Burnley thwart Hornets

5:12pm Saturday 1st March 2008

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WATFORD boss Aidy Boothroyd is likely to need another holiday this week after seeing his side held by Burnley in a heart-stopping, incident-packed encounter at Turf Moor this afternoon (Saturday).

Darius Henderson and Jordan Stewart twice put the Hornets in front but Robbie Blake scored twice, including the equaliser 90 seconds from the end of normal time, to ensure a frenetic match ended 2-2.

Although they looked likely to record their tenth away win of the season when Stewart scored just minutes after coming on as a substitute, Watford will be the happier of the two sides with a point, especially after seeing Burnley waste a succession of chances and hit the post.

Ade Akinbiyi was the chief culprit, posting a contender for the miss of the decade on ten minutes.

A mix-up between Richard Lee and Leigh Bromby looked to have handed the much-maligned striker the opener on a plate but he, astonishingly, rolled the ball wide of an empty net.

The Hornets only returned from a four-day break in Dubai on Thursday morning but they looked like they were suffering from sunstroke in the opening 20 minutes as Burnley carved them apart.

Kyle Lafferty screwed an effort across the face of goal and wide of the left-hand post after being sent clear by Chris McCann, Akinbiyi astonishingly missed an open goal on ten minutes when it seemed easier to score and then Steve Caldwell came within a whisker of connecting with a free-kick from Graham Alexander.

Lafferty and Elliot were causing havoc down the flanks and it was from another centre from Elliott, this time from a corner, that the hapless Akinbiyi astonishingly managed to head wide Burnley's fourth gilt-edged chance in the space of 20 minutes from six yards out. It seemed only a matter of time before the rampant Clarets opening the scoring.

But Watford finally overcame their apparent jet leg midway through the half and caught the home side cold from a set-piece. An inswinging corner from Jobi McAnuff, won after Clarke Carlisle had scooped a dangerous cross from Nathan Ellington over his own bar, was emphatically headed home by the unmarked Henderson.

It could have been even better for the Hornets just minutes later when Ellington was sent clean through. A second goal looked on the cards but the club's record signing saw his effort save by Brian Jensen and then Henderson's follow-up effort deflected wide.

Although Watford still looked very shaky defensive, particularly down the Burnley left, they still posed the opposition problems, mainly through the dangerous McAnuff who had two efforts on goal in the space of three minutes towards the end of the half.

Boothroyd, though, would probably have been pleased to hear the half-time whistle and he was entitled to afford himself a wry smile as Watford could conceivably have been dead and buried by the 20-minute mark yet went into the break one goal to the good.

The manager opted not to stiffen the defence and bring on Jay DeMerit at half-time and he was probably wishing he had after Burnley threatened twice in the opening four minutes of the half. The lively Elliott saw a right-footed effort spilled by Lee and then Akinbiyi saw a header ruled out for offside.

The crowd were starting to crank up the noise level and were out of their seats following a frenetic spell just after the 50th minute. Akinbiyi was fortunate to only pick up a yellow after making contact with the referee, John Eustace and Andy Cole became involved in a shoving match, Dan Shittu lost his cool while Ellington escaped unpunished after a wild challenge on John Harley. Referee Dean Whiteside was struggling to keep a lid on proceedings at this point.

With Burnley continuing to pose problems for an overworked Watford defence, Boothroyd opted to bring on DeMerit for Adrian Mariappa just after half-time and moved Bromby to right-back.

It appeared, though, to make very little difference as within a minute Burnley had been presented with yet another golden chance.

A raking cross-field pass from Elliott found Lafferty on the left. He checked inside and unleashed a right-footed shot that Lee could only parry. The ball looped up in the air straight to Akinbiyi, who somehow managed to head the chance over from six yards out.

The former Crystal Palace, Stoke and Wolves striker must have wished the ground had opened up and swallowed him up at that point.

McAnuff will also feel he should have done better with a chance two minutes later that, had he converted it, would have been game, set and match to the Hornets.

Tommy Smith picked out his fellow winger at the far post but then wheeled away with his head in his hands as McAnuff could only plant his effort into the side-netting.

A high-octane encounter threatened to boil over soon after when Henderson caught Jensen, the Burnley keeper, off the ball with a late challenge. Henderson, like Akinbiyi earlier, was lucky to escape with only a yellow card.

Burnley must have been starting to wonder if it was going to be their day when the unmarked McCann headed a corner against the inside of the post from less than six yards out.

However, Owen Coyle sent on Blake for the hopeless Akinbiyi and within minutes the substitute had fired the Clarets level, latching onto to a through ball to beat Lee with an effort that deflected off the despairing dive of DeMerit. It was a goal Burnley fully deserved and one that sent their pumped-up visiting fans into delirium.

A thrilling match appeared to have taken decisive twist on 83 minutes when Stewart, of all people, lashed in a half-cleared free-kick from McAnuff for what looked to have been the winner.

However, Burnley had other ideas and they salvaged a fully-deserved point when Blake, who gave the Clarets attack a real cutting edge, beat Lee again with a left-footed effort that bounced in off the post.

To rate the performances of the players against Burnley, click here

Burnley: Jensen; Alexander, Carlisle, Caldwell, Harley; Elliott, O'Connor, McCann, Lafferty; Akinbiyi, Cole.

Subs: Blake for Akinbiyi, 74. Kiraly, Gudjohnsson, Randall, Unswort not used.

Watford: Lee; Mariappa, Bromby, Shittu, Sadler; Smith, Eustace, O'Toole, McAnuff; Ellington, Henderson.

Subs: DeMerit for Mariappa, 61; Kabba for Ellington 74; Stewart for Smith, 83; Poom, Stewart, John not used.

Ref: D Whitestone.

Booked: Akinbiyi, Henderson, Caldwell.