THERE are few more glorious sights than a winger taking on his full back and going past him to unhinge a defence to produce a telling cross, so Anthony McNamee's cameo appearance on Saturday, September 7, lifted a stiflingly drab afternoon and sent us all home with with our own montage of memories.

For a fan base reared on wing-play, be it Benning and Bunce, Scullion and Farley, Barnes and Callaghan or just Glyn Hodges on his own, it was a delight to see a turgid afternoon lifted by a sense of deja vu, as McNamee, stripped of defensive responsibilities, changed the course of the game with electric and inspirational bursts down the left flank.

One would need the assistance of slow-motion video to fully appreciate exactly how he took the ball past his opponent on a couple of occasions, but the real bonus with this youngster is the quality and variety of his crosses, often delivered without actually by-passing his man.

Poor Darren Bazeley, who appeared to be Walsall's hero in waiting as he began to gain the upper hand on Paul Robinson, finished the afternoon looking a man who did not know if he was on foot or horseback, such was the mesmeric quality of Watford's quick-silver youngster.

For McNamee, his appearance was as impressive as in the final game against Gillingham last season, but those who have watched the reserve-team in action these past two months will also confirm that his half-hour on Saturday was by far his most effective outing since the summer.

Former Watford boss Colin Lee sensed the danger from the touchline and nominated two substitutes to try and stop the rot, but he could only bring them on when the ball was dead, and, in this case, it was because it was in the back of the visitor's net.

McNamee's pass to Tommy Smith, taking three defenders out of the game in the process, was a superb exercise in execution, precision and vision: one to drool over.

By the time his exuberance was tactically suppressed, Watford had the game won, and, if there was any doubt, the tenacity of Smith, winning a ball that should never have been his so upset Walsall's Danny Sonner that the visitor lost his cool and the right to take any further part in the proceedings.

All that remained was for the Hornets to survive the scare of a snap-shot just over their own bar before ten-man Walsall were punctured once again. Smith provided the pass we were willing him to produce, released the unlikely figure of Dominic Foley going through to put an unexpected flourish on an afternoon that had started so woefully.

It was almost as if no-one had informed the Hornets of the earlier kick-off time because they were so at sea in those opening minutes. They could have been two goals down, but Walsall failed to make the most of defensive hesitation and two chances, as they appeared to find the wet patches on the pitch as much of a problem as did Watford.

While the Hornets attempt to find the formation that suits them best, the return of 4-4-2 was not auspicious. The loss of Danny Webber and Allan Nielsen probably precluded Ray Lewington from continuing with 3-5-2, but it took a switch to 4-3-3 and giving McNamee license to focus purely on offensive responsibilities that changed the fortunes of the afternoon.

It needed something and Watford gambled and delivered the goods, but it is a valid point that it could just have easily weakened them defensively for that is not McNamee's forte.

Walsall are the type of side Watford need to beat if they are to make any mark in this division, and, with their away form in such tatters, Vicarage Road needs to become something of a bastion if they are to avoid problems at the wrong end of the table.

There were a number of laboured performances and a succession of players looked edgy, nervous and uncomfortable on the ball. Passing movements were at a premium, as were goal-attempts from either side, and, after Walsall's initial surge was stemmed, the game became increasingly sterile. Neal Ardley put in Watford's best first-half attempt, and that from 30 yards, and Walsall, after that early flurry, did not cause undue alarm until Danny Hay hooked over the bar on the turn just before the end.

Watford created two clear-cut chances and scored from them both, but Smith, showing some shooting enterprise in the second-half, did chip narrowly wide, and also saw his attempt to McNamee's cross deflected away from the target.

The striker has now found the target in successive home games after such a lean spell, the football equivalent of the analogy of waiting for a bus for hours, and his confidence appears to be on a welcome upward curve.

A mix-up between Paolo Vernazza and Sean Dyche let in Darren Wrack to shoot but Alec Chamberlain gathered.

The keeper was stretched to retrieve the situation when the defence was again caught asleep, and a left-wing cross was headed back by Jorge Leitao for Sonner to stretch to send the ball goalwards. He did not get hold of his shot and the wrong-footed Chamberlain was able to turn and drop on the ball by the line.

Micah Hyde, from some distance, produced Watford's first attempt, but the keeper was equal to it, and he was untroubled when Marcus Gayle worked himself a shooting-chance from closer in.

Neil Cox sent a glancing header to Stephen Glass' corner just beyond the far post before Ardley produced the best attempt of the half. From 30 yards out, he hit a fine shot which James Walker had to tip over.

Matt Carbon sent a header just wide from a corner early in the second-half before Smith produced a well-schemed chip that bounced the wrong side of the post with the keeper beaten.

When an unfortunate ricochet almost let Walsall in, Chamberlain reacted well to fist away the danger before Bazeley, beginning to dominate on Watford's left, had one shot blocked and another charged down.

McNamee came on and Bazeley faded to no more than an escort role as the youngster made a fine run and crossed for Smith to meet, but his shot caught the leg of a defender and was deflected wide.

The same combination worked to put Watford ahead, but when Sonner lost his head and Walsall were reduced to ten men, the visitors pushed forward with more passion than penetration. Even so, there was an anxious moment when Hay turned and hooked a snap-shot over the bar.

All such concerns were rendered academic when Foley was sent away on a fool-or-hero mission and one wondered what thoughts went through his mind as he homed in on the Rookery goal, where so many who had cheered his dismissal the previous week watched with a mixture of hope, scepticism and apprehension.

Foley duly underlined that a week is a long time in football.

September 13, 2002 12:00