Tommy Mooney's double strike boosted Watford's play-off hopes in a
bad-tempered clash at Port Vale.
Mooney grabbed the winner on the hour after Tommy Widdrington's penalty for
Vale had cancelled out Mooney's opener.
Watford's sixth successive victory enabled Graham Taylor's men to climb above
Wolves and Bolton into fifth place and left Vale hovering precariously above the
relegation zone.
The match was badly marred by a reckless challenge by Paul Robinson on Stewart
Talbot which left the Vale midfielder with a compound fracture of his right
leg.
Referee George Cain incensed Vale by showing only the yellow card and Watford,
who could easily have played most of the game with nine men, went on to claim
three priceless points.
Watford made a lively start and Michael Ngonge should have given them a
sixth-minute lead when he shot wide from Mooney's cross.
Vale responded with efforts from Martin Foyle and Alan Lee, but the game
exploded into life after the visitors took a 24th-minute lead.
Robinson got the better of Talbot to pull the ball back for Mooney who swept
home his fifth goal in as many games.
The Watford fans had barely finished celebrating when Vale were awarded a
penalty after Steve Palmer appeared to punch Lee.
Referee Cain, after consulting a linesman, angered the home crowd by only
booking Palmer before Tommy Widdrington dispatched the 28th-minute spot kick.
The Vale supporters were whipped into a frenzy just two minutes later when
Robinson launched into his terrible challenge on Talbot.
There were angry exchanges between players on both sides before the Vale
midfielder was stretchered off with his legs strapped together.
Vale skipper Neil Aspin needed lengthy treatment after being floored in a
collision with Ngonge as a first half packed with ill feeling drew to a close.
Aspin was soon in the thick of the action on the resumption as he made a brave
last-ditch clearance to deny Nick Wright at close range.
But Vale were caught cold on the hour when Mooney claimed his second goal
after fastening onto a long clearance from Watford keeper Alec Chamberlain.
Although Mooney's initial strike was blocked by Paul Musselwhite, the burly
striker followed up to slide in the loose ball.
Vale's Tony Rougier had the ball in the net only to be flagged offside before
Brian Horton brought on Tony Naylor and Chris Allen in an attempt to pep up his
attack.
But it was Watford who went closest to scoring again when Peter Kennedy's
long-range shot cracked against a post.
Vale medical officer David Phillips confirmed Talbot had suffered a compound
fracture of his right tibia and fibula.
Teams
Port Vale: Musselwhite, Aspin, Tankard, Brammer, Beesley,
Eyre (Allen 71), Talbot (Snijders 33), Rougier, Lee,
Foyle (Naylor 63), Widdrington.
Goals: Widdrington 28 pen.
Watford: Chamberlain, Bazeley, Kennedy, Page, Palmer, Robinson,
Ngonge, Hyde, Mooney, Johnson, Wright (Hazan 80).
Subs Not Used: Smith, Easton.
Booked: Palmer, Robinson.
Goals: Mooney 24, 60.
Att: 7,126
Ref: G Cain (Bootle).
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