By The Longside
April 13 2004

We bring you a couple of media reports covering our match against Watford yesterday. The reports come from the Sporting Life and for a change we've given you an opposition view with a report from the Watford Observer. Burnley 2 Watford 3
Sporting Life

The spectre of relegation continues to hang over Turf Moor following Burnley's defeat by Watford. The crowd, who saw 11 goals in this encounter last season, had to be content with a mere five this time, two of which came in the final six minutes.

Despite taking the lead through Mark McGregor, the Clarets went down courtesy of Paul Devlin's penalty and second-half strikes from Heidar Helguson and Lee Cook. Although Dele Adebola responded within two minutes of Cook's goal, it was not enough to prevent Burnley suffering their seventh home defeat of a rapidly disintegrating season. If seeing his side surrender a 30th-minute lead was not sufficiently infuriating for Burnley boss Stan Ternent, the fact that fellow strugglers Rotherham, Gillingham and Derby won is sure to have left him in a rage. Given the spectacular last encounter - Watford won 7-4 almost a year to the day - it was something of a surprise that Helguson's header, saved by Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen, was the sole attempt on target in the opening quarter of an hour.

Burnley's stuttering start was not helped by the withdrawal of Paul Weller through injury after just 16 minutes - Lenny Johnrose was his replacement - and Helguson tested Jensen with a long-range effort shortly after. Two corners in quick succession, and a Graham Branch free-kick which came back off the wall, were the sum of Burnley's attacking threat until McGregor opened the scoring. A deep corner from the left was headed back across the goal by Ian Moore, and McGregor had the simple task of nodding the ball over the line from close range. It was the defender's first goal since November 2002. Watford, for whom Helguson continued to look the most dangerous player, got the equaliser their dominance deserved six minutes before the break. Devlin fell under Branch's mistimed tackle in the area - a challenge which earned the defender a yellow card - but climbed to his feet and fired low to Jensen's right from the spot.

The interval did little to improve Burnley's fluency, and Helguson fired Watford ahead in the 55th minute, latching on to Mahon's long clearance before placing the ball beyond Jensen for his third goal in five match. Micah Hyde sent a shot over the crossbar before Cook doubled Watford's advantage six minutes from time with a low drive from the left side of the penalty area.

Burnley's revival, which peaked when Adebola headed home two minutes later, came too late to prevent Watford registering only their second win away from home in 11 attempts.
Teams
Burnley:- Jensen, Roche, Branch, McGregor, Camara, Little, Wood (Chadwick 20), Grant, Weller (Johnrose 16), Blake, Ian Moore, Chadwick (Adebola 54).

Subs Not Used: Alan Moore, Abbey.
Booked: Branch, Blake.
Goals: McGregor 30, Adebola 86.

Watford:- Chamberlain, Baird, Gayle, Dyche, Mayo, Devlin, Hyde, Mahon, Cook (Vernazza 88), Helguson, Bouazza.

Subs Not Used: Ardley, Dyer, Doyley, Pidgeley.
Goals: Devlin 39 pen, Helguson 55, Cook 84. Att: 11,413 Ref: C Boyeson (E Yorkshire).


Superb Hornets edge ever closer
Watford Observer

ANOTHER excellent display of spirit, determination and no little ability saw Watford complete a memorable Easter with a richly deserved 3-2 victory at Burnley on Monday, April 12, to move within touching distance of Division One safety. Although a second success in three days moved the Hornets up to the much-vaunted 50-point mark, they may need another win to make sure after some less than ideal results elsewhere. But having fallen behind to a Mark McGregor header against the run of play, Paul Devlin got the visitors back on level terms from the penalty spot. Excellent finishes from Heidar Helguson and Lee Cook then put the Hornets firmly in the driving seat in the second-half, but they had to survive their customary late nerves after Dele Adebola had given the Clarets hope five minutes from time. Even though Watford were victorious against Crewe Alexandra, Ray Lewington decided to make one change, promoting Hameur Bouazza to the starting XI, while Scott Fitzgerald was left out of the 16. Lloyd Doyley came back on to the bench as defensive cover. Burnley also returned to winning ways at the weekend, 1-0 at Walsall, and Stan Ternent decided to leave well alone.

