Another Defeat on the Road

Wolverhampton is an easy enough journey from London, so the start was not too early. Unfortunately, due to their fans being some of the nastiest in the country, away fans are not allowed in town centre pubs, so we usually have our pre-match drinks in Birmingham. As that’s a bit of a faff, I asked Jerry Ladell, the oracle for away pubs, where his group drink. When he told me that they go to the same pub they use for West Brom, this confirmed our decision to meet in Birmingham.

When I arrived at the pub, Serena was already there and we were soon joined by Jane. It was a cold, wet day, so comfort food was needed. I opted for the duck and wild mushroom pie, which was absolutely delicious.

We left in plenty of time to get a train to Wolverhampton, but the train was delayed, so we arrived later than planned. On the way to the ground, we saw the stall for Samosa Saturday, the brainchild of Wolves fan and Foundation volunteer Manny Singh Kang who sells samosas to raise money for Dementia UK, Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation and Good Shepherd Services. A great initiative. When we reached the turnstiles, we saw a queue to get in that didn’t seem to be moving. We had been told to print out our tickets, but many had them on their phones and missed the fact that they had to insert the phone in the scanner. This led to another delay. I had really been hoping to take part in the minute’s applause for Kenny Jackett, but that started just as I got through the turnstiles and I still had to negotiate the long walk upstairs to the upper tier. I arrived just as the game kicked off. Thankfully the view from our seats was worth the climb and we were also sheltered from the wind and the driving rain.

Team news was that Dionisi had made just one change from the win against Charlton as Mlačić replaced the injured Coulibaly. So, the starting line-up was Ravaglia; Bola, Mlačić, Pollock, Keben, Diatta; Bravo, Kyprianou, Kayembe; Kjerrumgaard and Boadu.

The home side started brightly with a shot from distance from Saïd that flew well over the crossbar. They had another chance soon after following a corner that the Hornets failed to clear, Bellegarde played the ball back for James whose curling shot flew wide of the target. The next chance also came as the Hornets failed to clear a series of balls into the box, eventually Trippier crossed for Saïd whose header was saved by Ravaglia. The home side threatened again with a low cross from Bellegarde that was gathered by Ravaglia. There was a let off for the Hornets on 20 minutes when Saïd played a dangerous cross into the box that was turned just wide at close range by Munetsi when he should have hit the target. The next chance for the home side came from a corner that was met by the head of Pollock, the ball fell for André whose shot bounced off Diatta and flew just wide of the far post, much to my relief. The resultant corner was met by a save from Ravaglia, but the flag was up anyway.

The first attack of note from the Hornets came on 23 minutes when Boadu won the ball on the edge of the box and played in Bravo whose through ball into the box was cleared. Then Diatta intercepted the ball and passed to Kjerrumgaard who fell over. The next chance for the home side came from a free kick just outside the box, but Bueno’s delivery flew over the bar. There was then a delay in the game as Kjerrumgaard was treated for a head injury which required a large bandage. The home side took the lead after 35 minutes when a cut back from Trippier was met by Pollock whose attempted clearance rebounded off the post to Armstrong who found the net from a very tight angle. It was a poor goal to give away, but it had been coming. Wolves threatened again with a shot from distance by Armstrong that flew wide of the far post. The first bookings of the game came soon after as Trippier was cautioned for handling the ball and Bravo for something he said. The Hornets went on the attack as Boadu exchanged passes with Bravo but was tackled before he could take a shot. There was 4 minutes of added time during which Kayembe played the ball to Kjerrumgaard on the edge of the box where he fell over (again). The home side had a decent chance to score a second as Pollock dwelled on the ball and was robbed by Armstrong, thankfully the cross was deflected wide by Keben and the resultant corner came to nothing. At the other end a cross from Bola was clawed away by José Sá. The half time whistle went to boos from the away end as we went into the break a goal down after a half in which we had failed to have a shot.

At half time there was a lovely tribute to Kenny Jackett by Sam Ricketts who had played under him at Wolves. He spoke warmly of Kenny as a manager and a man and said how lovely it was to see Kenny’s family at the game.

