Hungry Hornets finish on a high
It has been a hard season of turmoil both on and off the pitch at Watford Football Club, but the Hornets ensured the campaign closed on a high with a crushing 4-0 victory at Coventry on Sunday.
The result means that the club finish the season placed 16th in the Championship league table, a relatively high position considering they have flirted with the possibility of relegation in recent months.
Malky Mackay's men had finally secured their Championship status with a win against Reading on the penultimate weekend, but given this late struggle was largely owed to the team's consistent suffering on the road, a win at the Ricoh Arena seemed unlikely.
Although the final fixture of the season was redundant for both teams, it was Watford who looked the far hungrier outfit, and the visitors efficiently turned their domination into four goals and a comfortable victory.
Unlike certain teams below Watford in the league, the pressure was finally off for the club and the manager had the luxury of including some of his younger members of the squad.
It was a decision that paid dividends as the likes of Michael Bryan and Marvin Sordell, along with the new found form of Danny Graham, helped dismantle a flat Coventry side.
The Hornets were ahead after 16 minutes as Graham was brought down inside the area by Leon Barnett, and the striker duly slammed home the resulting penalty.
It took almost no time at all for Watford to double their lead, Henri Lansbury firing in a superb strike from outside the box to mark the final game of the Arsenal youngster's loan spell with the club.
The hosts had failed to win in their previous 10 outings, and this was all too apparent as they failed to apply quality to their offensive spell which followed, Clinton Morrison heading a good chance wide as the half drew to a close.
Although Scott Loach did well to block a Morrison shot straight after, the trend carried over into the second period as the forward again struck wide of the goal in the opening exchanges.
There still appeared to be further goals for the taking for Mackay's team and missed chances for Don Cowie and Lloyd Doyley underlined this.
A third arrived on 79 minutes as Graham finished a fine attacking move inside the six yard box for his fourth goal in two games.
It was game over for the hosts but Watford still had fourth in them, substitute Sordell claiming it as he expertly converted beyond Keiren Westwood to wrap up an excellent end of season display for the yellow army.
Manager Mackay took the opportunity in the post match to reflect on the game and the season as a whole:
"I think that result been coming, but to come up here today on the last day of the season and put in performance like that when there's nothing to play for shows the character that the players have," he said
"We've had some great performances away from home this season, there's certainly a couple where I've gone away from it wondering how we didn't come out with a win.
"Having lost the players we did in the summer and still manage to be in touching distance of how we finished last season is a credit to the group of players we have here.
"They are a very young group and the size of the group is very different to how it was then.
"We always knew the last few months would be a big challenge, bearing in mind the size of the squad we have, but we have entrained our fans and always looked a threat.
"It's just consistency when they are that young that becomes a problem, if we can work on that and get consistency in these lads then it's onwards and upwards this summer."
Another season of Championship football awaits Watford in August, but the club face an interesting summer as it looks to recover and rebuild on the financial and footballing front. Keep track of the Hornets over the summer by buying your Gazette.
Danny Graham puts Watford 1-0 up from the spot, above, and Henri Lansbury celebrates scoring number two, right.
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Weather for Tring
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -3 C to 0 C
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