Away at Home

Plymouth Argyle v Watford (FA Cup Quarter-Final)

Sunday 11^th March

This is the first Watford game we’ve missed this year. I’ve been in bed, then working, watching an exciting Chelsea v Tottenham draw, messing around on the computer, doing a little housework and watching England beat France in the Six Nations rather than spending that time sitting on one of the 10am coaches laid on free to the fans by the club to compensate for the six o’clock kick-off. It is not technically correct to say we’ve missed it as it is live on BBC1, but Joss is at his home and I am at mine. If it had been a Saturday, I would have given it more consideration.

As it is, I sit down with a smoke, a cold beer and a warm wife to a better view than the Rookery affords me. The Yellow Army seems sufficiently numerous at Home Park but this is a big day for Devon’s Green Army, loud and proud and hoping to avenge their semi-final exit to us in 1984, which has been much in the news in the run-up to the game, when my dad took me to Villa Park to see George Reilly head us into a first ever Wembley appearance. Apparently, years later the striker was viciously attacked by an assailant whose only comment was “Plymouth”.

We start brightly and have more of it than the team from the Championship and within twenty minutes Hameur Bouazza has swept a pass from Damien Francis in off the underside. Bootiful Boozer. Going behind galvanises Argyle, though, and they are the better team for the rest of the half, forcing a number of great saves from the returning Ben Foster. Watford seem to be playing for time from very early and the referee adds more than a minute to the official extra two. Not good BBC1 viewing, but I’d take a semi-final appearance over pretty defeat.

The second half was more of the same. I’m not sure I would have felt the same if I had been there, but sitting at home I was confident we could defend against everything they threw at us. We’d won 1-0 at West Ham and been outplayed by Ipswich in a win of the same scoreline, so it felt inevitable that we’d get to the 94^th minute without conceding despite their twenty or so attempts. Ben Foster, Danny Shittu and Jay Demerit were seaside rocks, “Watford” written all the way through them. Semi-final it is then, Watford’s third in five years. I’d love another 1-0, over Blackburn say, the only team definitely through so far: ManU™ drew at Boro), and an appearance at the new Wembley.