The first action of note in the second half was Kyprianou playing a through ball for Diatta, but Bueno got between him and the ball and won a free kick after he was pushed over. Kyprianou was then booked for a foul on Bellegarde. The Hornets threatened as Bola crossed for Boadu who appeared to go down under a challenge from Diatta. At the other end a cross from Trippier was met by Kyprianou who headed goalwards and Ravaglia had to be smart to push the ball around the post. The resultant corner came out to Bueno who shot high and wide. The first shot of the game for the Hornets came in the 54^th minute when Kayembe won the ball in the midfield and hit a volley from distance that José Sá pushed wide. From the resultant corner Keben played the ball over to Bravo whose shot was blocked. Both teams made changes on the hour mark as Mané replaced Saïd for the home side while Bola and Diatta made way for Zemura and Maamma for the Hornets.

The home side threatened again with a shot from Armstrong that was blocked. At the other end, Maamma latched onto a through ball, advanced and put in a cross that was just too far in front of Boadu. At the other end, Mané broke into the box and took a shot that deflected off Mlačić and looped into the air where Ravaglia claimed it under challenge. Dionisi made another double change as Doumbia and Payero came on in place of Kjerrumgaard and Boadu. Luca’s departure was cheered by many in the away end. There was then a decent move by the Hornets as Maamma crossed for Doumbia who played the ball back for Bravo, but he was tripped and the chance was gone. The next booking of the game went to Zemura for a foul on Bellegarde. The next chance for the home side came as André tried a shot from distance that flew well over the bar. With 12 minutes remaining, Wolves made a double substitution as James and Armstrong made way for Doyle and Chirewa. Doyle’s first action of the game was to earn a yellow card for a foul on Mlačić. He redeemed himself soon afterwards with a shot that was deflected wide. He then had a great chance to double the Wolves lead as he met a cross from Bellegarde with a header that was stopped by a great save from Ravaglia.

Kayembe, Zemura and Maamma prepare to take a free kick

The Hornets then launched a good break started by Zemura which finished when Bravo crossed for Doumbia whose cross took a deflection allowing José Sá to reach the ball before Maamma. The Hornets nearly conceded an own goal from a corner that was met by Pollock, thankfully his header was cleared off the line by Zemura. The Hornets then had their best chance of the game as a Maamma cross was headed on by Trippier and dropped for Bravo whose shot hit the side netting. That was his last action of the game as he was replaced by Vata. The next chance for the Hornets came after the ball was played over to Maamma who did brilliantly to bring it down, turn and break forward, but his run was stopped as he was pulled over by Bueno, who was booked for his trouble. As the Hornets prepared for the free kick, Pollock was standing in front of José Sá preventing him organising his wall and irritating him such that he pushed him out of the way and was booked. Zemura took the free kick and delivered it over the bar. There was four minutes of added time, some of which was wasted by the home side as they brought Gomes and Neave on in place of Bueno and Bellegarde. The last chance for the Hornets to draw level was foiled when Maamma was fouled by Chirewa. So, the final whistle went on a narrow defeat for the Hornets.

It was a better second half for the Hornets, although that wasn’t saying much as the first half had been so poor. After the encouraging showing against Charlton, we had regressed to being totally dominated by the opposition who were allowed to attack at will. The defence was poor, with many of the Wolves chances coming from a failure of the Hornets to clear balls into the box. We were very lucky that Wolves did not have their shooting boots on with the number of chances that they created. No player really stood out for the Hornets, although there was an improvement after Maamma came on. He was willing to make the runs, but was immediately targeted by the Wolves defence, which limited his effectiveness. The conditions were appalling with strong winds and a swirling rain, but both teams had to deal with the same conditions, so the Hornets cannot use that as an excuse. We have another game on the road next week and I fear that Norwich will be another team who will have their season kick-started by a visit from the Hornets. I hope I am wrong.

