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Town 1-1 Watford
Saturday, 21st Dec 2013 17:04

David McGoldrick netted Town’s first penalty of the season, but Troy Deeney equalised as the Blues drew 1-1 with Watford at Portman Road. McGoldrick put Town ahead in the 73rd minute after Gabriele Angella had handled, but Deeney hit back nine minutes from time.

Town boss Mick McCarthy named the same side for the third game running with the Blues lining up in a 4-3-3 formation.

Stephen Hunt missed out on a place on the bench due to the hamstring injury he suffered in training, with Paul Taylor taking his place amongst the subs.

New signing Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was left out of the 18 and isn’t expected to be involved until the FA Cup tie against Preston on January 4th.

Watford’s new head coach Giuseppe Sannino made seven changes to the Hornets side Gianfranco Zola lined-up in his final game last week and switched to a 3-5-2 formation.

Neither side created much in a tentative and scrappy opening spell with the players trying to settle into the windy conditions. Lewis McGugan’s low freekick across the Town box from the right was the nearest thing to a chance but Blues keeper Dean Gerken claimed.

On 12 Tommy Smith was booked for a late tackle on Deeney on halfway, the Town defender having slipped when going for an under-hit McGoldrick pass.

Angella lashed well over for the Hornets, who had had most of the possession, in the 23rd minute with rain now blowing across the pitch but sent the ball deep into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand. At the other end, McGoldrick shot across the face of goal from the right.

Watford were within an inch or two of going in front in the 25th minute when Diego Fabbrini hit a shot against Gerken’s left post from a tight angle.

Moments later, Aaron Cresswell struck a powerful effort which deflected over. From the corner, Christophe Berra’s goalbound headed was nodded away.

McGoldrick forced Hornets skipper Almunia into his first serious save of the afternoon in the 31st minute, the Spaniard tipping his 25-yard curler over. From the corner, Berra again won the ball in the air and nodded across goal but Frank Nouble was unable to direct his header goalwards while under pressure.


The Blues were starting to threaten more, although the game was still as scruffy as they come, and in the 36th minute McGoldrick crossed from the right to Murphy, who was unable to direct his header goalwards.

McGoldrick shot over from just inside the area from a well-worked freekick from the 18-yard line on the right in the 39th minute, Cresswell having dummied before Cole Skuse played the ball to the Blues top scorer.

On 43 Nouble cut in from the right, beating two men before forcing Almunia to save at his near post, although may well have been wiser to cut the ball across the box.

Referee Graham Scott brought what had been a disappointing half to a close without either side threatening again.

He scoreline was a fair reflection with the Blues increasingly threatening towards the end with Almunia making saves from McGoldrick and Nouble, while Fabbrini came closest to breaking the deadlock when he hit the post for the visitors.

Town started the second half on the front foot with Watford unable to clear their lines from a Blues corner and a loose ball almost falling for Smith.

On 55 a strong run by McGoldrick led to the increasingly involved Ryan Tunnicliffe and Nouble both having shots blocked.

A minute later, Fabbrini played in Sean Murray on the right and Gerken palmed his shot behind at his near post.

But it was Town who had been on top for the most part since the break and in the 58th minute a slick move ended with a Cresswell cross being deflected behind.

As the game reached the hour mark applause rang round in tribute to Kevin Beattie on his 60th birthday, before Daniel Pudil was booked for a foul on Luke Chambers.

Hyam and McGoldrick both scuffed shots wide from the edge of the box with the Blues on top but with Almunia untroubled.

Town went in front in the 73rd minute via their first penalty of the season. Nouble crossed from the left and Angella was adjudged to have handled the ball by referee Scott.

After lengthy protests with several players surrounding and in some cases appearing push the official, the Hornets were fortunate that only Joel Ekstrand was booked.

When order was restored, McGoldrick rolled home his ninth goal of the season, the ball going to Almunia’s left as the ex-Arsenal man went in the other direction.

Thorne was booked for a foul, then Marco Cassetti almost seized on a mix-up between Berra and Gerken on the edge of the six-yard box but eventually the keeper pounced on the ball.

