4:57pm Saturday 18th October 2008
SAINTS 0 WATFORD 3 Saints missed two penalties as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Watford at St Mary’s.
The Hornets had a dreadful away record going into the game having only taken one point in their five games on the road this season but were comprehensive winners over Saints.
It could have been very different were it not for missed first half chances from Saints and naïve defending that saw them concede all three goals from set-pieces.
The game got off to an incredible and controversial start with Saints missing a brilliant chance to take an early lead.
Just three minutes in Watford let a long ball over the top from Andrew Surman bounce and David McGoldrick chased it down. He went down right on the edge of the area with the keeper Richard Lee and two defenders having challenged.
The linesman flagged and the referee awarded a penalty with Lee being booked.
McGoldrick stepped up to take the penalty himself but it was very weak and fairly central and Lee diving to his left saved it with relative ease.
Saints created another opening just two minutes later when Jordan Robertson got in down the right and crossed low to the far post but Ryan Smith was unable to turn it goalwards.
Moments later Adam Lallana’s chipped ball to the far post was headed over by McGoldrick as Saints piled the early pressure on Watford who were desperately hanging on.
But as ever in football missed chances come back to haunt you and it was the Hornets who took the lead on ten minutes.
They failed to defend a right wing corner adequately and the ball fell to Tamas Priskin at the far post who lashed a half volley past Kelvin Davis for 1-0.
John Eustace was the next player in the book for a strong challenge on Adam Lallana.
Amazingly Saints were awarded another penalty on 19 minutes and they missed it again.
This time it was Smith who went down in the area looking like he was shoved by Matthew Sadler as he tried to win a header.
Paul Wotton took the responsibility from the penalty spot this time and decided to blast it low and hard but again it was very central and Lee, this time diving to his right, saved it with his legs.
Saints were getting rattled by Watford’s strong-arm tactics as Lee Williamson became their third player in the book while Jon Harley made it four moments later.
After 30 minutes it was 2-0 and again it came from a poorly defended corner.
Williamson lifted the ball in towards the near post, Darren Ward’s header hit the underside of the bar and Eustace was alert to follow up and head home from close range.
Saints had a terrific chance to halve the deficit four minutes later as Lallana’s beautiful ball put McGoldrick through one-on-one with Lee. He lifted the ball over the keeper but missed the target as he went for the far corner.
There was a much tougher chance for Robertson on 37 minutes as Leigh Bromby’s header back to Lee saw the keeper having to dive away on one edge of his area to prevent a corner.
He did that but spilt the ball allowing Robertson the chance to try and curl into an empty net but from a very acute angle he couldn’t quite get it on target.
On 40 minutes Saints again defended a set-piece appallingly and went 3-0 down, paying the ultimate price for all their missed chances.
This time it Williamson with the free kick on the right, Adrian Mariappa won the ball in the area and Priskin was alert enough to backheel the loose ball home from inside the six yard box.
McGoldrick was the firsts Saints player in the book for a trip.
Surman nearly gave Saints a glimmer of hope as his free kick was well saved by Lee and the follow-up just about hacked clear but at half time it was 3-0 and looking pretty grim.
The start to the second period was much more serene.
Watford knew their attacking job was largely done and that they needed to concentrate on defending.
As a result they were sitting deeper and trying to make themselves a more compact unit for Saints to break down.
Smith tried to do just that with a run and shot from distance but Lee was able to save.
Lallana also tested the Watford keeper on 55 minutes after being played through by Smith but Lee was equal to it.
Priskin nearly put the result beyond all doubt four minutes later when a long clearance drifted over the top of the Saints defence and the Watford man outpaced Wotton. He had to shoot early just inside the area but Davis dived to his right to make a good save.
Priskin had an even better chance on 65 minutes when some more indecisive defending allowed him a shot from eight yards out but somehow he missed the target.
Saints made their first change a minute later with Jake Thomson on for Lloyd James at right back before he switched positions with Jack Cork.
Davis had to be alert to turn away Ward’s flick-on from Bromby’s long throw as Watford came into the game a little more.
Watford made a double change with nine minutes remaining with Liam Henderson and John-Joe O’Toole coming on for Priskin and Will Hoskins.
Saints responded two minutes later with Tomas Pekhart replacing Smith.
Davis made another good save to stop Watford adding another in the dying minutes as Henderson managed to get past Cork but the Saints keeper got down at his feet to block his shot.
Watford made a final switch with Lloyd Doyley on for Mariappa.
By then though Saints were a beaten side, looking deflated out on the pitch and out of ideas.
When the final whistle went to a few boos from the disappointed St Mary’s crowd it was something of a welcome release and provided a realisation that another very winnable home match had ended in defeat.
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