Watford v Scunthorpe United

Saturday, January 3, 2009

FA Cup

Watford :
Loach, Hoyte (Bridcutt 83), DeMerit, Mariappa, Cork, Harley, McAnuff, O'Toole (Rasiak 59), Jenkins, Priskin (Bromby 89), Smith
Subs not used:
Lee, Doyley, Hoskins, Young

Scunthorpe United :
Murphy, Wright, Byrne, Pearce, Williams, Thompson (Sparrow 73), Woolford (Hurst 89), McCann, Togwell (Forte 87), Hayes, Hooper
Subs not used:
Lillis, Crosby, Mirfin, Picton

OPPOSITION VIEW

FROM THE WATFORD OBSERVER

Watford are safely through to the fourth round of the FA Cup after substitute Grzegorz Rasiak scored the only goal to secure a 1-0 win over Scunthorpe United.

With only 11 league places separating the two teams, this was always likely to prove a tight and tricky encounter for the Hornets and so it proved.

Decent chances were few and far between for both sides, but Rasiak converted the one that came his way eight minutes after entering the fray when he headed in Adrian Mariappa's flick from a Jobi McAnuff corner.

Brendan Rodgers, as expected, gave debuts to loan signings Gavin Hoyte and Jack Cork, with Lloyd Doyley and Liam Bridcutt dropping to the bench. But the Watford boss was also forced to make one other change from the side that drew 0-0 at Queens Park Rangers, with John-Joe O'Toole returning at the expense of the injured Lee Williamson.

Watford opened with a 4-3-3 formation, with Hoyte at right-back and Cork playing the holding midfield role, but little of note happened in the early stages, except for Tamas Priskin getting caught offside on a couple of occasions.

Indeed, it was the visitors who had the first meaningful attack in the seventh minute when Garry Thompson broke down the right and his low cross was nicked away from Gary Hooper at the near post by Mariappa. However, he inadvertently directed the ball into the heart of the penalty area, but, fortunately, not to a blue-shirted opponent.

Boosted by that opening, Iron went closer still when Martyn Woolford surged into the left side of the area and his drive across goal was well saved, low to his left, by Scott Loach. Nigel Adkins' side managed to keep the ball alive, but in the end Grant McCann's shot from outside the box was blocked.

The Hornets still hadn't really settled by the 15-minute mark and there was very little to bring to life a decidedly quiet home faithful until the 21st minute when Watford finally registered an attempt. In the absence of Williamson, McAnuff assumed free-kick duties and he clipped in a set-piece from the left, which Mariappa met with a downward header, but Joe Murphy was never troubled in the Scunthorpe goal.

Soon after, another McAnuff set-piece from a more central position put Murphy under considerable pressure, but the keeper escaped with a free-kick after being fouled.

The action then switched to the other end when Scunthorpe were awarded the game's first corner and a set-piece from the left ended with McCann seeing a well-struck goalbound effort blocked.

More mediocrity then ensued until ten minutes before the break when McAnuff tried to inject some life into proceedings by surging into the left of the area, but like most that came before it amounted to nothing.

Scunthorpe then threatened again when McCann fed Thompson on the right and he cut inside before hitting a left-footed shot which Loach safely gathered at his near post. Moments later, the Hornets were almost caught napping by Thompson's quick throw to Hooper, but he was unable to pick out a team-mate with his cut back across the area.

With five minutes of the opening period remaining Priskin for once managed to stay onside as he got in behind the defence to the left of goal and he laid the ball back for Jon Harley, who broke into the area but dragged his left-footed attempt across the face of the target.

Soon after, Mariappa's measured ball forward picked out McAnuff, who had made an intelligent run in off the left to a central position. He headed to his right where O'Toole weighed up his options before hitting a right-footed attempt across goal.

But that was it for a pretty uninspiring opening 45 minutes that featured just three goal attempts from Watford.

Little changed for Priskin immediately after the restart when he was caught offside for what must have been a fifth time, and his frustration looked to boil over soon after when he seemed to be booked for dissent, although it was actually O'Toole who picked up his fifth yellow card of the campaign.

Scunthorpe had their first chance of the second half on 53 minutes when Hooper got his head to a Woolford cross from the left, but Ross Jenkins did well to avert the danger. Next Thompson embarked on a good break down the right before striking a low centre which Loach cut out.

Rodgers decided to make a change after 59 minutes, but the decision to replace O'Toole with Rasiak was not a popular one with many of the home supporters, who made their feelings plain. Within seconds of entering the fray though, the substitute was pulling away at the far post as Priskin headed a Hoyte cross from the right wide of the near post.

But the manager's decision was completely vindicated in the 67th minute. McAnuff took a well-flighted corner from the right which Mariappa headed towards the far post where Rasiak had gambled and lifted the ball into the roof of the net from close range to make it 1-0.

The visitors immediately sought to respond, with Andrew Wright hitting a speculative effort well wide, before Paul Hayes tried a left-footed curler which didn't quite come back enough as it fizzed past Loach's right-hand post.

Matthew Sparrow replaced Thompson in the 73rd minute and then Cliff Byrne was cautioned for up-ending Harley. That led to two free-kicks around the Scunthorpe box, the second of which saw Rasiak's flick-on to McAnuff's set-piece find Priskin totally unmarked beyond the far post, but instead of trying to pick out the unmarked Mariappa in the middle, he went for a shot which Murphy saved.

Rasiak was involved again soon after when he chested the ball inside for McAnuff, but he dragged a shot wide of Murphy's near post from just inside the angle of the area.

Liam Bridcutt replaced Hoyte with seven minutes remaining and then Jonathan Forte came on for Sam Togwell as Iron looked for a late leveller, with Woolford firing into the side netting.

However, the Hornets safely negotiated the four minutes of injury-time to secure their place in tomorrow's draw and, as an added bonus, secure a second successive clean sheet for the first time since August.