WATFORD, England (REUTERS) - Watford held on nervously to repel a late comeback and beat Cardiff City 3-2 in the Premier League on Saturday (Dec 15), leaving the struggling Welsh visitors still searching for a first away win this season.
Spanish forward Gerard Deulofeu, who replaced Isaac Success in the Watford starting lineup, slipped past two Cardiff defenders in the box before drilling a finish past goalkeeper Neil Etheridge to give the hosts an early lead.
With momentum firmly on their side, Watford created further chances through Roberto Pereyra but Etheridge kept the away side in the contest with two spectacular saves just before halftime.
Watford returned from the break with no signs of complacency as Deulofeu’s perfectly weighted pass found full back Jose Holebas, who curled a superb effort into the top corner to make it 2-0.
Portuguese midfielder Domingos Quina then netted his first Premier League goal from the edge of the box as Watford edged closer to a convincing victory at Vicarage Road.
But Cardiff roared back into the match when forward Junior Hoilett fired a curling effort past goalkeeper Ben Foster.
The Welsh side could sniff an unlikely draw when Bobby Reid scored to make it 3-2 in the 82nd minute but Watford held their nerve to record a first league success in seven matches.
DESEERVED WINÂ
“The last games we have played well, but today we deserved the win, it is important for the players and supporters,†said Watford boss Javi Gracia.Â
“All of them deserve the victory.â€Â
The Hornets had more than 70 per cent possession and took 17 shots, showing glimpses of the attacking fluidity which earned them four straight league wins at the start of the campaign.
But Gracia expects his mid-table team, who now have 24 points, to shut the door on their opponents, having controlled the majority of the game.
“We dominated the first 70 minutes, we created a lot of chances and we could have got a better victory today,†he added.
“The last part of the game I think was a good lesson for us to know how we have to manage the game.â€Â
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock said his players must cut out their mistakes as they slipped to 16th stuck on 14 points.
“We set ourselves up to be difficult to break down and I can not legislate for individual errors,†he said.
“We cannot keep playing like this every week and losing, we need to get results away from home.â€
Poor show but Emery backs Mustafi, Football News & Top
Soccer Football - Champions League - Round of 16 First Leg - Olympique Lyonnais v FC Barcelona - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - February 19, 2019 Barcelona's Lionel Messi shoots at goal from a free
Football: Wasteful Barca held to goalless draw at defiant Lyon
Valencia clinch Champions League qualification on final day Getafe in next season's Europa League, and Espanyol's 2-0 final day victory over Real Sociedad saw them climb two places to
Valencia clinch UCL spot at Getafe's expense - espn.com
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's instant impact as Manchester United interim manager continued in his first home game in charge as two goals from Paul Pogba helped his team secure a 3-1 win over Huddersfield.
Paul Pogba Strikes Twice as Man Utd Win on Ole Gunnar
Football: Singapore national team caretaker coach Nazri Nasir proud despite loss - The Straits Times; High imports from China push up Singapore light distillate stocks - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide
Singapore national football team - Wikipedia
Neymar denies raping woman in Paris luxury hotel, dad calls it extortion PARIS • Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar yesterday denied raping a woman who accused him of sexually assaulting her at a Paris hotel, with his father claiming he was the victim of blackmail.
Neymar denies claims he raped a woman in Paris hotel saying
Ryan Giggs has responded to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's criticism of the "Class of 92" by insisting players with "over 2,000 games between us" are entitled to have an opinion about Manchester United.
Ryan Giggs hits back at Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Man Utd Class of
Manchester United vs Watford highlights and reaction as Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford score. Man Utd beat Watford in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first game in charge as permanent manager with
Football: Solskjaer unimpressed as 'sloppy' United avoid
Mourning Manchester United player Wes Brown is due to abandon a team tour of South Africa following the sudden death of his pregnant half-sister. The footballer was 'stunned' by news of the sudden
Jose Mourinho told Man United should sign 23-year-old as cover
Lionel Messi's determined bid to bring the Champions League back to Camp Nou ended in all-too-familiar heartbreak, with Barcelona suffering a humiliating second-leg capitulation at Liverpool, just
Genius | Song Lyrics & Knowledge
Football: Saudi Arabia show title credentials with 4-0 win over 10-man North Korea in Asian Cup opener Saudi Arabia's Salem Al-Dawsari scores their third goal against North Korea during the AFC
Saudi Arabia - Football - BBC Sport
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen