- Bouazza (15), Francis (21)
- Young, L (67), Ambrose (89)
- Date:2007-03-03
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Vicarage Road Stadium
- Attendance:19782
- Referee:Walton, P
Live Commentary
90mins
FULL TIME: WATFORD 2-2 CHARLTON ATHLETIC: Charlton snatch the draw and could have won it right at the death if Lisbie had kept his cool. Watford choke and can't hold onto their two goal lead and look all but down now.
90mins
Sankofa brings down Smith in a dangerous area of the pitch with only 40 seconds left.
90mins
Shittu heads the ball down for Cavalli inside the penalty area but the French midfielder can't reach the ball and Charlton scramble the ball away.
90mins
The referee indicates there will be three minutes of added on time.
88mins
WATFORD 2-2 CHARLTON ATHLETIC (AMBROSE): Ambrose pulls Charlton level late on in the game after Rommedahl floated the ball to the far post and Ambrose was there to nod the Adiccks level with a free header.
87mins
Tamas Priskin is brought off looking exhausted and is replaced by Darius Henderson.
85mins
Dennis Rommedahl comes on to replace Jerome Thomas
84mins
Ambrose swings in a free kick from the right but there is too much on the cross and Lee is able to claim the ball at full stretch at the far post.
81mins
Williams puts in another deep corner but this time its too high for everyone and goes behind the goal for a goal kick.
79mins
Priskin brings down a long ball well and has a good attempt on goal but can only manage to fire the ball straight at El Karkouri who had recovered well to get back
77mins
Kevin Lisbie comes on for Matt Holland as Charlton look to get another goal.
75mins
Williams sends in a corner from the left and sticks in on the head of Shittu but the big defender can't hit the target and sends in wide of the goal.
74mins
Zheng crosses the ball towards the far post for Bent to try and get his head on but Lee is quick to claim the ball in the air with a good catch.
72mins
Bouazza drives in a low cross for Priskin but Carson is down quickly to snatch the ball before the Watford striker can finish.
68mins
Bouazza tries to add to his goal tally after trying a shot from 30-yards-out but he can only manage to send it straight at Carson.
67mins
WATFORD 2-1 CHARLTON ATHLETIC (YOUNG): Young gets Charlton deservedly back into this game after scoring from close range thanks to a through ball from Song.
64mins
Ambrose swings in a dangerous cross and Darren Bent climbs above Mariappa to get a downward header on the ball which goes inches wide of the goal.
62mins
Johan Cavalli comes on to replace one of the goalscorer's Damien Francis.
60mins
Priskin rolls the ball through to Francis but there is just too much on the ball and Carson is quick of his line to clear the ball away.
58mins
Thomas sends the ball towards Bent at the far post who gets in a good header at Lee who saves well and then pounces on the rebound before Bent can poke the ball home.
56mins
Ambrose tries a weak shot but its easily cut out by Doyley who just sticks out a leg to block the shot.
54mins
Doyley chips in a ball for Francis who hits the ball on the volley and sends it just over the top of the Charlton goal
52mins
Watford seem happy to sit back and defend at the minute but it could come back to haunt them as Holland hits a shot just wide of Lee's left hand post.
49mins
Young sends in a deep cross for Charlton but it goes over the top of everyone apart from Doyley who gets in a good clearing header for Watford.
46mins
Bent tries to hit a shot on the turn but can only manage to send the ball straight over the bar
45mins
Lloyd Doyley comes on for Jordan Stewart
45mins
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is brought off after a dreadful first half and is replaced by Zhi Zheng.
45mins
Watford get the game underway as they look to carry on their domination of the game
45mins
HALF TIME: WATFORD 2-0 CHARLTON ATHLETIC: Watford go in with a well earned lead after taking advantage of some awful Charlton defending. The Hornets will be off the bottom of the table if the score stays the same.
45mins
Mariappa crashes into the back of Thomas and is booked after a very badly timed challenge
45mins
Hasselbaink cuts inside and tries to bend one past Lee but its a dreadful shot which ends up somewhere high in the stand behind the goal.
45mins
The fourth official indicates there will be two minutes of added on time.
42mins
Fortune goes into the referees book after bringing down Williams
41mins
Stewart plays in Francis who finds the back of the net but Watford's joy is short lived as they notice the linesman has his flag up as Francis was in an offside position.
