Watford enjoy victory over Palace

Watford recorded their third successive clean sheet as they won, for the third time in a row, by two goals to nil.

Don Cowie put the Golden Boys ahead at Vicarage Road with his first goal for the club, before Jose Fonte put the ball past his own keeper to put the game beyond the reach of Neil Warnock’s side.

The game lacked any kind of rhythm and the opening period was very scrappy. Paul Ifill went close for Crystal Palace, whilst Cowie had a couple of half chances at the other.

The visitors should have gone ahead however, after Alan Lee manufactured a great position for himself. His rather casual effort though, was easily intercepted by Adrian Mariappa.  

The Eagles seemed to be the more likely of the two sides to score, however it was Watford who took the lead when January signing Cowie slotted the ball past opposing ‘keeper Julian Speroni.

Grzegorz Rasiak, filling in for the suspended Tamas Priskin, won the ball and got the weight of his pass just right as Cowie broke the offside trap to give the Hornets a one goal lead.

The score line was nearly doubled in Watford’s favour as Rasiak put the ball wide from a Tommy Smith cross.

The second half did not change and the game continued its scrappy state of affair.

An injury to captain Jay Demerit saw a reshuffle in the Watford backline. With Watford momentarily down to ten men, Palace suddenly started to pump the ball forward and it nearly worked when Ifill saw a good effort deflected on the hour mark.

Jobi McAnuff nearly scored against his former club and it was only a superb stop from Speroni that denied him.

Cowie then had another chance but it was Speroni who bailed his side out again.

Speroni could not prevent his own player putting the ball past him however. Jose Fonte was unfortunate to turn the ball into his own net in what was an almighty goal mouth scramble.

Neil Warnock tried to turn the game in the London side’s favour by sending on a host of substitutes, but it was to no avail.

Rasiak had the last meaningful chance of the match, but again it was Julian Speroni in the Crystal Palace goal that stopped the Golden Boys.