Watford 2 Coventry 1 - 13/12/2008
Watford 2 Coventry 1 - 13/12/2008
Watford: Scott Loach, Jon Harley (Theo Robinson 59), Mathew Sadler (Liam Bridcutt 81), Lloyd Doyley, Cedric Avinel, Adrian Mariappa, Leigh Bromby, John-Joe O'Toole, Ross Jenkins (Jobi McAnuff 87), Lee Williamson, Tommy Smith, Tamas Priskin
Subs not used: Richard Lee, Will Hoskins
Booked: Tamas Priskin 68
Goals: Tommy Smith 62(pen), John-Joe O'Toole 72
Coventry City: Keiren Westwood, Elliott Ward, Ben Turner, Daniel Fox, Marcus Hall, Aron Gunnarsson, Jay Tabb, Michael Doyle (Leon Best 75), Freddy Eastwood, Robbie Simpson, Clinton Morrison
Subs not used: Curtis Wynter, Andy Marshall, Adam Walker, Jordan Clarke
Booked: -
Goals: Clinton Morrison 67
Attendance: 14075
Referee: J Moss
Teamtalk
John-Joe O'Toole grabbed the winner for Watford as Brendon Rodgers' revolution gained momentum with a 2-1 home victory over Coventry.
The 2-1 success meant successive wins for the new boss after his first victory in charge against Norwich in midweek.
After a cautious first half largely due to the atrocious conditions the goals returned to Vicarage Road midway through the second period with three goals in a five-minute spell.
Watford fans have now witnessed 41 goals in 12 Championship games.
Tommy Smith gave the hosts the lead from a penalty won by O'Toole only for Coventry to hit back immediately through Clinton Morrison.
O'Toole, on his return to the side, secured the three points with a late winner.
The sodden pitch caused chaos and the home supporters were on their feet minutes after kick-off as Elliott Ward misjudged a sliding challenge and fouled Smith in the area.
But referee rejected the convincing penalty claims.
Coventry almost took the lead midway through the first half with Morrison's close-range header but Scott Loach made a good save diving to the left.
The players struggled to stay on their feet and the passes came up short in the difficult conditions.
The biggest cheer of the first half came when a ball boy slipped over on the out field until O'Toole almost took advantage of Keiren Westwood's short clearance with a 30-yard effort but the Coventry keeper scrambled back in time to tip over the bar.
Westwood then followed up with fine saves from Lee Williamson and Adrian Mariappa before almost gifting Smith a goal in the Coventry area.
A point-blank save from Leigh Bromley finished off Westwood's half in style.
Watford maintained their edge in the game and got their rewards on 62 minute.
Again Ward was caught out at the back and this time his challenge on Tamas Priskin was deemed a penalty by the referee.
Smith stepped up and sent Westwood the wrong way but within five minutes Coventry were level.
The ball was half-cleared from a corner and Jay Tabb's shot was diverted into the net by Morrison.
Watford snatched back the lead when O'Toole took advantage of a disoriented Coventry defence and hit a right-foot shot.
Watford's Ross Jenkins was stretchered off after a collision with Ben Turner but the home side maintained their composure to secure the win.
CCFC
The Sky Blues were unlucky in defeat at a rain-sodden game at Vicarage Road.
The Hornets had taken a second half lead through a Tommy Smith penalty and despite a Clinton Morrison equaliser, John-Joe O'Toole struck to give his side three points.
Chris Coleman was forced into a change from the side who won at Charlton on Tuesday night. Michael Mifsud has food poisoning so Michael Doyle returned to the centre of midfield with Jay Tabb moving wide.
Both sides struggled to deal with the muddy conditions and the pitch nearly cost Coventry a penalty after just two minutes when Elliott Ward slid to clear but got caught up in the wet. The advancing Tamas Priskin fell - but referee Jon Moss waved away his appeals.
The Sky Blues came close to taking the lead in the sixth minute. Aron Gunnarsson's trademark throw-in found Ben Turner and his header was tipped over the bar by Watford stopper Scott Loach.
Both sides tried to attack but City defended well and created more chances. Another Gunnarsson throw in the 19th minute led to another great save by Loach. The throw-in was flicked on by Turner for Morrison to head towards goal - but the City captain's effort was pushed wide.
Watford's best effort came ten minutes later after Keiren Westwood's clearance fell to Watford's John-Joe O'Toole 35-yards out. Westwood raced back to his line and tipped over the youngster's long range effort over the bar.
The effort sparked the Hornets into life and they tried their luck from range again two minutes later, with a Lee Williamson 20-yard strike. His effort was pushed wide - and they went close again from the resulting corner, with a scrambled shot being pushed away again.
With the pitch rapidly deteriorating, attacking moves were becoming less frequent and the half time interval was a welcome rest for both teams.
Watford looked stronger in the opening part of the second half - and after several half chances, took the lead through a penalty.