38mins
Sankofa sends in a deep cross for Bent to get on the end of but the Addicks topscorer can only manage to send the ball back across for the Watford defence to clear
35mins
Priskin tries a spectacular over-head kick but makes minimal contact on the ball and its easy for Carson to save
33mins
Hasselbaink has not had the best of halfs and makes another mistake after having a great chance to slip Thomas in the former Chelsea striker completly miss kicks the ball and puts it out for a throw.
30mins
Stewart sends in a corner for the Hornets but Charlton are able to scramble the ball away thanks to El Karkouri
29mins
Mariappa cuts the ball back for Smith who hits the shot first time but its blocked by Fortune who sends it behind for a corner
28mins
Bent puts Hasselbaink clean through on goal but the Dutch striker hesitates and when he does get the shot of DeMerit is able to block the shot
26mins
Francis is booked after tripping Luke Young who had just got away from the Watford goalscorer
23mins
Thomas wipes in another cross but again Shittu gets another powerful header on the ball to clear away for Watford.Thomas wipes in another cross but again Shittu gets another powerful header on the ball to clear away for the Hornets
20mins
WATFORD 2-0 CHARLTON ATHLETIC (FRANCIS): Francis doubles Watford's lead after Priskin put in another deep cross and Damian Francis was there at the far post to tuck the ball away.
19mins
Darren Ambrose curls a free kick into the penalty area but Danny Shittu climbs high to head the ball away
17mins
Jordan Stewart sends in another corner towards the far post but Carson manages to punch the ball away from danger
14mins
WATFORD 1-0 CHARLTON ATHLETIC (BOUAZZA): Bouazza gives Watford a vital lead after Francis had forced Carson into a great save and Bouazza was there for an easy tap-in for his fourth goal of the season.
13mins
Darren Bent cuts inside into the penalty area and tries to bend the ball past Richard Lee but the stand-in goalkeeper is equal to the shot and tips it away from goal.
12mins
Jerome Thomas curls in a good cross for Charlton but its just to high for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to get his head on.
9mins
Tommy Smith flicks a long ball on for Watford and Tamas Priskin capitalises on a Talal El Karkouri mistake to go tthrough on goal but can only hammer his shot straight at Scott Carson who saves well but Watford waste the best chance of the game.
8mins
Tamas Priskin lays the ball off for Gavin Mahon to have a short but the Watford midfielder can only send the ball high over the bar
6mins
Danny Shittu launches another long ball over the top of the Charlton defence for Tamas Priskin but the Hungarian striker can only flick the ball on to Scott Carson, who claims easily.
3mins
Jordan Stewart swings in a corner for Watford and sends the ball over the top of Scott Carson for Danny Shittu at the far post but the big centre back can't direct the ball on target and sends it wide.
2mins
Darren Ambrose whips in the first corner of the game but Richard Lee is able to claim the ball with a great catch
1mins
Adrian Mariappa puts Damien Francis in down the right flank but his cross is sliced behind for a goal kick to Charlton as Watford launch the first attack of the game.Adrian Mariappa puts Damien Francis in down the right flank but his cross is sliced
0mins
Referee Peter Walton blows the whistle and gets this battle of the relegation sides underway here at Vicarage Road.
0mins
Charlton XI: Carson, Sankofa, El Karkouri, Fortune, Young, Ambrose, Holland, Song Billong, Thomas, Hasselbaink, Darren Bent
0mins
Charlton are in the midst of a defensive crisis with Thatcher, Hreidarsson and Bougherra all injured. Jon Fortune has been recalled from Stoke and goes straight into the team today. Diawara is also missing through suspension.
0mins
Watford XI: Lee, Mariappa, DeMerit, Shittu, Stewart, Smith, Mahon, Williams, Bouazza, Francis, Priskin
0mins
Watford make two changes from the side that lost against Everton last week with Danny Shittu and Tamas Priskin coming into the side. Ben Foster hasn't recovered from a dead leg so Richard Lee keeps his place in goal for this vital relegation clash.
Match Preview
Premiership basement boys Watford will see the visit of Charlton Athletic to Vicarage Road as a must-win fixture.
With just ten games remaining in the campaign, Watford sit ten points adrift of safety and despite a recent improvement in form, are still struggling to exhibit any consistency.
A 1-0 win at West Ham three weeks ago seemed to have given the Hornets' renewed hope of survival. However, home games against Wigan and Everton saw only one point gained and the trapdoor was once again opened wide.
Manager Adrian Boothroyd remains positive that the Vicarage Road outfit can defy the odds and achieve Premiership survival despite last weekend's 3-0 reverse at home to Everton.
