Watford, without a goal in their last three outings, grabbed two to sink
runaway First Division leaders Sunderland at Vicarage Road.
Promotion-chasing Watford scored their first league goals of 1999 and then
weathered a late Sunderland rally.
Watford took the lead after 18 minutes in a match where the kick-off was
delayed for 10 minutes in order to get in a near capacity crowd.
A cross-field ball by Richard Johnson enabled Darren Bazeley to break forward
and send former Wolves and England winger Tony Daley away down the right.
Daley accelerated past two challenges and sent over a pin-point cross for Nick
Wright to climb and head past Thomas Sorensen.
Sunderland had started the brighter of the two sides and former Watford
favourite Kevin Phillips sent an angled chance over the bar after being put
through by Niall Quinn.
But Daley constantly threatened to unhinge Sunderland's left flank. He was set
up by Peter Kennedy but Sorensen saved this attempt and a few minutes later he
cut inside to work himself another shooting chance, but again Sorensen matched
his shot.
Watford goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain was forced to come out of his goal to head
clear under challenge from Quinn and was able to rush back to be in place when
Quinn retrieved the ball and hooked over a centre.
Sunderland equalised after 36 minutes. They retained possession with a
succession of passes before Michael Gray slipped the ball through for Phillips.
His angled shot was parried by Chamberlain but the ball looped up and fell at
the far post for Quinn to nod simply home from two yards.
Wright headed over from a Bazeley cross and Kennedy fired just wide following
a free-kick.
Early in the second half Phillips broke through on the left but fired across
the face of goal.
Then in the 53rd minute Watford regained the lead. A long throw by Ben Iroha
found the ball dropping to Gifton Noel-Williams. The teenage striker turned and
hooked home from 15 yards out with a stunning surprise shot.
Chamberlain made a fine save to knock away a Quinn header from a Nick
Summerbee cross.
Watford went close with Kennedy and then Iroha, whose shot was tipped onto the
bar.
Sunderland were fortunate to survive a penalty appeal when Chris Makin brought
down Wright in the box with a tackle from behind.
Sunderland mounted fierce late pressure and forced a couple of goalmouth
scrambles, but when Quinn nodded down, Chamberlain threw himself forward to push
away as Phillips looked set to score.
Teams:
Watford: Chamberlain, Bazeley, Kennedy, Page, Palmer, Iroha,
Wright, Hyde, Noel-Williams (Mooney 67), Johnson,
Daley (Hazan 81).
Subs Not Used: Robinson.
Booked: Wright.
Goals: Wright 19, Noel-Williams 53.
Sunderland: Sorensen, Makin, Gray, Ball, Melville (Williams 70),
Butler, Summerbee, McCann, Quinn, Phillips,
Johnston (Bridges 77).
Subs Not Used: Dichio.
Goals: Quinn 36.
Att: 20,188
Ref: P Rejer (Leamington Spa).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook