WATFORD's three-month bout of league travel sickness finally came to end at Highfield Road on Saturday, February 1, as Micah Hyde scored the decisive goal to secure a deserved 1-0 victory and a second successive double over Coventry City, and claim only the Hornets' fourth away win of the season.

The home side will point to the second-half dismissal of Youssef Chippo as the turning point, but the Hornets were the better side for long periods and played some good stuff against a Sky Blues side who still looked like they hadn't got last week's embarrassing FA Cup defeat at Rochdale out of their systems as they suffered their first league defeat in nine.

Despite the excellent victory over West Bromwich Albion last week, Ray Lewington opted to alter things slightly in a bid to make his side a harder nut to crack on their travels. That one change saw Jermaine Pennant drop to the bench, in place of Anthony McNamee, with Jamie Hand returning the starting XI for the first time since the 3-0 defeat at Derby County in December.

Coventry player-manager Gary McAllister made two changes from the Rochdale debacle, one of which was enforced. Barry Quinn came in for the suspended Gary Caldwell at right-back, while Chippo replaced former Hornet Dean Holdsworth, who was one of the substitutes.

The home side had the first opening after two minutes when McAllister found Dean Gordon breaking down the left, and his cross was headed goalbound by Gary McSheffrey, but Alec Chamberlain wasn't unduly troubled.

Watford went close with their first attack two minutes later when an Allan Nielsen long throw was flicked on by Neil Cox, and the ball rebounded back across the area to Hand, coming in at the back post, who had to stretch to get his shot in, but Morten Hyldgaard blocked the ball away with his legs.

The Hornets had another promising situation three minutes later when they broke three on two from a Coventry attack, with Hand leading the charge and Tommy Smith and Paolo Vernazza in support, but, at the crucial time, the Hornets' midfielder over-ran the ball and the Sky Blues were able to clear.

The visitors continued to look lively going forward, and on ten minutes Hyde clipped the ball over the top of the defence and Heidar Helguson chose to hit it on the half-volley first time, and his 20-yard effort dipped over.

The Hornets were only inches away from creating a clear-cut chance on 13 minutes when Paul Robinson's ball forward was chested down by Smith, who turned and looked to slip in Helguson on the edge of the area, and it took a fine tackle from Muhamed Konjic to prevent the Icelandic striker from having a clear route to goal.

Richie Partridge had a shot deflected wide for the home side after 24 minutes, and, from the resulting corner, Quinn volleyed goalwards from 25 yards, with Chamberlain holding on to the ball at the second attempt.

The home side created another partial opening four minutes later when McAllister's quickly taken free-kick found Partridge on the left, and his cross was glanced across the area by Jay Bothroyd, who, after the resulting corner had only been partially cleared, drove an an angled shot from the right side of the area into the side netting. However, the action soon switched to the other end, with Vernazza firing badly over after Helguson had played in the ball from the right.

Chippo was the first player to be booked after 31 minutes for chopping down Robinson, bit within two minutes he had been joined by Vernazza for pulling back Partridge, whose influence on the game had increased since he switched flanks mid-way through the half.

A minute later, Hand flashed a dangerous ball across the six-yard box, and although no Watford player was able to able to apply a touch, Konjic nearly played himself into trouble, dallying with the ball at the far post.

On 36 minutes, though, the home side should have taken the lead. A poor Robinson pass gave McAllister too much space in midfield, and he found Partridge unmarked on the left side of the area. Chamberlain made a fine, one-handed save to keep out his curling effort, but McSheffrey, from inside the six-yard box, put the rebound over.

Smith warmed Hyldgaard's hands with a left-footed shot in the last minute of the half, but despite being the better side for most of the half, Watford failed to have any reward for their efforts at half-time.

Vernazza had the first meaningful attempt of the second-half, six minutes after the restart, when he fired wide from 25 yards, but the home side suffered a blow three minutes later when Gordon limped off injured, and was replaced by Calum Davenport. A minute later, Chamberlain had to block a stinging cross from McSheffrey at his near post, before the ball was scrambled behind for a corner.

However, the game took a bizarre twist after 57 minutes when Nielsen went to take a throw in and Chippo stupidly jumped up in front of him. Despite pleas for leniency, referee Trevor Parkes showed Chippo a second yellow card and dismissed him. After the resulting free-kick had been cleared behind, Helguson flicked Vernazza's corner into Hyldgaard's arms.

Two minutes later, Watford went in front. The ball was switched across by Hyde to Hand on the right and as he got to the right by-line, Quinn appeared to be winning the race, but Hand managed to get past him and fire in a shot which Hyldgaard blocked. The follow up from Helguson was also blocked by the keeper, but the striker showed great awareness to roll the ball back to Hyde on the edge of the area, and he displayed admirable composure to side-foot the ball into the roof of the net through a crowd of players.

Within a minute, Hyde had tested Hyldgaard with another shot from 25 yards, but the keeper held on as Smith and Helgsuon closed in, and then Cox fired over from a similar distance after Ardley had rolled a short free-kick to him.

Coventry went for broke on 64 minutes, bringing on Juan Sara and Holdsworth for Quinn and Bothroyd, and switching to three at the back and up front.

Another chance came Watford's way after 68 minutes when a Nielsen throw from the left was laid back at the near post by Cox to Hyde, who first-time effort went wide of the right-hand upright. Hyldgaard was nearly caught out soon after when he tried to let a Vernazza pass down the right run out for a goalkick, but Ardley nipped in and struck the ball into the side netting, while Vernazza fired the next chance wide.

Coventry had a chance after 72 minutes when a McAllister corner from the left found Konjic climbing at the far post, but he headed down and the ball bounced over, as the home side appealed for a handball.

Nielsen curled a shot into the keeper's arms after 77 minutes after Hyde's through ball put Helguson in on goal, but the ball got stuck under his feet as he looked to latch on to it.

Gifton Noel-Williams came on for Smith with three minutes remaining, and they could have snatched a second in injury-time when Hyldgaard blocked a Helguson shot with his legs after Robinson had tried to tee up Noel-Williams in the area.

Watford: Chamberlain; Ardley, Cox, Gayle, Robinson; Hand, Vernazza, Hyde, Nielsen; Smith, Helguson. Substitutes: Noel-Williams for Smith after 87 mins; Brown, Mahon, Pennant and Lee not used.

Coventry City: Hyldgaard; Quinn, Konjic, Shaw, Gordon; Partridge, McAllister, Chippo, Pead; McSheffrey, Bothroyd. Substitutes: Davenport for Gordon after 54 mins; Sara for Quinn and Holdsworth for Bothroyd after 64 mins; Osbourne and Debec not used.

Bookings: Chippo for a foul on Robinson after 31 mins; Vernazza for a foul on Partridge after 33 mins; Chippo for ungentlemanly conduct after 57 mins sent off.

Attendance: 17,393.

Referee: Trevor Parkes.

February 1, 2003 20:30