7:29pm Saturday 1st December 2007
By Anthony Matthews
WATFORD looked to have snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat but incredibly contrived to throw even that away as they slumped to their third successive defeat in front of the nation with a 2-1 televised loss against Bristol City tonight (Saturday).
Enoch Showunmi's 75th minute header looked to be enough to earn the visitors their first win in six until John-Joe O'Toole, two minutes after entering the fray, popped up in the six-yard box to flick home his first senior goal with four minutes remaining.
But having got themselves back on terms, the Hornets simply switched off in the third of four minutes of injury-time, allowing City's own super-sub Darren Byfield to scramble in the winner.
Perhaps surprisingly given Watford's dire showing against Burnley, Aidy Boothroyd chose to make just the one change, but it was a significant one. Jobi McAnuff, who has not started a game since mid-September, recovered from his injury lay-off to replace Steve Kabba, who did not make the bench. Tamas Priskin and Damien Francis also failed to make the matchday 16, but new loan signing Lionel Ainsworth and O'Toole were on a bench that did not include a replacement keeper.
Former Hornets Academy boss Gary Johnson also made just the one change from the side that was held to a goalless draw by Hull City in mid-week, but that was enforced, with Jamie McCombe coming in for the suspended Jamie McAllister.
Watford showed their intent from the outset, with Darius Henderson nipping in to win the ball from City's kick-off and setting up an attack which, unfortunately, came to nothing.
The Hornets maintained their up-tempo approach with some neat inter-play between Tommy Smith, McAnuff and Henderson setting up Smith for a crossing opportunity after five minutes.
However, the home side survived their first scare from City's first corner two minutes later. Mart Poom failed to get to a Michael McIndoe in-swinging set-piece from the left, but Marvin Elliott's header was deflected over.
It then took a fine Poom stop to prevent the visitors from taking a tenth-minute lead. Gavin Mahon swung and missed an attempted clearance around 30 yards out, Elliott got hold of the bouncing ball to slide a pass inside to Ivan Sproule, but the Hornets stopper was quickly off his line to block at the player's feet.
Sproule had another opening soon after, cutting back into the area from the left to send an angled shot wide of Poom's far post, as the visitors continued to hold the early upper hand.
McAnuff had Watford's first shot after 14 minutes, latching onto Adriano Basso's poor clearance to cut into the area from the left before hitting a low right-footed drive which the keeper saved at his near post.
That opening swung the game back in the home side's favour and they had another chance three minutes later. McAnuff capitalised on Sproule's poor pass behind Bradley Orr to send over a left-footed cross, which Henderson battled for at the far post and the ball sat up invitingly for Smith, who hit a left-footed effort high and wide of the target.
But the Hornets had another let-off after 26 minutes when a cross was stood up from near the touchline and Showunmi sent a looping header from around eight yards out beyond Poom and off his right-hand post.
David Noble was the next to chance his arm with an ambitious long-range effort, but City were still looking the more convincing side, particularly when they were in possession.
However, that didn't stop the Hornets from almost taking the lead on the half-hour. Marlon King was sent clear on the right and he struck a powerful lob that cleared Basso, but rebounded out off the face of the bar and McAnuff's prodded follow-up was blocked by the keeper's legs.
Another opportunity came and went two minutes later when Henderson played the ball inside to Lee Williamson, who struck a fizzing 20-yard rising drive narrowly wide of Basso's left-hand upright.
But with half-time looming, there was a bizarre example of player power. A McIndoe corner from the left was glanced on by Gavon Mahon and went out of play without touching another player. Referee Phil Joslin initially awarded a throw-in to the Hornets but, on the say so of three City players, changed his mind, much to the annoyance of the faithful in the Rookery.
City started the second period positively, with Poom less than convincing in dealing with their first corner after the break.
But Watford were very unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty after 52 minutes. A free-kick routine near the edge of the area saw the ball worked square to Mahon, who stood it up to the far post where Dan Shittu headed back into the danger zone and a red-sleeved arm was certainly raised, prompting vociferous, but unsuccessful, appeals by the home side.
King then saw a shot blocked through to Basso as the Hornets continued to look to up the ante, with Boothroyd arriving on the sidelines just short of the hour-mark to spur his side on.
They weren't too far away after 63 minutes when Smith's left-footed reverse pass sent King racing clear, but the striker fired an angled drive into the side netting.
Showunmi was the recipient of the game's first yellow card soon after for catching Shittu while jumping for the ball, but the Hornets then had another good opening when another good Smith pass released Henderson on the left side of the area. McAnuff appeared to be pushed over as he sought to latch onto the cut-back, but the ball broke for King, who scuffed an effort off target.
And the Hornets' joint top-scorer completed a quick-fire hat-trick of attempts off target after 68 minutes when he fired an angled effort high and wide after Henderson had knocked a cross down into his path.
Watford might have had another penalty after 71 minutes when McAnuff went down in the area under Orr's challenge, but the referee instead decided the Hornets winger had dived and booked him.
City made the game's first change soon after - and it was a positive one - with Lee Trundle replacing Noble, and then Jordan Stewart's run into the area ended with a shot that Basso grasped at the second attempt.
Henderson quickly followed McAnuff into the referee's notebook for an over-zealous challenge on McCombe, but that was to be the Watford striker's last involvement as he was replaced by Nathan Ellington soon after.
But having bossed the majority of the second-half, the Hornets were stung with 15 minutes remaining. A McIndoe cross from the left found three City players queuing up unmarked at the back post and Showunmi won the race, heading down inside Poom's near post to net the visitors' first goal in five games.
Cole Skuse then came on for Sproule, and he supplied the ball which ended with Showunmi thumping a volley wide of the near post with 11 minutes remaining.
O'Toole came on for Mahon with 84 minutes on the clock, as City increasingly indulged in playing keep ball.
Watford were finally awarded their first corner with four minutes remaining and from it came a moment one young man will never forget. Following Williamson's ball in from the right, Jay DeMerit flung himself forward on the right side of the area to head back into the six-yard box where O'Toole flicked the ball past Basso to net his first senior club goal, almost two weeks after breaking his international duck.
It could have got even better for the home side moments later when King cut the ball back to Williamson on the right side of the area, but he snatched an effort off target.
But with a point seemingly in the back, the Hornets shot themselves in the foot in the third of four minutes of injury-time. Watford failed to react after Poom had palmed away McIndoe's ball in from the left, and when the cross came back in from the other side substitute Byfield, who had been on the pitch for less than two minutes, scrambled the ball in.
That signaled a mass exodus from Vicarage Road, but even then Watford might still have earned a point. Shittu headed a cross from the left down into the path of King, but, after getting the ball under control, he skied an effort into the stands to ensure the league leaders' dismal run continued.
Watford: Poom; Doyley, DeMerit, Shittu, Stewart; Smith, Williamson, Mahon (O'Toole, 84), McAnuff; King, Henderson (Ellington, 74). Not used: Jackson, Mariappa and Ainsworth.
Bristol City: Basso; Orr, Carey, McCombe, Fontaine; Sproule (Skuse, 77), Johnson, Elliott, McIndoe; Noble (Trundle, 71); Showunmi (Byfield, 90). Not used: Vasko and Weale.
Bookings: Showunmi for a foul on Shittu after 64 mins; McAnuff for simulation after 71 mins; Henderson for a foul on McCombe after 73 mins.
Attendance: 16,689.
Referee: Phil Joslin.
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