On Sunday, I was at Vicarage Road to see the women play Durham. They started very brightly and should have been ahead early doors, but had a shot stopped by a great save from the Durham keeper and another hit the crossbar. The Golden Girls took the lead after 17 minutes when Perry crossed for Poole to hit home. The visitors came back into the game and had a decent finish to the half, but we went into the break a goal up. The Golden Girls scored a second three minutes after the restart through loanee Vera Jones. The third came on the hour mark with a wind-assisted olimpico from Clancy. We were four up on 65 minutes when Perry curled a lovely shot in off the post. The visitors scored two late goals, and it was a shame not to keep a clean sheet, but it had been a dominant performance by the Golden Girls, and it was great to see them score 4 goals as they claimed their first league win of the season. There were only 375 in attendance on a lovely Sunday lunchtime at the Vic, which was a shame as it had been an entertaining game and it was good to be able to celebrate a convincing win. The Golden Girls are next at the Vic on 15^th November with a 2pm kick-off. As we have no men’s game that weekend, it will be a great opportunity to get your football fix. You can even have a beer while watching the game. I hope to see you there.

A Win and a Clean Sheet Lift the Spirits

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On Friday, the much-anticipated meeting between Gino Pozzo and Roy Moore took place. Roy had made it clear that the discussions would be shared with the fans, but I don’t think that anyone thought that this would take the form of an official podcast from the club. Sadly, the meeting went as expected with Gino running the show and taking the same stance regarding his running of the club as he had at the Parlaci Gino event in 2023. He also used this as an opportunity to have a pop at the Supporters Board, which has prompted Board member Steve Cutmore to resign. It was an indication that nothing will change in the running of the club and made clear that a meeting between Gino and the Supporters Board is not likely to happen. All very sad. But I must admit that the mention of the man in the red hat made me laugh.

I had won use of the Supporters Trust table for the game in their prize draw and was rather glad not to be in the middle of the Rookery as there were protests planned in various quarters, although there seemed to be no coordination between the people organising them, as one requested that nobody enter the ground until 15 minutes into the game and another asked that fans raise their scarves and turn their backs on the pitch in the 14^th minute. I was interested to see how much support these protests would attract.

Kayembe and Bravo prepare to take a free kick

In the Elton John suite, I was joined by a very old friend who used to be my regular match-going companion in the 80s and 90s. We went to the cup final together in 1984, and also endured the Perryman years. I asked when he stopped going. It was about 13 years ago, so he missed the recent good times.

As I was in the Upper GT, I took the opportunity to visit my friend, Alice, who sits there. I used to see Alice at away games, where we always had a lovely chat. She no longer travels away, so I rarely see her. This was a lovely opportunity for a good catch up.

When we took our seats before kick-off, it was clear that the request to remain outside until the 15^th minute had been ignored. The stands were far from full, but that is not unexpected for a televised lunchtime game after two heavy defeats. There didn’t even seem to be fewer people in the 1881 area, which surprised me.

Team news was that Dionisi made five changes from the defeat at Cardiff as Zemura, Traoré, Mavididi, Payero and Maamma made way for Coulibaly, Diatta, Bola, Bravo and Kjerrumgaard. So, the starting line-up was Ravaglia; Bola, Coulibaly, Pollock, Keben, Diatta; Kyprianou, Kayembe; Bravo; Boadu and Kjerrumgaard. Our old friend, Nathan Jones, was in the Charlton dugout.

Prior to kick-off, players from both teams held up a “United against racism” banner which is sadly needed now more than ever.

The Hornets started brightly with their first chance coming in the third minute as a Bravo free kick was repelled, the ball dropped for Bola who shot through a crowd of players, but it was straight at Okonkwo in the Charlton goal. The Hornets threatened again as Bravo broke forward before playing the ball out to Bola who got himself into scoring position before shooting wide of the near post. The first chance for the visitors came as Leaburn met a cross from Mesík with a header that flew well wide of the target. There was an early booking for the visitors as McNamara was cautioned for a foul on Bola, which the referee blew up for when the Hornets would have benefitted from advantage being played. The next chance for the Hornets came as Bravo played the ball out to Bola whose cross was just too far in front of Kjerrumgaard for him to connect. The Hornets should have taken the lead when Diatta cut in and unleashed a powerful shot that Okonkwo did well to push around the post. The resultant corner ended up in the side netting. We had passed the 14^th minute at this point, and I saw no indication that anyone had joined in the advertised protests.

