Hornets happy to be home
Malky Mackay and his men once more exercised their ability to hold the fortress with a confident 2-0 victory over Preston at Vicarage Road, their second consecutive home win.
Despite being at the wrong end of a 5-0 thumping to West Brom the previous week, the Hornets made simple work of North End, displaying the mental resilience that is becoming characteristic of Mackay's regime.
Another win on home turf removes the need to replicate some of their impressive results on the road during the campaign, but the control and dominance shown in their latest triumph continues to suggest they will be a threat no matter where they are playing.
After a comprehensive 4-1 victory in their previous outing at Vicarage Road, Watford collected all three points against Preston with a comparable ease, even if the two goal margin may not suggest so.
After a drawn out calf injury Heidar Helguson, who made a substitute appearance in the hammering by the Baggies, started the game alongside Danny Graham in attack.
And it wasn't long before his impact was felt.
A furious start from the Hornets saw a barrage of attacks on the Preston goal, with Helguson teeing up Graham to shoot straight at Andy Lonergan after only a minute.
Craig Cathcart headed Don Cowie's free-kick just wide before another Graham shot came close with the Hornets in the ascendancy.
The deadlock was then broken with eight minutes on the clock, Cowie finding the byline and setting the ball up perfectly at the back post for the familiar rising figure of Helguson to head home.
If anything the Hornets increased the intensity on the visiting goal after taking the lead, and after Cleverley had sent John Eustace clear, the midfielder could only drill the ball straight at Lonergan.
Helguson had a similar effort to his opener saved shortly after and Adrian Mariappa and Cleverley came close with their respective attempts on goal.
The unrelenting pressure on the Mackems goal kept gathering pace as Henri Lansbury saw his effort palmed away.
The visitors were only just managing to keep the Hornets at bay and an inevitable second eventually came thanks to Watford's hard working front line.
With Preston in possession, Mackay's's men quickly regained the ball and Lansbury lead a breakaway, the Arsenal youngster beating several men before finding Cleverleywho calmly slotted the ball under Lonergan.
Having barely threatened all half, the visitors almost stole one back as Jon Parkin's strike hit the outside of Scott Loach's far post just before the interval.
After a poor first half showing, a more motivated Preston were expected for the second period.
But improvements were minimal.
The Hornets perhaps could have been out of sight by half time, but they carried on trying for a third as a Cowie free-kick and a Helguson header missed the target.
John Eustace missed another close ranger but as the game wore on it became apparent that there would be no fightback.
Watford closed out the encounter with little fuss and the man in charge was quick to acknowledge his team's control:
"I think the momentum from his (Helguson's] goal just kept with us during the whole game.
"I think in periods of the first half we were as good as I've seen us play; creating the chances we did."
"You just need to be calm on the ball and be patient and the chances will come like they did at the end of the game and I think we could have had another couple of goals today."
While the likes of Heidar Helguson, Tom Cleverley and Henri Lansbury continue to take all the plaudits, Mackay took a moment to praise the quality of his fellow countryman Don Cowie:
"I think you have to throw Don into that equation as well, because I thought he was immenseand he thoroughly deserves his Scotland call up this week.
"You look at that performance today and he's as every bit as inventive as any of them."
Sitting comfortably in 12th position, the Hornets now enter the international break three points off third place in a typically tight Championship table.
They were due to throw a second string into last night's Herts Senior Cup first round tie at Hemel Town.
To see how they got, and for all the latest news from Vicarage Road, keep logged on to hemeltoday.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Tring
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
