Five-two, we beat them 5-2!

I was there when it happened and we had to wait until that 4-0 success at Kenilworth Road over three years ago, before we could celebrate a similar thrashing.

Mind you, subsequently Watford did beat Luton in the Cup en route to the Cup Final, which we will probably feature in due course.

The disappointing thing for me with this game was that Luton were struggling whereas Watford were making quite an impact on the First Division.

A 5-2 victory was what you would have expected as you made your way to Vicarage Road but it was not quite as clear-cut as one would have hoped.

Still, to be fair, David Pleat was a good manager and they did play well and, in the long term, lasted longer in the top flight than we did.

However, the scoreline was one to savour back in an April weekend in 1983.

Oliver Phillips

From The Watford Observer, Friday April 8, 1983

WATFORD: Sherwood; Rice, Terry, Jackett, Rostron, Taylor, Jobson, Callaghan, Blissett, Barnes, Lohman. Sub: Armstrong for Callaghan after 82 mins.

WATFORD'S "derby" followers finally had something to smile about when for the first time in 52 league clashes with the old enemy, the Hornets rammed five goals past Luton and ended an unhappy run of almost 12 years at Vicarage Road on Easter Monday.

For Graham Taylor, who has never masterminded a Watford win over the Hatters, it was particularly pleasing while for the fans, this was the first "derby" clash, which could be termed as a thriller since the Division Three crunch at Kenilworth Road in 1969.

It was a pulsating afternoon, full of good football, some memorable goals and a whiff of controversy in a game which suddenly tobogganed away from relegation strugglers Luton. Punch-drunk by two Watford goals within 50 seconds, Luton were duly scuttled by referee Lester Shapter when he gave Yugoslav Raddy Antic his marching orders on the hour. Already trailing 4-2 to a Watford side with their tails up, there was no coming back this time.

For many, many Watford fans the fixture with Luton is all about results more than the performance but on Monday they had both, with Luton contributing in no small way to the on the field entertainment.

It cold be construed in a match of five bookings a penalty and a sending off, that Luton played with the desperation commensurate with their critical position. In fact it was not a dirty game and while Antic did aim a truculent kick in the direction of the bubbling Les Taylor, the Yugoslav's dismissal seemed a trifle harsh in the light of what has gone unpunished in other games. Even in this "derby" clash, Walsh was booked for the sort of foul which had Perryman sent off the other week.

But while Antic's dismissal scuppered Luton's hopes of a revival that cause was by then fragile. Watford had launched themselves at the Hatters after the break, after Richard Jobson's well-struck goal had put the pinprick in Luton's new-found confidence. The Hornets' run of disappointing games and performances were brushed aside in a display of dogged determination and tenacity which finally realised some flowing, typical Watford football reminiscent of their autumn peaks.

Graham Taylor's pre-match changes provided the interesting new midfield combination of the increasingly promising Jobson and the terrier-like tackling of Les Taylor. Up front, Nigel Callaghan, John Barnes and Luther Blissett barged their way out of their recent disappointments, to assert themselves on a flowing game.

"Watford were tremendous in the second half," admitted Hatters' boss David Pleat who at one stage felt, and understandably so, that three points were again coming Luton's way.

There was indeed something for everyone as Luton had the edge on first-half play, if not chances. From the mercurial Paul Walsh, who laid on two goals but demonstrated a lack of discipline later, to the silken skills of Ricky Hill, there was much about Luton's football to commend. For a good 20 minutes or so, Luton looked the better-balanced and more fluid side, and the Luton hoodoo seemed likely to continue. The knowledge of that record against Watford, the rhythm of their own play and the confidence of a 2-1 lead had put the Hatters in the driving seat.

They had overcome the setback of what they felt was a debatable first Watford goal but their confidence was newly found. Behind them was a run of three successive league defeats and, to my mind, the game turned on Richard Jobson's goal just before the interval. It sent Watford into the dressing room on a high while Luton had that all too familiar feeling that they still had it all to do.

Watford leapt into the second half against a hesistant Luton and two goals inside a minute, although a trifle freakish in their conception, put the issue beyond reasonable doubt.

In defence newcomers Terry and Jackett finally came to terms with their opposite numbers while Pat Rice played Moss superbly, making sure that there was never the slightest suspicion of a penalty in any of their encounters.

In attack, Callaghan, Barnes and Blissett combined with increasing effectiveness, producing the fifth goal without a long pass in sight while Lohman frequently joined the battles in midfield alongside Taylor and Jobson.

