|
|
Jack Gaughan at Daily Mail |
Watford (1) 1-0 (0) Fulham
They simply do not draw games, and that's something which could see Watford over the line in this season's race to the Premier League.
Not since late October, 21 fixtures ago, have the Hornets shared the points. It's very much boom or bust under Slavisa Jokanovic and the pendulum is swinging in their direction at the moment.
Against Fulham Troy Deeney's 15th of the season secured their eighth win in the last ten. The signs are ominous for the rest and one of the first words out of the manager's mouth afterwards was 'champion'. Why not? They are just one point behind Middlesbrough.
'It's nice winning 5-0 or 3-2 but sometimes it is difficult,' Jokanovic said. 'If you have a champion's mentality you must suffer together and get through games like this.
'They caused us problems. It's positive for us because we were working all together. It wasn't a brilliant game but you've got to be optimistic if you win these.'
It's only six months since managerial turmoil looked to undermine the foundations previously laid when Billy McKinlay left after a matter of days but Watford will take some stopping from here. When all is said and done in two months' time, they will make sure not to hold any regrets.
The winner came on nine minutes after Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, rather bizarrely, opted to travel away from his goal to retrieve a ball for Almen Abdi to whip in a wicked corner; from that Craig Cathcart's header was partially saved but Deeney was on the spot to smash in the rebound.
'Disappointing' was Kit Symons' summation. 'It's the second phase of a corner.'
Jokanovic's side are top scorers in the division - netting 16 in their last five at Vicarage Road before this - but are occasionally susceptible to pace and Ross McCormack might've drawn the visitors level soon after, only for his half-volley to be thwarted by former Tottenham stopper Heurelho Gomes.
Despite Fulham looking bright, it was the Hornets who could've sewn the points up before half-time.
Abdi is afforded the freedom to roam from his central berth and that gives Watford an added dimension. Capped by Switzerland, he buzzes in possession and isn't afraid of bypassing Deeney and Matej Vydra in pursuit of goals. Here the two strikers combined brilliantly to tee Abdi up and he thumped just wide.
Make no mistake, this was not vintage Watford but you sense they don't need to be weekly, such is the quality stacked up in a well-stocked squad.
Vydra crashed an effort against the bar after sparkling Adlene Guedioura footwork before Jazz Richards only saw yellow for raising his hands to the striker off the ball.
Symons saw Cauley Woodrow head over from a corner and Seko Fofana's vicious strike was deflected wide. Fulham failed to build a real period of sustained pressure until introducing giant striker Matt Smith; his knockdown fell to McCormack but Gomes rushed out, spread himself and superbly blocked the Scot's certain equaliser.
'Matt did well when he came on,' Symons said. 'He's a physical presence up there and we can play a bit more direct. There was a chance at the end when Hugo Rodallega and Ross got in each other's way. We deserved a point.'
Watford might usually be a pleasure to watch, but they'll be thankful for that mad Brazilian between the sticks - this ended up being as gritty as they come.
Source .