Watford, who had only rarely threatened since the break, got back on terms in the 81st minute. Cassetti crossed from the right, the ball deflected off Cresswell and Deeney got ahead of Berra to stab past Gerken.

Town should have won it in the 88th minute when Almunia pushed McGoldrick’s shot into the air following an excellent move down the left. Hyam reacted quickest but headed onto the bar with the goal gaping. The loose ball came out to Nouble but his volley went past the post.

Watford sub Ikechi Anya shot wide from distance moments before the fourth official’s board signalled four additional minutes, but neither side were able to grab a winner.

The second half was an improvement on the drab first period with the Blues largely having had the upper hand and overall probably worth all three points.

Town, now without a home win against Watford in nine games stretching back to 2004, deserved their lead when it came with the Hornets’ equaliser coming somewhat against the run of play, while Hyam will feel he should have netted the winner late on having done well to anticipate Almunia stopping but not claiming McGoldrick’s shot.

The result sees the Blues move up one place to ninth but still three points away from the play-off zone ahead of the Boxing Day trip to Doncaster Rovers.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Cresswell, Hyam, Skuse, Tunnicliffe, Nouble, McGoldrick, Murphy. Unused: Loach, Mings, Edwards, Tabb, Anderson, Graham, Taylor.

Watford: Almunia (c), Doyley, Angella, Ekstrand, Cassetti, Murray (Battocchio 78), Thorne, McGugan, Pudil (Anya 80), Fabbrini (Forestieri 83), Deeney. Unused: Bond, McEachran, Iriney, Nosworthy. Referee: Graham Scott (Oxfordshire). Att: 16,385 (Watford: 1,027).


Photo: Action Images



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Hobbsy11 added 17:10 - Dec 21
Unlucky lads should of had the 3 points but only 3 off the playoff COYB
3

Liastro added 17:10 - Dec 21
We must take the positives. We were 9 minutes away from being 1 point from the play offs. A remarkable achievement.

Teams around us have drawn too...we look decent for a play off push in 9th.

COYB!
7

LankHenners added 17:14 - Dec 21
Shame that we conceded what sounded like a soft goal and then Hyam missed a sitter with Nouble following suit.

Oh well, a point's not too bad from what sounded like a rather dreary game and stretching our unbeaten record is a positive.

On to Doncaster where a win awaits!
2

WhoisJimmyJuan added 17:14 - Dec 21
Agree with the above comments. Frustrating today. The stats say we were the better side. Normally a home draw draws out the anti-muck brigade. I await one in particular! Liastro you are right. A really remarkable achievement
4

blueboy1981 added 17:15 - Dec 21
I guess MM with be reasonably happy with this result - totally convinced that Hyam freezes when he has sight of goal - this should have been the winner, diabolical miss.
Unfortunately will never be a goalscoring threat from midfield - which we desperately need.
7

TractorCam added 17:18 - Dec 21
I hate Watford so much! Can't believe they scraped a draw with their only decent attempt on goal, which deflected straight too Deeney. Hyam is utter trash, always looking backwards, that open goal miss at the end summed up his performance.

However, we are 5 games unbeaten and still only 3 points outside the play-offs, let's keep it up!
-3

TimmyH added 17:18 - Dec 21
Will take a point against a Watford team that aren't that bad away, and as mentioned others have drawn or lost just above us so a draw was ok.
-2

AbujaBlue added 17:19 - Dec 21
MUCH improved performance! Dithering in our defence gifted deeney the goal which was hugely disappointing. And as for this miss by hyam at the end, that really summed up his game- poor throughout and I wish mick subbed him at

Murphy/dids/nouble were great, I just wished creaswell was made use of more - he was begging for the ball several times. We were much more effective on the left with him.

