Sunday, August 31, 2008

Boring, boring Watford

Watford v Ipswich Town
Saturday 30th August
I shared the journey to Watford Junction with Trevor and Kasey, who’d stayed at ours Friday and were heading back after 26 hours of games and play. On the train, my niece was quieter but as stuck to her father as ever. A fortnight previously we’d walked along the canal to Camden but, though it was close Friday, it was typically grey and we curtailed the same trip. The sun was out for the football though, even at the later kick-off time of 5.20.
I said temporary goodbyes and cycled to Kerry’s to walk with Joss in my sweaty Blissett t-shirt and as we neared the stadium we heard a cheer that could only have been for a goal for the visitors and so it proved. The guy behind us, who asked me Tuesday to look out for Fender valves in Tokyo when I told him I was going to Japan, told us that Poom had messed up a clearance kick and the attacker whose feet the ball landed at capitalised. I asked if he knew the Carling Cup draw and informed him that we had West Ham home, which Joss had guessed when I said it was a Premiership team.
The Horns looked bright for the first ten minutes we saw but Tamas Priskin seemed off the pace (again). Ipswich played some nice stuff though and looked like they could add another but Poom was making up for his earlier error. John Harley had a great diving header rebound off the post but as the Tractor Boys taunted us with the usual numbers, the fans were having a hard time getting behind the team until after half-time when they were attacking the Rookery end. The second half saw the Golden Boys with renewed vigour and momentum. John Joe O'Toole had come on for the championship debutting defender Joprdan Parkesand provided the attacking edge that comes along with his (sometimes) headless chicken running.
It was fifteen minutes before the energy paid off and John Eustace headed in from a corner. Watford continued to pile on the pressure and even when Jobi McAnuff hit the bar from a few yards off, I remained optimistic. I was right to be so. McAnuff had another shot parried with minutes left and JJ was there to head in the rebound, give us 3 points, and leave us eighth in the league.

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