nPower Championship: Watford FC

Unbeaten at Vicarage Road since January 1st, high-flying Watford play host to a Sheffield Wednesday side that find themselves slipping back towards League One. Much has been said about the Hornets loan policy with 10 foreign loanees playing in the famous yellow jersey, but in my opinion - they've found a loophole in the rules which is perfectly legal ... for now. Owls loanee Connor Wickham will be looking at getting his stint up am running having been named in a lone striker role with Michail Antonio behind for support.






The home side get the match underway and within 4mins they force the games first set-piece but Almen Abdi sees his corner cleared by Anthony Gardner. His fellow Udinese-loanee, Marco Cassetti fires in a shot seconds later but Lewis Buxton blocks his route to goal as Watford start brightly. The right-back then clears the resulting Abdi corner as Wednesday soak up the early pressure. Next to test the visiting back-line is Troy Deeney who somehow shoots wide from deep inside the area in the 7th minute. Wednesday have their first attempt 4mins later as try slowly grow into the game - a rasping shot by Michail Antonio flying over Jonathan Bond's crossbar. The Wales U19 goalkeeper is forced into making a save less than a minute later when Wickham chests the ball down, turns and lashes a shot which the 19yr old does well to save. In a let-off for the Owls, an Ikechi Anya cross is met by Matej Vydra whose shot ricochets off of the post and clear. Only 2mins later and the away fans are celebrating, Jeremy Hélan's break into the box and a mistake by the keeper allows Antonio to slide in and tap the ball home. With Wednesday enjoying the momentum, the lead is almost doubled when following a Daniel Pudil foul on Antonio, Miguel Llera's free-kick is met by Buxton and the ball is cleared off the line - although having looked like crossing the line and blocked with a hand the ball is cleared. After Hélan squanders another chance, Kieran Lee fires wide, Danny Pugh sees a shot saved, Hélan fizzes a shot inches wide and Buxton has a free-kick claimed by Bond as the Owls enjoy a purple patch of surprising dominance. The momentum is broken up when Hélan fouls Cassetti and then David Prutton fouls Delaney as Watford seize the chance of a breather. On the 29th minute Chris Kirkland is forced into a save when Anya's cross finds Pudil but the Granada loanee fails to beat the Wednesday keeper and when the short corner is wasted the Owls break culminating in a 25yard shot by Wickham that is matched by Bond in the save, tipping over the crossbar. The resulting corner is short and Wickham's cross is met by the head of Llera ... wide. A good Watford interchange allows Abdi a shot which deflects for a corner and when the ball lands at Joel Ekstrand's feet (another Udinese loanee) he clears the bar in his effort at goal. With 10mins until the break, Lee see's yellow for a foul on Pudil but when Wednesday break, Giles Coke finds an inspired Bond make a fantastic save. It proves to be Coke's final contribution as Jose Semedo replaces him moments later. Within minutes the midfielder breaks up a Watford attack much to the delight of the crowd as "He's magic - you know, you'll never get passed Semedo" echoes from the away end. The half ends following 2 quick succession fouls by Deeney and a cleared Pudil corner and the away team have had the better of the match so far.


HT. If there's any way to quieten the doubters following the dismal Nottingham Forest performance, Wednesday have shown that so far. The work-rate is much higher and the way the Owls have dominated the last half hour of that half breeds fresh optimism but can you ever count Watford out? No. They looked dangerous in attack but will feel indebted to Jonathan Bond for being only 0-1 down. A snack of Wotsits and Lilt and I'm eager for the second half.





Before the action gets underway, Watford manager Gianfranco Zola replaces two players - Fernando Forestieri replaces Pudil and Nathaniel Chalobah replaces Jonathan Hogg in a move to revert to a 4-4-2 formation. Wednesday start quickly and Cassetti reacts first, clearing a Buxton cross. Minutes later a brilliant cross by Hélan is met by Wickham who can only head wide in a packed Watford box. The Hornets don't want their promotion charge to stutter and after a few moments of pressure, the scores are level. Half-time substitute Forestieri has an easy tap-in from inside the 6 yard box following an Abdi cross. With the home side now in the ascendancy, Llera reacts well to a Deeney cross and Gardner rises the highest to clear the resulting corner. Minutes after clearing an Abdi cross, Pugh is yellow carded for a foul on Cristian Battocchio (another Udinese loanee) and when Abdi swings a corner in from the next move, Kirkland comes to claim. The keeper then has Gardner to thank for clearing another corner - this time by Vydra (you guessed it, another Udinese loanee). As the official Watford twitter account announces that the 'Golden Boys' fans are at their seasons loudest, they have their rewards. Deeney does well to find Forestieri and the Italian U21 striker scores his second of the game from the edge of the box. A deserved goal for the second half performance. Two more bookings follow the goal when on the 64th minute, Vydra and Prutton see yellow before Jermaine Johnson replaces Pugh in an attacking move for Sheffield Wednesday. The inclusion of Forestieri has proved the difference and the influential 23yr old becomes a target for the visiting midfield, first fouled by Semedo and then Hélan within minutes. When Cassetti misses a headed shot from deep inside the box, Wednesday look to get back into the game but an adventurous run by Antonio is cut short by a foul committed by Forestieri. The resulting free-kick is taken by Hélan whose shot is deflected wide but the corner is easily dealt with by Deeney. With 15min left to play Leroy Lita on loan from Swansea replaces Prutton and a couple of minutes later a J.Johnson cross is almost met by the forward but for a Ekstrand clearance. Watford seem to be backing off now as Wednesday build the pressure and momentum again and when Wickham attempts to bypass the keeper and lay-off the on-rushing Lee, it comes to nothing and the Hornets hold on. In a bid to keep the 3 points, Zola replaces midfielder Anya with defender Lloyd Doyley with 9mins remaining. The game opens up and following a cleared Abdi corner, Cassetti clears J.Johnson's whipped cross before Lee smashes a shot wide from just outside the box. Lita and Forestieri enter the referee's book and see yellow in the closing stages but the points look secure when the brilliant Bond saves from Lita in the 88th proving he's not shaken nor stirred from his earlier error (sorry, I had to!) and after 4mins of injury time the match is over.

FT. Back to back defeats now have Wednesday clinging to their Championship status and in the middle of a difficult run of games, the 'glance over the shoulder' is becoming a prolonged stare at the trapdoor of England's third tier. Watford on the other hand will be in with a good chance of promotion come the end of the season and if Zola can be kept, they have a bright future. As previously noted I have no issue with the loan policy at Vicarage Road but for the SWFC fans asking here are the players fielded for this match:

Bond
*Pudil (Granada) > Forestieri
*Cassetti (Udinese)
Nosworthy
*Ekstrand (Udinese)
Hogg > *Chalobah (Chelsea)
*Anya (Granada)> Doyley
*Abdi (Udinese)
*Bottocchio (Udinese)
Deeney
*Vydra (Udinese)

(6 Watford, 5 Udinese, 1 Chelsea, 2 Granada)

Attendance: 12,722 (1,010 away)
Owls Man of the Match: Antonio