Watford v AFCB – Highlights & Reaction

AFC Bournemouth manager Jason Tindall told the Daily Echo…

“I felt we deserved it, I felt if we got nothing from today’s game that would’ve been very, very harsh because I felt we controlled pretty much the majority of the game.

“We created some good moments and thankfully for us, the goal came in the 95th minute.”

“We came in at half-time and didn’t think we played with enough intensity, other than probably the opening 10 or 15 minutes.

“So we spoke about it at half-time that we needed to come out and we needed to better. We needed to be more front foot.

“We needed to show a little bit more intent, we needed to move the ball quicker and we did that in the second half.

“I felt we were certainly the more dominant side in the second half and if anyone was going to probably get a goal, I felt it would be us, although they had one or two chances from long distance off the back of counter-attacks.”

A really difficult week physically and a lot of travelling. Frustrating game on Wednesday which we should of won but great spirit today to stay unbeaten. Games are coming thick and fast. More wins to come as well! 💪🏼🍒 pic.twitter.com/2DbpkQrqe4

— Steve Cook (@SteveCook28) October 24, 2020

Written by fritter

One of my most memorable early Dean Court games was home to Watford in 1967/68. I had never seen so many away fans, all over the place. Barry Endean and Stuart Scullion, names that I remember well. The songs, the noise, the atmosphere. Wow. There was graffiti at the railway station for years – ‘The Rookery’ or ‘Rookery End’.

My first visit was brilliant. A coach up. Red and black everywhere. A walk through the allotments. Bovver boots confiscated and stored in a hut at the other end, hundreds. Saw my next-door neighbour walking down the side of the pitch having had his boots taken, 6-foot tall skinhead, narrow jeans, bright red socks.

We saw AFC Bournemouth take a two-goal lead, through Ted. All the Bournemouth fans then sat down leaving policeman standing throughout the crowd. Individual pillars having lost their scaffolding. We lost 3-2.

In recent years the rivalry has been intense and I have relished it. So many moments, goals and controversy. Never dull. Oh, and the Sheffield Wednesday moment, probably the most iconic of all.

So, the allotments have gone along with the fans.

An unfamiliar kit for the Cherries. White shirts (maybe elephants breath?). King crowned in orange. Mint (!) shorts.

A changed line-up, King and Kelly back.

So, a lively start saw Cook and Billing interchange setting Stacey up. Three poor crosses in 90 seconds and then a foul and yellow for Kelly. Watching again that should have been red. Studs in the knee. Nowhere near the ball.

A full-on first two minutes then more fouls in the next few. It set the tone for a combative game.

Lerma was pressing high along with the forwards, Billing and Cook playing on the front foot and showing determination and commitment. We broke well and quickly from Watford’s first corner, Lerma making good yards but the break petered out with a poor pass from Dan.

A brisk first ten minutes and then the game settled a bit.

Lerma was mopping up well, setting Rico free and then the ref blew for an alleged foul by King.

On 11 minutes Watford broke. A ball across to the right, Rico blindsided, a cross and an easy goal for Perica. Just like Pedro’s goal against Blackburn in midweek.

Sarr was being increasingly effective but we allowed him too much space.

King was chasing well, as were others. Turned out that mostly we’d be chasing the game.

Watford settled and looked comfortable and organised.

Quarter-hour was gone. Lerma injured. Hamstring. Bug*er, as Kris would say.

Solanke on with his gloves, people expecting Gosling?
Dan drops a bit deeper.
Solanke falls over chasing the first pass.

A real need to regroup after conceding a goal and losing Lerma.

Some fair chances followed corners, some god crosses and some poor ones. Those we got to saw poor efforts, Mepham heading tamely.
Billing and Cook held the middle with Solanke ahead and Dan deeper.

Watford presses and limited our options
We lost our earlier our spark and sting.

More crosses, King crossed to Solanke, Foster claims. Good keeping but Solanke maybe could have attacked it more, as could others.

Garner hauls Billing down, yellow. The ref was fooled by Watford on occasion, but they all go down easy don’t they.

An excellent tussle between Kelly and Sarr. King popping up right and left. Watford want us to put the ball out for injury. Luckily a miracle recovery. They foul. Rico free-kick. Cross too close to keeper.

Billing and Cook looked strong and combative in the middle. Billing played a great cross-field ball to Rico, led to another corner.

