Watford 3v 1 Notts County
Aug 23, 2005
Author: S Rudnick

I'll tell you what it was bloody good to return home at a sane time from a Carling Cup 1st Rnd match. Too frequently have we underestimated the opposition or naivley fielded a weakened team. I was suspicious when i saw the team sheet tonight and the inexperience, however it was great to see the lads go out and do a thoroughly decent job. Last season it was frustrating to see us crawl pass Cambridge United despite the future inclinations. Being successful in this division is all about consistency and getting into a winning habit. Winning football matches is never easy (despite the tedious chants of 'e-zar' being sung), as seen previously in cup ties against lower league opposition.

The goals were fairly decent, particularly the first. McNamee who was lively all night floated in a wonderfully flighted cross for Ashley Young to head home at the back post. Question marks must be raised as to how the County defenders allowed one of our smallest players to score a header. However the goal was well deserved after a lively opening. It was a relief, as most feared and expected we would be witnessing a dull match in which we might be able to grind out a victory-just.

The passing and movement was brisk and fluid in the first half and we were rightly and pleasently cementing our superiority. The 2nd goal was a tad unluckly for the visitors. Ashley Young, who had been lively from the start reached the byline inside the box only for the defender to bring him down. The defender seemed to win the ball, however his trailing leg caught Ashley Young and the referee gave the penalty. Hameur Bouazza stepped up and put it away just like Heidar did against Fulham last season.

So at half time we were 2-0 up and the scoreline slighlty flattering the visitors. At half-time I asked the people around me what they thought the final score would be and 4/5 nil were the responses. When Dominic Blizzard scored after only 3 minutes of the 2nd half these predictions looked realistic. However after a couple substitutions and missed opportunities the balance of play shifted towards Notts County. Chris Palmer sealed a consolation for the visitors after a fine break away.

It was nice to see the introduction of Campana and Joel Grant despite them playing brief cameo roles. Boothroyd has showed faith in his youngsters and after tonight we can see why.

Player ratings:

GK Alec Chamberlain 6/10
Good to see him back in a hornets shirt. He didnt really have much to do and could do nothing about their goal

DF Mariappa 7/10
Solid performance and linked up well with DeMerit and Carlisle.

DF Carlisle (c) 8/10
Seemed to thrive on being skipper. An assured and faultless performance, however it was against League 2 opposition.

DF DeMerit 7/10
An impressive display from the American who will continue to cause Adrian some selection headaches.

DF Doyley 7/10
I'm a big fan of the young man. He has come on leaps and bounds and continues to look a more mature player.

MF McNamee 8/10
Great display from Macca. He has shown he can physically handley the rigours of proffesional football. His crossing must have been a nightmare for the Notts County defence.

MF Dominic Blizzard 7/10
Another fine display from a very compotent player capped off with a goal. No fancy tricks, but once again no mistakes. A work horse in the midfield.

MF Al Bangura 7/10
A solid and confident performance. A small player with lots of upper body strength. His passing was consistently good throughout.

MF Matthew Spring 6/10
Looked pretty solid in the tackley, but his passing was more wayward than the other players. We know he ability so not to much to be concerned about.

MF Ashley Young 9/10*Star Man
Top performance from a player who has started off this season like a rocket. Scorer of the first and set up the third.

FD Hameur Bouazza 7/10
Very good performance. The penalty seemed to ignite his game. Produced a fine save out of Kevin Pilkington in the second half.

Subs:
6/10 Joel Grant- was lively off the ball but failed to really receive the ball in his short time on the pitch.
6/10 Campana- looked like a a player with good ball control and a good first touch.
0/10 Chambers (came on 90 mins)