The first moment of controversy came in the seventh minute when Watford took the lead with a goal which Luton disputed to their eventual cost. Antic was booked for his very vocal complaints to referee Shapter, on the grounds that Barnes had fouled Mal Donaghy.

Chasing a through ball, Donaghy appeared to slip on the greasy surface and if Barnes did clip the Luton's man's heels, he did so without altering his stride whatsoever as he raced on and crossed low. Callaghan's shot from the cross was blocked and Blissett blasted the rebound past Godden.

Jobson sent a header over the Luton bar from Callaghan's cross but in the 16th minute Luton were back on terms. Walsh teased Jackett with a succession of feints as he moved into the Watford penalty area. As he beat the defender without having to ride a tackle, Walsh looked up and chipped a nicely flighted ball across for Aylott to rise and head home.

The goal halted Watford's rise to ascendancy, much as did Stein's goal last season. Blissett muffed two good chances, one provided by a fine dribble by Barnes and another from a deceptive Callaghan cross.

But an overhead kick by Hill came close to finding the net at the other end and indeed both Hill and Walsh looked capable of unlocking the Watford defence on almost every occasion, while Terry was still to get to grips with the useful Aylott.

Luton took the lead with a peach of a goal - Money crossing to Walsh who laid it off superbly to the supporting Brian Horton who drove the ball into the net from outside the box.

For a further ten minutes Luton looked by far the better side. Their football flowed but Watford answered the flair with determination. This was epitomised by a great interception by Terry who thwarted Aylott and a fearsome challenge by Lohman, which came close to bringing down Walsh in the box. Watford were struggling but unbowed.

And there was that customary determination as Rostron sped down the left, on to Jobson's pass and crossed, finding Taylor who in turn laid the ball off for Jobson to move forward and crack a superb shot into the Luton net for the 42nd minute equaliser. It was his first league goal.

The scene was set for still more drama and straight after the interval Luton found themselves under pressure. First Blissett, then Lohman and finally Callaghan, with an overhead kick, had goal attempts and in the 40th minute, Luton in effect pressed the self-destruct button. The able Elliott charged across to bring down Taylor on the right of the penalty area, when possibly he would have been better employed contending the midfield man's probably cross. The referee had no second thoughts about pointing to the spot, but Blissett had considerable contemplation before turning and thumping the penalty past Godden.

Back in front, Watford tore into Luton as soon as they took the restart and a succession of back passes ended with Elliott attempting to find Godden. Barnes, having anticipated the back pass on seeing Blissett close down on Elliott, was in a position to stick out a foot in an attempt to reach the ball. But in fact the ball struck his foot and looped over Godden and into the net to give the Hornets a 4-2 lead.

Terry headed just wide as Watford continued to forge forward, touching the heights of their October-November peak as they had Luton on the run. Then in the 60th minute Antic fouled Taylor as the two clashed down in front of the main stand. The Luton man aimed a kick at Taylor and the referee duly sent him off - an action which he may not have taken had he not committed himself to book Antic.

On discovering he had already booked the Yugoslav earlier, he had no alternative but to send him off for the second booking - a decision which could be argued as being just, but one which took some of the edge off Watford's overdue triumph and effectively finished the match for Luton.

But there was still more to come. Ten-men teams have troubled Watford in the past, throwing the Hornets by their renewed commitment but the home side had the Hatters in a hammer-lock and there was no escape this time.

Rice was booked for hacking Moss, after the Luton man had dragged the full back away from the ball by the shirt. The Watford skipper, who had protested at Antic's dismissal, was to be followed by Callaghan. His was an innocuous foul, but as the referee made clear, his second against Money in the space of a few minutes.

But by then Callaghan had celebrated his second goal in two matches. This was made by a magnificent run by Blissett who went down the left evading tackles before cutting in and squaring the ball to Barnes. With clear and unselfish thinking, Barnes tapped the ball sideways, away form the congestion of players and Callaghan rounded off the move.

Armstrong came on for Callaghan who, having been the subject of one booking and the object of two others, was sailing close to the wind.

Watford were rampant and while Armstrong squandered a three against two situation with a head down, blinkered run, Terry had a good headed goal disallowed for an infringement elsewhere in the box, and Blissett blasted a great chance over the bar.

Watford had emerged from past disappointments, an inconsistent first half to all but thrash their Division One neighbours. It had been a long wait but for Watford's fans well worth it.

January 21, 2002 17:00