Source: Team_Talk
Hornets far too good for Robins
The Hornets dominated the first half and took a deserved early lead through QPR loanee Heidar Helguson who headed home an Adrian Mariappa cross.[LNB]Malky Mackay's men doubled their advantage before half-time when fellow loanee Martin Taylor snuck in behind Lewin Nyatanga to find the back of the net.[LNB]City boss Gary Johnson made four changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Coventry at the weekend with Lee Johnson, Cole Skuse, Alvaro Saborio and David Clarkson replacing Paul Hartley, Marvin Elliott, Evander Sno and top scorer Nicky Maynard.[LNB]Opposite number Mackay made just one change to the Hornets line-up after their defeat by Barnsley as Danny Graham came in for Ross Jenkins in an attacking role.[LNB]The home side started brightly and should have taken a second-minute lead when a Don Cowie inswinging corner found the unmarked Martin Taylor who headed just wide, before Henri Lansbury found Cowie who headed wide.[LNB]City tried to fight back the early onslaught when Clarkson found himself in acres of space to find Lewin Nyatanga who headed just wide of the post.[LNB]But it was Watford who took the lead in the 14th minute when Mariappa danced his way beyond Saborio to cross for on-loan Helguson to peel off his man to power a downward header beyond Dean Gerken.[LNB]Saborio should have made amends just three minutes later when he headed wide from a Bradley Orr pin-point cross, before Cole Skuse drilled an advantageous 35-yard shot narrowly over the bar.[LNB]The Hornets doubled their advantage in the 34th minute when Saborio fouled Jay DeMerit just outside the area, Lansbury's quickly-taken free-kick found Taylor, who managed to outmuscle the towering Nyatanga, to superbly volley home his first goal since joining on loan from Birmingham.[LNB]Helguson should have grabbed his second when he latched on to the end of a Graham cross-field ball only for him to head inches over the bar.[LNB]Robins boss Johnson made two changes at the break when Saborio replaced Marvin Elliott and Jamie McAllister replaced Ivan Sproule.[LNB]City thought they had grabbed a goal back five minutes into the second half when Liam Fontaine brought a fantastic save from Scott Loach who superbly parried the defender's header to safety.[LNB]Openings were few and far between after the break for both sides with Orr and Sproule seeing tame efforts collected by Loach.[LNB]Watford could have extended their lead in the 75th minute when substitute Liam Henderson's thunderous strike was well defended to safety by Nyatanga.[LNB]Mackay's side continued to push for a third goal with Henderson again seeing an effort go narrowly wide late on.[LNB][LNB]
