Summary: City let a lead slip for the first time this season after going ahead thanks to a howler from Ben Foster, but Priskin’s equaliser was not enough for Watford, who go back to the Championship.
Teams news:
Stuart Pearce named a side unchanged from the one that started at the Emirates on Tuesday, Emile Mpenza having failed to shake off a nagging hip injury picked up against Liverpool.
Watford made four changes from the side that lost at Blackburn, with Stewart, Smith, Priskin and Mariappa replaced by Doyley, Powell, King and Bangura.
It was a hot and sunny afternoon in Hertfordshire as the hosts prepared their last stab at possible Premiership salvation. To ram the point home, the teams emerged to the strains of the theme from ‘Mission: Impossible’! Not exactly optimism from the Watford DJ.
The Match
So with a win an absolute must for the home side, the Hornets made their intentions clear from the word go, getting long balls up towards Marlon King and looking to turn City’s defence. Their imposing midfield of Francis and Mahon were also making their presence felt around Hamann, Barton and Johnson.
City took time to settle but made a couple of counter-attacks around 12 minutes, both neat passing movements that broke down around the edge of the box as Barton tried to link with Vassell and Johnson.
Watford keeper Ben Foster, on loan from Manchester United, made a hash of a clearance on 17 minutes to the delight of the City supporters behind him. Luckily for him Beasley slipped as he looked to get into a threatening position.
Three minutes later it was Isaksson’s turn to fumble, but in the Swede’s defence Sylvain Distin had lunged at the ball as it came across from the right. Once more, luck favoured the defending team and the ball was cleared.
DaMarcus Beasley came off after 33 minutes after limping off the pitch, having gone down in a heap in defence, Ishmael Miler replacing the American in a like for like swap.
Watford won a free kick on 37 to huge, ironic cheers, the home fans thinking Rob Styles was giving them a raw deal. But Bouazza’s shot from Rinaldi’s rolled ball owed more to the rugby that Saracens play here, the ball flying yards over Isaksson’s bar.
A drab first half ended with an air of resigned gloom hanging over the home fans, who could not see their team getting the goal they desperately needed.
City were patient after the break, and their waiting game nearly paid off on 52 minutes. Sun Jihai cut into the box from the right and turned Powell, but as he bore down on Foster the Chinese international hit the ball across the face of goal and harmlessly out of play.
The opening goal finally came on 53 minutes, and it was courtesy of a horrendous mistake from Ben Foster. It looked easy for him to make a downfield clearance, but the highly rated keeper failed to control the ball which rebounded to Darius Vassell, who rolled the ball around the retreating Foster from 25 yards out to put City ahead.
It was reward for the City striker, running his socks off as ever on a hot day, but hardly what the hosts needed in their predicament. The home fans began to turn on their side as they failed to make much impression in looking for the win, the only result that would help them.
And then, on 75 minutes, the goal that Watford had barely threatened to get came to everyone’s surprise. Rinaldi fed substitute Tamas Priskin from the right and in a flash the ball was in the back of the net having been slammed underneath the diving Andreas Isaksson.
The game suddenly had impetus, Watford failing to make a couple of corners count and Marlon King was just inches away from scoring on 85 when a header went just wide with Isaksson beaten. At the other end, Samaras was close to connecting to a superb Vassell cross.
Ireland and Distin had good runs that came to nothing in stoppage time, and Nedum Onuoha clashed with Clarke Carlisle, who was booked. Rob Styles blew for time just afterwards and Watford were relegated after just one season back in the top flight.