After a disjointed opening from both sides, Watford came within inches of taking the lead eight minutes in. Devlin flighted over a free-kick from the left, and Bouazza got up well, heading firmly goalwards from around eight yards out, with the ball beating keeper Brian Jensen's dive but not his left-hand upright. The Hornets continued to look the more cohesive side, with Micah Hyde seeing a shot deflected wide off Bouazza, before the home side were forced into a change on 15 minutes, with Lenny Johnrose replacing the injured Paul Weller. Watford kept trying to turn the offensive screw, with Helguson finishing off a useful run with a shot straight at Jensen from the edge of the area, and then the home side's injury woes mounted still further in midfield after 19 minutes when they were forced into another substitution; this time Luke Chadwick replaced Neil Wood.

Burnley were gradully coming to life as an attacking threat, but the visitors passed up another reasonable opportunity after 26 minutes when Helguson pulled off at the back post and headed a Devlin corner from the left over the top. An even better chance came and went two minutes later when Cook popped up on the right and beat one man before feeding Gavin Mahon, who also beat another defender to open up a shooting opportunity, only to fire straight at Jensen from just inside the area. But Watford's promising start was undone after 29 minutes. Robbie Blake played in a deep corner from the left, Chadwick headed back into the danger zone, and McGregor was allowed to rise unchallenged on the edge of the six-yard box to flick a header beyond Alec Chamberlain's outstretched right arm and inside the far post to give Burnley a 1-0 lead. Nine minutes later though, Watford were back on level terms. Bouazza played Devlin in down the right, and, as he took on Graham Branch on his outside, he was clearly brought down inside the area. After Branch had been booked, Devlin, perhaps surprisingly, stepped up and calmly tucked the spot-kick low to Jensen's right. The Hornets continued to look the better side up to half-time, and deservedly went into the break all square.

Watford started the second-half in positive fashion, and after a good period of possession football, Cook curled a shot wide of the far post two minutes in. Then Helguson slipped in Chris Baird on the overlap on the right side of the area, but he opted for a shot and found Jensen at his near post. Clarets substitute Chadwick suffered the ingnominy of being replaced by Adebola on 53 minutes, and within 60 seconds Watford scored the goal they had been threatening. Mahon played the ball forward to Helguson, who showed great strength to hold off two challenges as he broke through, before expertly sliding the ball beneath Jensen. The visitors continued to look good for a few more minutes, but then lost their way slightly as Burnley tried to find a way back. But on 73 minutes though, Watford could have made the game safe. Hyde swept the ball cross-field to the right, Mo Camara missed the clearance and let in Bouazza, who managed to nick the ball away from the keeper, only to blaze over a near open goal from the edge of the area after steadying himself as a defender frantically back-tracked towards his goalline.

The home side began to pile on the pressure as the game entered the last ten minutes, but the closest the came to an equaliser was with eight minutes left when Camara hit a volley on the turn that Chamberlain held well. But a minute later Watford finally put some clear daylight between themselves and the opposition. The ball was played up to Cook on the left side of the area, and after threatening to beat his man on the outside, he simply took aim and rifled an unstoppable shot past Jensen from inside the area. Instead of closing the game out though, Watford let Burnley back in with five minutes left.

A deep Blake cross from the right was headed back into the six-yard box by Ian Moore, leaving Adebola with a fairly routine header to make it 3-2. The home side then nearly clinched a dramatic equaliser in injury-time when Glen Little flighted over a magnificent cross to the far post, but no fewer than three of his team-mates, who were all queing up at the far post, failed to make contact. But that was as good as it got for the home side, as the Hornets saw out the closing stages to move within real sight of survival.

Burnley: Jensen; Roche, McGregor, Branch, Camara; Little, Grant, Wood, Weller; Blake, I. Moore.

Substitutes: Johnrose for Weller after 15 mins; Chadwick for Wood after 19 mins; Adebola for Chadwick after 53 mins; A. Moore and Abbey not used.

Watford: Chamberlain; Baird, Dyche, Gayle, Mayo; Devlin, Hyde, Mahon, Cook; Bouazza, Helguson. Substitutes: Vernazza for Cook after 87 mins; Dyer for Helguson after 89 mins; Ardley, Doyley and Pidgeley not used.

Bookings: Branch for a foul on Devlin after 38 mins; Blake for dissent after 74 mins.

Attendance: 11,403.

Referee: Carl Boyeson (Hull).