Super Hornets dump Baggies out of FA Cup

This may not register as a giant-killing like Rochdale's win over Coventry City, but Ray Lewington's men richly deserved their victory, based on an admirable work-rate and no little quality, against a side who have little chance of preserving their top-flight status judged on this performance

It looked increasingly like the Hornets would have to settle for a replay at The Hawthorns after Neil Cox had seen a second-half penalty saved. But, with ten minutes remaining, Jermaine Pennant, who had one of his better games in a yellow shirt, slipped a perfectly weighted through ball to Helguson, who slid a low shot beyond Russell Hoult to reward the Hornets' overwhelming dominance in most, if not, all areas.

Lewington opted to make one change from the side that beat Norwich City 2-1 last week, with Tommy Smith, after four matches out of the starting XI, replacing Gifton Noel-Williams, who dropped to the bench.

Struggling West Brom, meanwhile, made two changes from the team that drew 0-0 with Leeds United, one of which was enforced. Ronnie Wallwork came in for Igor Balis, who is sidelined for a month with a knee-ligament injury, while Jason Roberts, available again after suspension, took the place of Scott Dobie.

The visitors had the first sight of an opening inside 40 seconds when Jason Koumas floated a free-kick to the far post and Roberts got in round the back, but Alec Chamberlain safely gathered.

Within a minute, though, a Paul Robinson free-kick from the left was headed back across the area by Helguson to Smith, who managed to get the ball back across, but Darren Moore put it out for a corner.

After three minutes, Pennant's low cross into the area was knocked on by Paolo Vernazza, and Smith fired over from just inside the edge of the area. At the other end, Danny Dichio then glanced a Koumas corner from the left wide.

West Brom had a chance after 15 minutes when Roberts rather dramatically went to ground under a challenge in a central position 25 yards out, but Koumas curled the free-kick over.

Pennant was unlucky to see a shot blocked after cutting in off the right, while Helguson's follow up pass was also cut out, with Smith poised to strike at the far post. Smith then fired a tame left-footed shot at Hoult after a poor clearance from the Baggies' keeper had given the Watford striker the chance to run at the defence.

Micah Hyde warmed Hoult's hands with a crisply struck effort from 25 yards after 23 minutes after Cox's initial shot from Neal Ardley's free-kick on the right had been blocked, while, at the other end, Dichio looped a header into Chamberlain's arms after Roberts had crossed from the left side of the area.

Watford increasingly began to dominate possession and territory, and they nearly made the breakthrough on the half-hour when Pennant skipped away from Neil Clement on the right and drove a cross in at the near-post where Smith got a good enough connection, but headed firmly wide from close-range.

Dichio curled a right-footed shot over after 37 minutes after Koumas had shown good strength, coming in from the right, to keep the challenge of Hyde at bay.

Watford, as for most of the opening 45 minutes, finished the half on top, but without anything to show for their efforts, although Vernazza stabbed a difficult dropping effort well wide from the edge of the area after Cox's ball forward had been nodded back in injury-time.

Vernazza tried his luck again from distance three minutes after the restart after Smith's cross from the right had been headed back out, but his 30-yard half-volley went well wide.

Five minutes later, Watford came within inches of scoring. Helguson managed to retrieve the ball on the left, and he hooked the ball back in. Nielsen won the header, Pennant drove the ball back across the area from the right, and, after the ball had been only partially cleared by Moore, Nielsen rifled in a shot which beat the keeper, but not the top of the bar.

Two minutes later, an even better chance came and went. Ardley found Pennant on the right, and his first-time ball inside set Smith clear in the area, only for his run to be illegally checked by Moore. Cox struck the resulting penalty well enough, but it was at a nice height for Hoult, who dived to his left to parry, and a golden chance was lost.

Sensing his side were firmly on the back foot, Baggies' boss Gary Megson then took off Derek McInnes and brought on Larus Sigurdsson.

Helguson fired a very ambitious attempt well wide from the right after 62 minutes, while a minute later, Smith held off Sean Gregan to get to the left by-line, and his pull back found Nielsen, but instead of trying his luck from the left edge of the six-yard box, he tried to square the ball for Vernazza, enabling West Brom to clear.

Dobie replaced Roberts after 67 minutes, but five minutes later Nielsen sent a difficult attempt from out on the left narrowly wide after another poor Hoult clearance had played Sigurdsson into trouble.

Vernazza brought a fine one-handed save out of Hoult with a 25-yard dipping effort after 78 minutes as Watford continued to make their opponents look very ordinary, and it finally told two minutes later. Watford broke from defence, with Helguson heading the ball across to Pennant in his own half before receiving it back and nutmegging an opponent. A West Brom player than latched on to the ball, but Pennant picked up a loose pass and drove at the heart of the defence before rolling a perfectly weighted pass across to Helguson on the right side of the area, and he finished superbly, sliding the ball beyond Hoult.

Koumas went close with a dipping 20-yard effort with five minutes remaining that flew a yard over the bar, shortly after Adam Chambers had come on to replace Moore.

Noel-Williams came on to replace Helguson with three minutes left, and he could have caused major problems with his first touch after Nielsen slid the ball into the area, but the ball ran just beyond the Hornets' substitute.

In a further effort to shore things up, Gavin Mahon came on for Ardley, and his first intervention was vital. A Koumas free-kick from the right was played deep to the back post where Sigurdsson headed goalwards, the ball cannoning off the underside of the bar before Mahon cleared off the line.

Watford could have scored a second in injury-time when they broke three on one, but Vernazza appeared to be in two minds, and his pass across to Noel-Williams was easily cut out.

The Hornets defended manfully in the closing stages, and, after the final whistle, deservedly left the pitch to a standing ovation.

Watford: Chamberlain; Ardley, Cox, Gayle, Robinson; Pennant, Vernazza, Hyde, Nielsen; Smith, Helguson. Substitutes: Noel-Williams for Helguson after 87 mins; Mahon for Ardley after 88 mins; Brown, McNamee and Lee not used.

West Bromwich Albion: Hoult; Gregan, Moore, Gilchrist; Wallwork, Koumas, McInnes, Johnson, Clement; Roberts, Dichio. Substitutes: Sigurdsson for McInnes after 57 mins; Dobie for Roberts after 67 mins; Chambers for Moore after 83 mins; Udeze and Murphy not used.

Bookings: None.

Attendance: 16,975.

Referee: Jeff Winter (Cleveland).

January 27, 2003 11:00