skip to content

  • Kick-off: 15:00
  • Venue: Vicarage Road Stadium
  • Attendance: 10480
  • Referee: Mason, L

Live Commentary

90 mins

That's it, it's all over, the referee has blown the final whistle.

87 mins

Danny Shittu is replaced by Adrian Mariappa.

81 mins

Jose Miguel Fonte is replaced by Clint Hill.

80 mins

Darius Henderson is being taken off, Tamas Priskin has come on in his place.

80 mins

Marlon King is replaced by Nathan Ellington.

73 mins

Clinton Morrison is replaced by Ryan Hall.

65 mins

Goal!! Danny Shittu scores for Watford.

61 mins

John Bostock is replaced by Victor Moses.

59 mins

Sean Scannell is booked for unsporting behaviour.

54 mins

Ben Watson goes into the referees book for unsporting behaviour.

53 mins

James Scowcroft goes into the referees book for unsporting behaviour.

46 mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 1 v 0.

45 mins

The ref has blown his whistle for half time.

28 mins

Goal!! Watford have scored with Danny Shittu putting it in the back of the net.

0 mins

It's 3pm on Saturday, January 5th, the match has kicked off.

Match Report

Last season's semi-finalists Watford could be on the FA Cup march again after convincingly booking their place in the fourth round with a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

A brace of headers from Nigerian Danny Shittu, who now heads off to the African Cup of Nations, sealed the Hornets' first win at home in eight attempts and ended the Eagles' 13-game unbeaten streak.

The first half lacked the cut and thrust of a traditional cup tie with both sides spending the majority of the opening 45 minutes feeling each other out and throwing the odd testing punch, without really threatening to land a telling blow.

However, it was Watford that did just that after 28 minutes to take the lead for the first time at home in almost two months - an incredible statistic for a team being kept off top spot in the Championship by goal difference only.

The goal was borne out of a run into the penalty area from Palace old boy Jobi McAnuff, and Shittu rose highest in the near post area to meet Lee Williamson's inswinging corner and head firmly past Scott Flinders to net his sixth of the season.

Watford should have been given a great opportunity to double their lead within 60 seconds of the restart when Jose Miguel Fonte clearly handled to prevent Darius Henderson from heading back across goal, but referee Lee Mason and his assistants missed what the majority inside Vicarage Road saw.

However, the Hornets continued to turn the screw and deservedly scored a second after 65 minutes with a virtual carbon-copy of their first, albeit from the other side of the pitch.

This time Jordan Stewart swung in a corner from the left and Shittu pulled off his man in the six-yard box to head down and past Flinders.

Such was Watford's superiority, it took until stoppage time for the visitors to muster their first meaningful on-target attempt, but Richard Lee proved more than a match for substitute Victor Moses' effort.

Watford Team

Crystal Palace Team

Watford

Crystal Palace

Corners

9 4

Fouls

13 12

Goal attempts

11 7

Shots off target

6 6

Offsides

6 4

advertisment

advertisement