Hornets: credit for raw battling and resolve

1:36pm Thursday 11th January 2001

WATFORD established a template with which they can return to the fray for an automatic promotion spot when they overcame Wimbledon with a zeal that has been lacking for weeks.

The Hornets adopted a thou-shalt-not-pass approach, challenged for everything, matched Wimbledon's physical application and, when under pressure, adopted the first maxim of good defending and simply cleared their lines with alacrity.

It was not always pretty and for much of the night the exchanges were disjointed and untidy, but they interspersed with some fine, flowing and inventive moves and quality goals.

Credit the Hornets for playing with such spirit, particularly after falling behind to the side with the best away record in the division.

Credit them too for burying the Tuesday night hoodoo and full credit also for adding a flourish to a night of raw battling and resolve.

Tommy Mooney's two goals epitomised Watford's night. There was a determination to build on the groundwork laid down at Oakwell and the equaliser set the tone of the evening if at first you don't succeed, try, try and try again.

Watford's equaliser was not a classic; it was down to doggedness as players ad-libbed in an effort to get the ball closer to the target.

That attitude was mirrored in defence. Never the masters of Wimbledon, the back line achieved the nearest to that state by ensuring Wimbledon were never the masters of them. They challenged, stuck to the task and persevered in pursuit of the ball, to limit the visitors to a night in which they did not have one truly clear-cut chance.

Perhaps victory was assured when Watford had stormed to a 3-1 lead after 35 minutes, but given the fragile claims on confidence and the brittle nature of Watford's recent defensive performances, we probably, as watchers, entertained more anxiety than the players.

Two months ago, the crowd would have been in confident mood but instead, after 35 minutes, there seemed to be little more than a communal wish to hear the final whistle as soon as possible and certainly no later than the 37th minute.

Perhaps the key to the night lay in Watford's prompt equaliser after being caught on the break in the 11th minute. Had they not struck back, the nerve ends might have shown and belief would have drooped, but there was something about the scoring of that equaliser which signalled the resolve. This time Watford were not about to lie down.

Why this attitude should have been engendered when it has been overdue for weeks will remain a mystery but it must be hoped they can bottle it.

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