Otherwise I'm happy despite of the lost two points. Onwards and upwards!
3

AbujaBlue added 17:20 - Dec 21
*subbed him at 60
2

AbujaBlue added 17:24 - Dec 21
Henners - dreary result but not a dreary performance, anything but!!
-5

AbujaBlue added 17:24 - Dec 21
Henners - dreary result but not a dreary performance, anything but!!
-5

AbujaBlue added 17:25 - Dec 21
Henners - dreary result but not a dreary performance, anything but!!
-6

AbujaBlue added 17:25 - Dec 21
Henners - dreary result but not a dreary performance, anything but!!
-6

rhybeaniho added 17:26 - Dec 21
GLOUT... Match of The Day hog and Football League hog! Enjoy!
0

blueboy1981 added 17:32 - Dec 21
...... I think Hyam needs reminding that he has not 'made the grade' - to stop preening, and start playing again. Not good enough.
1

TractorBeezer added 17:36 - Dec 21
Disappointing that we didn't hold on to our lead. Nevertheless, we are unbeaten in 5 and second in the form table:

http://www.twtd.co.uk/league-tables/competition:championship/form/matches:5/type

We have come such a long way since last season and are very much in the play-off hunt.
7

ITFCsince67 added 17:38 - Dec 21
First game in 2 years after living away.
What a load of rubbish. Long ball dross. No width, no composure on the ball, no flair (well one). As soon as we scored there looked like only one team who wanted to win and weren't us. No substitution to go and try and win the game.
Keeper did not talk, defenders just hoofed it. Midfield no composure and strikers, o dear. Frank Noble my god what a poor excuse for a footballer.
Players walked around the pitch taking applause like they were world beaters. Shocking, get off the pitch and learn to pass on the ground.But we are still near the playoffs! So a point is a point and the rest of the div must be just as crap bar QPR and Leicester.
-3

marcussmith93 added 17:48 - Dec 21
Should have been 3 points for the Town, Skuse and Mcgoldrick were probably our best players today, but next game against Doncaster lets get 3 points and still be around or in the play offs COYB.
4

bluefeast added 17:48 - Dec 21
Our composure today was terrible i have to say. Our midfield 3 are like triplets in terms of ability to pick a pass ,control and look after the football etc. I find that odd. Nouble is what he is , which is a shame , all of the attributes without a football brain. Berra today was sloppy and seemed ill at ease . We need a fightback who attacks when playing 433 as we have no width. All in all both teams as bad as one another.
3

bluefeast added 17:49 - Dec 21
rightback my apologies.
0

TimmyH added 17:51 - Dec 21
Although looking at the bigger picture today and content with the point you have to say how many games in the last month or so (although doing well points wise) have we played well in? and the answer is not many! a lot of 'ground' out games to get those points and I believe that might have been the way with Hull last season to gain promotion and maybe we just don't have the quality of players to mildly dominate games.
Interesting game at Doncaster coming up, certainly not going to be easy and another Charlton'esk performance might be required.
0

flashblue added 17:54 - Dec 21
HOOF HOOF HOOF. What a load of rubbish, that 4-3-3 does not work and I hope that's the last we see of it. He's tried it for the last few games and we have been successful despite, not because of it. We were so lucky to scrape a point. It took a lucky penalty for us to score. Nouble and Murphy are a complete joke. Please change the system back to 4-4-2 and start playing some football!
-3

Jimmy86 added 17:58 - Dec 21
In my opinion its very much 2 points dropped which is unfortunate, when we could have had all 3 points and more likely should have. Its always good to look for positives but that masks the fact we have come away with 1 point when we should have had all 3. I have been critical of hyam in the past and so wont add anything further to what others have said. He is so limited as a footballer its unreal and i think he doesnt even do what he used to very well either, which was closing down the opposition and breaking up play. Think mick should have made changes to affect the game too but hey ho. Opportunity missed but we go again
6

miltonsnephew added 17:58 - Dec 21
Marriott scores again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9

Michael11 added 18:04 - Dec 21
It feels like two points dropped but with Watford having a new manager and being our bogey team then it's not the end of the world. I think 7 points from Doncaster (A) Bournemouth (A) and Charlton (H) will see us in a fantastic position, but we'll have to play better than today if we're going to acheive that.
9


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