A through-ball in the direction of Priskin put City under pressure and Ward mistimed his challenge to bring down the striker. Tommy Smith stepped up and sent Westwood the wrong way to give his side the lead.
It took a few minutes for City to get their rhythm back but when they did, they managed to grab an equaliser. Fox sent in a corner, which was cleared into the path of Jay Tabb 12 yards out. His strike beat Loach, but Morrison wheeled away in celebration of his slight deflection - his eighth goal this season.
But just three minutes later, the Hornets were level again. In an almost identical effort, O'Toole hit a low drive towards the corner of the net and Westwood couldn't quite keep it out.
In response to the goal, City introduced Leon Best for Michael Doyle and tried to force an attack. Tabb blasted a volley high and wide in the 80th minute - and a goalmouth scramble didn't quite fall for Eastwood.
City continued to fight to salvage a point but Watford ran down the clock to hold on for the win.
4thegame
Watford made it back-to-back wins for the first time since mid-October with a deserved 2-1 victory over Coventry City to continue their move away from the relegation zone.
The game only went ahead after three pitch inspections, and even then it was played in incessant rain, but the Hornets coped with the tricky conditions the better to secure the points through their top scorers, Tommy Smith and John-Joe O'Toole, either side of Clinton Morrison's equaliser for the visitors.
After a goalless first half, Watford took the lead from the penalty spot after 62 minutes when Elliott Ward tripped Tamas Priskin in the area and Smith confidently tucked away his 12th goal of an increasingly productive campaign.
However, the home side's joy was to be short-lived. The Hornets failed to clear their lines from a corner allowing Jay Tabb to fire in a shot through a crowded penalty area that looked to be going in anyway, but Morrison made sure from close to the goal-line.
That setback might have knocked the stuffing out of Watford during the last weeks of previous manager Aidy Boothroyd's reign, but the Hornets began to rediscover a mental toughness under caretaker boss Malky Mackay and have continued to build on that under Brendan Rodgers.
The outcome was Watford retook the lead five minutes after being pegged back.
Substitute Theo Robinson tried to get on the end of Lee Williamson's cross from the right, but Coventry only succeeded in half-clearing the ball to O'Toole, who celebrated his return to the starting line-up by emphatically firing his eighth of the season past Kieren Westwood.
Watford are still not out of the woods yet at the wrong end of the table, but they can look ahead to the second half of the season with more confidence than looked likely a few weeks ago.
Watford: Scott Loach, Jon Harley (Theo Robinson 59), Mathew Sadler (Liam Bridcutt 81), Lloyd Doyley, Cedric Avinel, Adrian Mariappa, Leigh Bromby, John-Joe O'Toole, Ross Jenkins (Jobi McAnuff 87), Lee Williamson, Tommy Smith, Tamas Priskin
Subs not used: Richard Lee, Will Hoskins
Booked: Tamas Priskin 68
Goals: Tommy Smith 62(pen), John-Joe O'Toole 72
Coventry City: Keiren Westwood, Elliott Ward, Ben Turner, Daniel Fox, Marcus Hall, Aron Gunnarsson, Jay Tabb, Michael Doyle (Leon Best 75), Freddy Eastwood, Robbie Simpson, Clinton Morrison
Subs not used: Curtis Wynter, Andy Marshall, Adam Walker, Jordan Clarke
Booked: -
Goals: Clinton Morrison 67
Attendance: 14075
Referee: J Moss
Teamtalk
John-Joe O'Toole grabbed the winner for Watford as Brendon Rodgers' revolution gained momentum with a 2-1 home victory over Coventry.
The 2-1 success meant successive wins for the new boss after his first victory in charge against Norwich in midweek.
After a cautious first half largely due to the atrocious conditions the goals returned to Vicarage Road midway through the second period with three goals in a five-minute spell.
Watford fans have now witnessed 41 goals in 12 Championship games.
Tommy Smith gave the hosts the lead from a penalty won by O'Toole only for Coventry to hit back immediately through Clinton Morrison.
O'Toole, on his return to the side, secured the three points with a late winner.
The sodden pitch caused chaos and the home supporters were on their feet minutes after kick-off as Elliott Ward misjudged a sliding challenge and fouled Smith in the area.
But referee rejected the convincing penalty claims.
Coventry almost took the lead midway through the first half with Morrison's close-range header but Scott Loach made a good save diving to the left.
The players struggled to stay on their feet and the passes came up short in the difficult conditions.
The biggest cheer of the first half came when a ball boy slipped over on the out field until O'Toole almost took advantage of Keiren Westwood's short clearance with a 30-yard effort but the Coventry keeper scrambled back in time to tip over the bar.
Westwood then followed up with fine saves from Lee Williamson and Adrian Mariappa before almost gifting Smith a goal in the Coventry area.
