By Aston
February 18 2007

Sadie (Shady Blue Lady) is back giving us her own unique look at Town’s game against Watford yesterday.

Through to the 5th round of the F.A cup town are away at Vicarage road to face Watford. 4 and a half thousand fans made the short trip to make the attendance a mere 17 016.

 

Town field a make shift side due to a constant string of injuries and bans.

 

Price starts in goal (no surprise there, he is a goalkeeper after all) Bruce, Casement, Wright and Harding at the back, Richards is back in midfield with captain for the day Legwinski, Roberts and Peters, with O’Callaghan and Haynes on attack (if that’s what you call it) and on the bench is Supple, Sito, Currie, Trotter and Clarke.

 

We saw Oodles of Noodles which will amuse me for all of 10 minutes and Wilnis can’t play today as he is trying the orange jacket for size. A bunch of Watford kids are ejected from the ground before the match even starts, I think it was the HIT gang (hooligans in training)

 

Watford kick off the match and within the 1st minute O’Callaghan is the receiver of a foul giving Town a free kick, Richards sends the ball into the attacking box but it is too high for our little Peters.

 

The 1st corner of the match goes to the home side in the 2nd minute after Bruce defends from Johan Cavalli, the corner from Shittu ends as a goal kick for Town.

 

Roberts gets into the action on 7 minutes, hello Gary. Then on 8 minutes Bruce, Richards and Harding do enough to win possession and clear the Watford goal threat.

 

Onto 14 minutes mini ginger ninja Casement brings the ball in calmly for Price who sends the ball up field for Town to attempt an attack but it comes to nothing.

 

In the 16th minute a long range shot from Legwinski encouraged but the fans, forces Watford keeper Lee to dive but no contact is made as the ball hits the bar instead.

 

A ball from Town hits the wrong side of the netting on 18 minutes after Harding, Roberts and Haynes work hard to get the ball up.

 

Haynes is offside on 20 minutes but his ball goes to the keeper anyway as Price is attacked by balloons.

 

In the 21st minute Henderson is playing piggy in the middle with the Town defence as the home team are currently the chasers in this F.A cup tie, and in the 23rd minute a goal attempt from Peters ends in the stands.

 

Onto the half hour mark and Watford are defending well to deny the Tractor Boys who are getting ever closer to goal.

 

Town have a free kick just outside of their own box after Henderson send Casement down and then Watford briefly threaten on 37 minutes but Peters wins it back.

 

A Watford ball from Powell comes into the Town box from wide left but it’s easy for Price to catch, and then to the other end in the 39th minute Town have a corner after some frustrating play on the right wing, the corner from Roberts is nothing special but is enough to keep Watford on their toes.

 

Harding picks up a booking on 41 minutes after meeting Tommy Smith, the free kick is taken by Cavalli but it gets no further than the 10 yard wall of Richards and O’Callaghan, when Watford get the ball back into the box both Francis and Henderson are offside.

 

1 minute time is added on during which O’Callaghan is involved in a tangle of legs, no cries made from the fans, no big fuss, play is still going, oh, hang on play has stopped and O’Callaghan has been given a straight red! WTF

 

At half time the match is goalless but very impressive from Town who have kept Watford under pressure throughout the 1st 45.

 

The Tractor Boys restart for the 2nd half with 10 men with Richards and Haynes for the kick off.

 

Richards and Haynes are back together again just like Take That on 47 minutes when Haynes gets onto the end of a ball in the Watford box supplied by Richards but Haynes panics and sends the ball straight into the arms of Lee.

 

Watford miss a golden opportunity in the 48th minute when the ball rolls across the face of the Town goal, but Town are safe due to Watford’s reactions being as slow as an 80 year old after a hip operation… asleep.

 

Anyhoo Watford have a corner and there is lots of noise coming from the home stands and the home team appealing for either a handball, or a taxi to get them away from this embarrassment, this could well have been the moment that Richards heads clear off of the goal line when left alone after all other 9 Town men were beaten.

 

Town attack a minute later but it is too slow and unsure, Peters then chances a shot but keeper Lee saves the magnificent strike with a brilliant tip over the bar.

 

52 minutes saw a slip up from Bruce giving Watford another opportunity but yet again the opportunity is lost by Watford’s unattacking attack.

 

Peters is fouled and ends up on the ground a minute later but the free kick is given the other way.

 

Town win a free kick on 54 minutes after Demerit uses Haynes as a climbing frame, the kick is taken by Roberts, its crap and goes straight into the wall.

 

In the 56th minute it’s still Towns game and Richards wins a corner against Francis, Richards takes the corner himself, the ball comes into the Watford box and when Haynes comes from behind a defender to get his head onto the ball he slams it into the back of the net. Haynes and Peters do their little dance that they have perfected unaware that the goal was called offside and disallowed, play continued and headed up field to the Town goal, once they realized Peters snapped back into focus, speeding into the Town half to lend a hand, as for Haynes, I think he went and hid somewhere.

 

By now a string of disgraceful decisions by referee S. Bennett and his officials has left the Town fans more than fuming and me with an urge to kick the seat in front.

 

Watford have a few attacks about as dangerous as a single goldfish before Town regain control on 63 minutes, with a good ball from Wright into the Watford box, but Lee collects before anyone else has a chance at it.

 

Soon after Haynes is down so Watford take the chance to attack instead of passing the ball out for Haynes to receive treatment, but they are well off target with their shot.

 

Cavalli is replaced by Bouazza then as Town are back on attack with Richards and Roberts the game is stopped for an injured Casement.

 

Into the 66th minute Peters on the wing has the ball until he is pulled down again but the incident is ignored as Richards and Roberts continue to storm the pitch.

 

Legwinski shoots wide in the 71st minute and Clarke replaces Haynes who is straight into action supplying Harding with a ball that ends up with the Watford keeper.

 

Another free kick to Watford leads to a shot off target in the 73rd minute and as they begin to wake Town are still strong defensively.

 

I could keep on going and going about the free kicks against Town but I’d be here for ages, and quite frankly I have better things to do.

 

In the 77th minute Peters is down needing treatment, during which he is forced off of the pitch for his treatment to continue as Town continue with 9 men. Peters comes back on but is soon replaced by Trotter, as Peters makes his way off the pitch to switch places with Trotter, Mr. Bennett marches him off the side line to get play re started.

 

Roberts is booked on 82 minutes for handling the ref, how dare he, oh the cheek, doesn’t he know he is wearing a blue shirt!

 

83 minutes, another free kick is given against Town for an invisible foul made by an invisible player.

 

Richards is unlucky with a shot before Henderson gives away a free kick for a nasty tackle on Legwinski but of course still no card given to the Premier side.

 

Richards has another shot saved on 86 minutes but it flies wide and most of the Town fans seem appreciative of his effort.

 

Town have lost their energy by the 87th minute and in the 88th Watford break through the defence with Damien Francis striking to the bottom left of the goal beating Price’s dive, so late in the game Watford have nicked the game and entry to the quarter finals of the F.A Cup.

 

This was not just another defeat for Town, for a bunch of players bundled together to come out and play with so much drive and passion, any Town fan should be proud to wear the badge on their chest. We may have left the ground angry, but for once couldn’t be prouder of the Tractor Boys.

 

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