For the visit of Charlton, the home side will once again be without star striker Marlon King, who will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, but should welcome back Ben Foster after a dead leg kept the on-loan keeper out of the match against Everton.
Charlton Athletic have looked revitalised in recent weeks and negotiated several tricky fixtures with a new found spirit that was so lacking in previous weeks.
A 4-0 blitz of West Ham last weekend meant that the Addicks rose above the Hammers into 18th place in the Premiership.
However, Wigan's 1-0 win over Newcastle last Sunday meant that despite Charlton's victory, the club remain six points adrift of safety.
Charlton have recalled centre-back Jonathan Fortune from his loan spell at Stoke as Souleymane Diawara is banned and Hermann Hreidarsson and Madjid Bougherra are struggling with injuries.
Darren Bent came through last weekend's rout of West Ham unscathed after a seven-match absence, while captain Luke Young's first appearance in 11 games also came as a timely boost.
advertisement
advertisment
Match Report
If Charlton do pull off their escapology act, they may well reflect on Darren Ambrose's own personal salvage job as one of the turning points.
True, the midfielder's 88th minute headed equaliser only earned a point, but that goal moved the Addicks another small step closer to safety, and if they continue to show the same level of character that enabled them to turn round what looked to be a lost cause at half-time, then The Valley may yet still be hosting Premiership football next season.
But it was substitutions, just as much as the never-say-die attitude of Alan Pardew's men that transformed this game. Ambrose's goal stemmed from the right boot of replacement Dennis Rommedahl, who had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds when he sent over his precision cross.
There was still time for the Dane to almost set up a dramatic winner for another replacement, Kevin Lisbie, but he had two bites at the cherry and failed to grab the glory.
But if Rommedahl's introduction was crucial, so was a decision made by Aidy Boothroyd when he chose to introduce Johan Cavalli for the excellent Damien Francis midway through the second half.
Francis had been deployed behind lone frontman Tamas Priskin in a new-look, attack-minded 4-2-3-1 formation and the result was that Watford played with an attacking swagger in the opening 45 minutes, that the Addicks simply couldn't handle.
Charlton predictably offered more of an attacking threat in the second half, but the Hornets were hardly under the cosh when Boothroyd made that substitution and chose to revert to a 4-4-2 shape.
Within minutes, Luke Young had latched on to a delightful Alexandre Song pass to give Charlton hope, but the Hornets still looked like they would hold on until Ambrose struck.
The consolation for Watford was that the point was enough to lift them off the Premiership basement for the first time in three months, but that matters little when you are ten points adrift of safety with only nine games remaining.
Watford took the lead after 15 minutes when a lovely flick from Tommy Smith found Priskin, who did well to get round Osei Sankofa before standing up a superb cross from the right byline.
Francis connected well enough with his header, only to be denied by an excellent Scott Carson stop, but Hameur Bouazza, coming in at the far post, kept his head and rifled the rebound into the roof of the net from six yards.
If that wasn't good enough, the Hornets doubled their lead with another incisive move six minutes later.
Adrian Mariappa started it with a ball forward, Francis flicked on to Smith in a central area and the winger weighed up his options before attacking the left side and striking an angled left-footed delivery that Priskin just failed to make contact with, but Francis arrived behind him at the back post to apply the killer touch.
Charlton though, gave themselves hope midway through the second half when Song threaded a left-footed pass down the inside right channel and the overlapping Young got past Mariappa and calmly side-footed the ball across Richard Lee and inside the far corner.
And the comeback was complete two minutes from time when Song spread the ball out to Rommedahl on the right and the Dane flighted over a deep cross which Ambrose headed down and inside Lee's right-hand post.
But there was still time for Charlton to so nearly win it deep in injury-time when they broke on the counter-attack and had a three-on-two advantage. As Rommedahl approached the area, he picked out Lisbie to his left in space.
The substitute went round Lloyd Doyley before firing in a shot that Lee did well to block, but the rebound fell for Rommedahl who again found Lisbie, but this time the striker fired well wide.
Watford Team
Charlton Athletic Team
Watford | Charlton Athletic |
Corners
| 8 | 1 |
Fouls
| 18 | 10 |
Goal attempts
| 14 | 14 |
Shots off target
| 4 | 8 |
Offsides
| 6 | 2 |




90mins
Charlton can't score with three against two and none of them can score with Lisbie snatching a shot wide of the goal and before that he had forced Lee into a good save.