Solanke turns and shoots from the edge of the box, well-struck but easy for Foster.

Garner, Perica and Sarr looking good. A lot of fouls so far.

There were some good moves, Dan, Solanke, Stacey and Rico linking on one occasion. A corner, another corner, more good move, attacking intent.

Half an hour is done and we look like we have some sense of shape, King chasing shadows. Solanke chasing well.

I thought it had become an absorbing contest.
Kelly was playing well.

The final ten minutes or so saw some good moves, crosses into the box but nothing that really bothered the goal.

We didn’t seem to be attacking the crosses enough, or at all.

Some good play between Solanke and Stacey linking well. Solanke was doing well I felt. King not sharp enough, hardly surprising given lack of matches played.

I really enjoyed the half, we had 5 corners, 6 shots and much of the play.
Plenty of crosses but we’re not attacking them.
I thought we recovered well after an enforced reorganisation.

The physical half ended with a flying elbow from Billing. With VAR we could have been down to 9.

My stream didn’t restart, so I missed the first two minutes.

Watford started confidently and broke through with ease, Begovic saving from Sarr who seemed to apparate behind our defence.

King shoots wide. Billing shoots from long range. Good shot. Too high.

Cook and Billing start well in terms of energy and enthusiasm, which isn’t always the case. Just not quite linking up and that was the pattern really. We never broke Watford down. They sat very happily.

Billing was collecting the ball from deep. Cook (L) was more robust than I have seen him before. Proper sleeves rolled up performance.

Sarr broke through again, went to ground easily, until we saw the replay and that Kelly nudged him and pulled his shirt.
The start to the half was bright ish, King to Stacey wide, cross, Solanke lay off, King shoots over.
Solanke coming deep, holding up well.

But the match settled into a pattern of us losing the ball and Watford attacking we were looking a bit lost.

Cleverly booked for (another) very heavy challenge.

And so it continued for the last half hour, Solanke was fouled again. King caught on the ball. We just lacked something.

Cook and Billing still looked strong.
On the hour Solanke had a good left foot shot that Foster turned away.
We were reduced to long-range shots.

Rico picked up a yellow, although there were worse challenges that went unpunished.
Cleverly off for Quina who looked lively.

L Cook picked up the ball on the edge of the area, went on a great run, pass to Solanke, good shot, deflected wide. Corner. Wasted.

Watford absorbing our attacks with ease.

Last 20 minutes Watford looked untroubled. We continued to attack without threatening. Watford has a couple of attacks and a second looked likely.

Stan for Dan. Pattern continued. We have possession and do little. Watford had only conceded 2 goals in the league so far. Cook crossed off a neat one-two but Foster caught easily.

Last 15 and we so nearly conceded, Mepham played Stacey into trouble halfway. Free conceded. Results in a great stinging shot from Quina and good save from Begovic who used his arms like a snow shovel.
Quina was causing chaos in our box. Perica goes down, injures arm.

Pedro on, that was worrying. Watford have some very good players.

Solanke continued to put himself in good positions, one time twisting and turning in the box but was crowded out by 3 or 4 defenders.

84 minutes. RoRo. For Rico.
Watford almost score immediately. Good save and a claw away by Begovic.

86 minutes. Watford break and shoot. Begovic saves.
RoRo wins corner.
Ball drops for king in box. Slow to react. Surprised he was still on.

92. Corner. RoRo. Good corner and good follow up cross. Offside
94. Cook free-kick. King looping header. Tipped over the bar by Foster.
95. RoRo Corner and subsequent cross. Kelly shot and Mepham was in the right place.

97.20 whistle. Excellent.

I’ll let others do the player scores. I enjoyed the game. Hard fought, not always pretty. I have never seen Billing and Cook so committed. I saw a real combative team. There were errors and I think some crosses are too wasteful and others aren’t really attacked. But we didn’t give up. Long time since those days when we secured points with very late goals.

Begovic made some vital saves. Losing Lerma was a huge blow, let’s hope it isn’t as bad as some hamstring injuries can be.

Overall I think a point was well deserved and well fought for. 7 games, no defeats. That’s a really good start. Roll on Wednesday.

And no VAR, bliss.

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.@ReadingFC go FIVE points clear at the top!#EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/5IBSn6DtCi

— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) October 24, 2020