A point-blank save from Leigh Bromley finished off Westwood's half in style.
Watford maintained their edge in the game and got their rewards on 62 minute.
Again Ward was caught out at the back and this time his challenge on Tamas Priskin was deemed a penalty by the referee.
Smith stepped up and sent Westwood the wrong way but within five minutes Coventry were level.
The ball was half-cleared from a corner and Jay Tabb's shot was diverted into the net by Morrison.
Watford snatched back the lead when O'Toole took advantage of a disoriented Coventry defence and hit a right-foot shot.
Watford's Ross Jenkins was stretchered off after a collision with Ben Turner but the home side maintained their composure to secure the win.
CCFC
The Sky Blues were unlucky in defeat at a rain-sodden game at Vicarage Road.
The Hornets had taken a second half lead through a Tommy Smith penalty and despite a Clinton Morrison equaliser, John-Joe O'Toole struck to give his side three points.
Chris Coleman was forced into a change from the side who won at Charlton on Tuesday night. Michael Mifsud has food poisoning so Michael Doyle returned to the centre of midfield with Jay Tabb moving wide.
Both sides struggled to deal with the muddy conditions and the pitch nearly cost Coventry a penalty after just two minutes when Elliott Ward slid to clear but got caught up in the wet. The advancing Tamas Priskin fell - but referee Jon Moss waved away his appeals.
The Sky Blues came close to taking the lead in the sixth minute. Aron Gunnarsson's trademark throw-in found Ben Turner and his header was tipped over the bar by Watford stopper Scott Loach.
Both sides tried to attack but City defended well and created more chances. Another Gunnarsson throw in the 19th minute led to another great save by Loach. The throw-in was flicked on by Turner for Morrison to head towards goal - but the City captain's effort was pushed wide.
Watford's best effort came ten minutes later after Keiren Westwood's clearance fell to Watford's John-Joe O'Toole 35-yards out. Westwood raced back to his line and tipped over the youngster's long range effort over the bar.
The effort sparked the Hornets into life and they tried their luck from range again two minutes later, with a Lee Williamson 20-yard strike. His effort was pushed wide - and they went close again from the resulting corner, with a scrambled shot being pushed away again.
With the pitch rapidly deteriorating, attacking moves were becoming less frequent and the half time interval was a welcome rest for both teams.
Watford looked stronger in the opening part of the second half - and after several half chances, took the lead through a penalty.
A through-ball in the direction of Priskin put City under pressure and Ward mistimed his challenge to bring down the striker. Tommy Smith stepped up and sent Westwood the wrong way to give his side the lead.
It took a few minutes for City to get their rhythm back but when they did, they managed to grab an equaliser. Fox sent in a corner, which was cleared into the path of Jay Tabb 12 yards out. His strike beat Loach, but Morrison wheeled away in celebration of his slight deflection - his eighth goal this season.
But just three minutes later, the Hornets were level again. In an almost identical effort, O'Toole hit a low drive towards the corner of the net and Westwood couldn't quite keep it out.
In response to the goal, City introduced Leon Best for Michael Doyle and tried to force an attack. Tabb blasted a volley high and wide in the 80th minute - and a goalmouth scramble didn't quite fall for Eastwood.
City continued to fight to salvage a point but Watford ran down the clock to hold on for the win.
4thegame
Watford made it back-to-back wins for the first time since mid-October with a deserved 2-1 victory over Coventry City to continue their move away from the relegation zone.
The game only went ahead after three pitch inspections, and even then it was played in incessant rain, but the Hornets coped with the tricky conditions the better to secure the points through their top scorers, Tommy Smith and John-Joe O'Toole, either side of Clinton Morrison's equaliser for the visitors.
After a goalless first half, Watford took the lead from the penalty spot after 62 minutes when Elliott Ward tripped Tamas Priskin in the area and Smith confidently tucked away his 12th goal of an increasingly productive campaign.
However, the home side's joy was to be short-lived. The Hornets failed to clear their lines from a corner allowing Jay Tabb to fire in a shot through a crowded penalty area that looked to be going in anyway, but Morrison made sure from close to the goal-line.
That setback might have knocked the stuffing out of Watford during the last weeks of previous manager Aidy Boothroyd's reign, but the Hornets began to rediscover a mental toughness under caretaker boss Malky Mackay and have continued to build on that under Brendan Rodgers.
The outcome was Watford retook the lead five minutes after being pegged back.
Substitute Theo Robinson tried to get on the end of Lee Williamson's cross from the right, but Coventry only succeeded in half-clearing the ball to O'Toole, who celebrated his return to the starting line-up by emphatically firing his eighth of the season past Kieren Westwood.
Watford are still not out of the woods yet at the wrong end of the table, but they can look ahead to the second half of the season with more confidence than looked likely a few weeks ago.
posted by SkyBlueSnowy at 10:58 pm
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