Home hell for Hornets
After suffering their first home defeat of the season against Coventry in midweek, Watford quickly slumped to their second after being comprehensively taken apart by an in-form Cardiff City.
While the 0-4 score line may not have reflected the see-saw nature of the game, it did not flatter the Bluebirds who converted a handful of the chances that fell their way, while the Hornets were simply unable to find the back of the net.
Although Malky Mackay's men delivered a spirited second half display, some clinical play from a Michael Chopra and Jay Bothroyd-led attack ensured that the visitors had killed off the game before it had even developed into a contest.
Ross Jenkins and Craig Cathcart had both recovered from the virus which had plagued the squad in midweek to take their place in the starting lineup, but Jay DeMerit and Heidar Helguson remained absent with their respective injuries.
City controlled the early possession but it was Watford that had the first meaningful attempt on goal, Don Cowie's free-kick rattling the upright on 15 minutes.
This early effort seemed to create a sense of urgency amongst the home team and several minutes of scramble ensued in the Cardiff penalty area.
Having withstood this pressure however, Dave Jones' team took the lead soon after courtesy of a Peter Whittingham penalty.
With Bothroyd and Chopra causing all sorts of problems for the Watford defence, it was the former that won the spot-kick after he was hauled down by Cathcart, and Whittingham converted.
Another free-kick, this time from Tom Cleverley, was well saved by David Marshall just after the half-hour mark.
Cardiff could have doubled their lead on two occasions with Chopra missing an open goal and Mark Hudson's header hitting the post, before they did so thanks to a Scott Loach blunder on 40 minutes,
A seemingly harmless free kick from Adam Matthews inside the centre circle looped over Loach and found the net after the keeper managed to get his bearings all wrong, the swirling wind possibly playing a part in the error.
The Hornets returned after the interval facing an uphill battle, but the game was all but over after a third on 64 minutes.
After surviving a penalty appeal from the Cardiff players, Whittingham grabbed his second with a diving header from a Gavin Rae cross to make the score 3-0.
A rout looked well on the cards after Bothroyd curled in a fourth soon after, but the hosts finally began to play, albeit in vain.
Having repeatedly given the ball away in midfield throughout the game, the Hornets began stringing some passes together.
The introduction of Nathan Ellington made a noticeable difference to the Watford attack, Cathcart's header tipped over by Marshall before Ellington's acrobatic bicycle brought another save out of the keeper.
Four could have become five for Cardiff as Chopra uncharacteristically put the ball wide whilst one-on-one with Loach, but the game was well and truly won for his team.
Mackay remained philisophical despite the heavy defeat:
"I've been in this division long enough to realise that you're going to have tough times and you're going to have times when everyone needs to stick together.
"To give the two cheap goals away like we did in the first half means you've got a mountain to climb after half-time."
The manager, however, showed support for his young team:
"With Jay DeMerit our captain out, and we've lost Mike Williamson, our two central defenders.
"We've got a 17 year old (Lee Hodson) in there playing at right back who has been magnificent.
"This group of young players have been nothing short of miraculous in terms of their courage and the way they went out there and played for Watford Football Club."
A 3-2 defeat at the hands of Coventry got the week off to a bad start on Tuesday, Leon Best's winner cancelling out earlier goals from Cleverley and Will Hoskins.
Watford have slipped to 15th in the Championship following the consecutive defeats but now have the two-week international break to regroup before making the long trip to the north east to face Middlesbrough on October 17.
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Weather for Tring
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -7 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
