Wednesday, May 15, 2013

22 seconds

Watford went into the home leg of the play-off semis 1-0 down to Leicester and scored a great first goal through Vydra to balance things up before Nugent scored his second of the tie. The Czech championship-player-of-the-year then poached a second to make things all square. Four minutes of added time were extended due to an injury and it was with 95 minutes on the clock that their French winger won a tie-winning penalty with a dive. I was in the New Rose on Essex Road, with a Leicester fan I'd met there, and started complaining that this was no way to behave.

Lockaert then got up and took the penalty. It was weak and Almunia saved it with his legs and got in the way of a dinked follow-up from the same cheat. The ball was hooked away and next thing you know, the Horns were breaking down the right. The ball was passed to Forestieri to deliver a cross that was cushion-headed back by Johnathon Hogg - who had run faster than anyone else on the pitch to get from our penalty box to their goal line - for Troy Deeney to blast in from close range just 22 seconds after the penalty kick and Watford were in the final at Wembley on the 27th. My description does the drama no justice.
Palace beat Brighton away after a goalless first leg and it is them we will meet. I am confident of getting tickets but have my fingers crossed.

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