankie Frazer
says...
9:31am Wed 3 Oct 12
I don't do enough away games for my liking but last night was pure class! the team battled like crazy and the hardcore Watford fans did not stop singing all night !!
It only confirms to me how quiet we are at home due to the fact we haven't got the hard core singers all together feeding from each other! The club should try and do something about it, If you could get that hard core 1000 fans together at home games it would be like a 12th man!! I suggest anyone sitting in the top/centre section of the Rookery that's not singing their **** off should relocate and give it to the noisy boys !! (By the way I sit in the family enclosure with my 2 young kids, but a good atmosphere coming from the Rookery would be immense!!)
llloydwithathirdl
says...
10:12am Wed 3 Oct 12
Forestieri battered them until his ridiculous sending off (the first yellow was almost as mad as the second).
Once we were a man down the lads played like ten Tommy Mooneys.
Anyone still have doubts on how much effort these loan players will put in?
Well done Zola, your "work in progress" continues to progress nicely.
LesCSP
says...
10:37am Wed 3 Oct 12
An article on simulation next week perhaps as it's never happened in the English game before.
FF slipped anyway and didn't seem to be appealing for anything!
Willow23
says...
11:16am Wed 3 Oct 12
Frankie Frazer wrote:Thought that for years was much better back in the day when it was unreserved seating! If you wanted to sing you got there an hour before kick of and sat at the back the atmosphere built and it used to be quality! Now the vic is like a morgue. No wonder we struggle to get 10000 in there on a Saturday £25 to sit on a plastics chair for 90 mins in the cold in silence. They should make the rookery unreserved and if you want to sit in the same seat every week you have to go in the upper rous. Then make the lower the family area and make the north end for away fans so you don't have the stupid gay block of empty separating seats in the middle
That was one hell of a night!
I don't do enough away games for my liking but last night was pure class! the team battled like crazy and the hardcore Watford fans did not stop singing all night !!
It only confirms to me how quiet we are at home due to the fact we haven't got the hard core singers all together feeding from each other! The club should try and do something about it, If you could get that hard core 1000 fans together at home games it would be like a 12th man!! I suggest anyone sitting in the top/centre section of the Rookery that's not singing their **** off should relocate and give it to the noisy boys !! (By the way I sit in the family enclosure with my 2 young kids, but a good atmosphere coming from the Rookery would be immense!!)
Maybe I should be hired as the new stadium manager.... 30k a year I'm yours Zola :)
ORBY
says...
12:02pm Wed 3 Oct 12
lutondown
says...
2:18pm Wed 3 Oct 12
ORBY wrote:You're not wrong nor paranoid.
Two great results and things look to be gelling, guys worked really hard after the sending off. Looking forward to Saturdays visit of the sandwalkers. Just a thought, but anyone else think that there are a few certain referees who look as though they do not like Watford, ie Dean/Durso/Attwood & Clattenburg?
By the way message to Chris de ****
You do talk rot, all the time.
Holly68
says...
3:51pm Wed 3 Oct 12
buckler wrote:and Me ..... I'm hurt
lutondown wrote: Top shout out to the WO forum lads there last night Buckler, Jason, D unstable, Hemel Loyal U HORNSYou forgot Harry the Hornet! We know who you are ? Hope his injury gets better!
lutondown
says...
4:00pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Holly68 wrote:Wasn't excluding you mate, it was just a shout out to those from the forums who I saw last night. And one for Chris Bottom who accompanied me to Huddersfield on the real fans coach ;-)
buckler wrote:and Me ..... I'm hurt
lutondown wrote: Top shout out to the WO forum lads there last night Buckler, Jason, D unstable, Hemel Loyal U HORNSYou forgot Harry the Hornet! We know who you are ? Hope his injury gets better!
I was looking out for a tallish guy in Stilletoes mind ;-o)
Casterbridge
says...
4:12pm Wed 3 Oct 12
ORBY wrote:Mustn't be too hard on Dean; it was very slippery, so difficult for players and officials alike. Overall, John Marks and Hessie thought he had a good game.
Two great results and things look to be gelling, guys worked really hard after the sending off. Looking forward to Saturdays visit of the sandwalkers. Just a thought, but anyone else think that there are a few certain referees who look as though they do not like Watford, ie Dean/Durso/Attwood & Clattenburg?
The only other Watford game I can remember him refereeing was the Championship play-off in Cardiff. So don't knock him - he's a lucky omen.
lutondown
says...
4:28pm Wed 3 Oct 12
buckler wrote:Harry the hornet? Did I miss some thing? Must have coincided with the fourth pint!
lutondown wrote:You forgot Harry the Hornet! We know who you are ? Hope his injury gets better!
Top shout out to the WO forum lads there last night
Buckler, Jason, D unstable, Hemel Loyal
U HORNS
tiger bay
says...
5:41pm Wed 3 Oct 12
lutondown wrote:Wots the 'real fans coach'?? Unofficial??
Holly68 wrote:Wasn't excluding you mate, it was just a shout out to those from the forums who I saw last night. And one for Chris Bottom who accompanied me to Huddersfield on the real fans coach ;-)
buckler wrote:and Me ..... I'm hurt
lutondown wrote: Top shout out to the WO forum lads there last night Buckler, Jason, D unstable, Hemel Loyal U HORNSYou forgot Harry the Hornet! We know who you are ? Hope his injury gets better!
I was looking out for a tallish guy in Stilletoes mind ;-o)
lutondown
says...
5:45pm Wed 3 Oct 12
tiger bay wrote:Yes mate! Old faces
lutondown wrote:Wots the 'real fans coach'?? Unofficial??
Holly68 wrote:Wasn't excluding you mate, it was just a shout out to those from the forums who I saw last night. And one for Chris Bottom who accompanied me to Huddersfield on the real fans coach ;-)
buckler wrote:and Me ..... I'm hurt
lutondown wrote: Top shout out to the WO forum lads there last night Buckler, Jason, D unstable, Hemel Loyal U HORNSYou forgot Harry the Hornet! We know who you are ? Hope his injury gets better!
I was looking out for a tallish guy in Stilletoes mind ;-o)
smarkymark
says...
9:12pm Wed 3 Oct 12
goldenboy1993
says...
9:59pm Wed 3 Oct 12
No Wheels says...
9:56pm Tue 2 Oct 12
Ten-man Watford battle to victory
October 2012
Watford held on to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory away to Charlton Athletic tonight despite having ten men for the whole of the second half.
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