The first booking of the game for the Hornets went to Boadu for a foul on Ramsey. The next chance for the Hornets came as Bola flicked the ball to Boadu who shot wide of the target. Next Bravo found Keben whose shot from distance cleared the bar. Then Kjerrumgaard fed Boadu in the box where he was stopped by a superb tackle from Koumetio. The next chance came after Kayembe broke forward and found Kjerrumgaard who shot over the bar. Then Bravo played a lovely one-two with Boadu before hitting a low shot that was saved by Okonkwo. The next booking went to Bravo for a foul on Skipp after losing the ball to him. The visitors had a chance to open the scoring when a ball was played over the top to Mesík, but Keben was in close attendance and Ravaglia was able to claim the ball. There was another booking for the visitors when Skipp pulled Bravo down. The visitors had another chance from a corner, but the header from Leaburn was weak and an easy catch for Ravaglia. The visitors were having a good spell and had a great chance to take the lead following a corner, the ball was headed out to Campbell who found Koumetio who volleyed wide of the far post. Campbell was then booked for taking Boadu out as he tried to break forward. The Watford man needed treatment but was able to continue. There was two minutes of added time at the end of the half during which the only incident of note was Kjerrumgaard releasing Boadu who attempted another break but was tackled before he reached the Charlton box. The half time whistle went to applause from the Hornet faithful, which made a pleasant change. It had been a decent half from the Hornets who had dominated the first half hour, although the visitors got back into it towards the end of the half.

The visitors made a change at the break bringing Mwamba on in place of Skipp, who was having a torrid afternoon trying to cope with Bravo and was on a card, so couldn’t be risked further. There was an early booking in the half as Coventry was cautioned for another foul that stopped a break by Boadu. At the other end, a break by Mwamba was stopped by a wonderful tackle from Kyprianou. The Hornets had the first chance of the second half as Diatta broke into the box and hit a low shot that was straight at the keeper. There was then danger at the other end as Leaburn beat Pollock to get goalside, but his cut back was missed. The Hornets should maybe have done better when Kjerrumgaard chested the ball down to Boadu who tried to place his shot but missed the target. The Hornets took the lead on 58 minutes when a powerful shot from Kayembe was parried by Okonkwo and Kjerrumgaard was first to the loose ball and hit home. Predictably, the 1881, who had been silent for most of the game, greeted the goal with “How sh*t must you be, we’re winning at home.” The visitors made a triple substitution at this point bringing Carey, Knibbs and Kelman on in place of Coventry, Grant and McNamara. The Hornets threatened again as Kayembe released Bravo who was pulled down but, on this occasion, the referee waved play on. The next chance for the Hornets came as Kayembe attacked the box, but the keeper came out to meet him.

Dionisi made a double change at this point replacing Diatta and Boadu with Zemura and Payero. The Hornets had a decent chance to score a second with a powerful shot from distance by Kayembe that Okonkwo pushed wide. The resultant corner came out to Keben whose shot was blocked. The Hornets threatened again as Kayembe played a lovely through ball for Zemura, the keeper was out to meet him, but the ball broke for Kayembe whose shot flew well over the bar. Dionisi made two more changes as Bola and Kjerrumgaard made way for Mlačić and Doumbia. The next booking went to Zemura for pulling Alli down as he tried to break. The visitors had a decent chance to draw level from the resultant free kick which led to a scramble in the box that finished with a close range shot from Kelman that Ravaglia did brilliantly to block. The visitors threatened again as Ravaglia came out to meet Kelman, he went down in the box, the referee waved play on and the ball was cleared. The Hornets had another decent chance as Bravo played the ball over the top to Payero who was tackled in the box and went down as the ball went out for a corner that was met by a defensive head to concede another corner. From this one, Zemura’s delivery was met by Payero who flicked a header goalwards that took a decent save from Okonkwo to keep it out, the ball fell for Coulibaly whose shot hit the outside of the post and flew wide.

Next Bravo broke forward and should have taken a shot but instead laid it off to Doumbia whose shot was soft and straight at Okonkwo. Bravo broke forward again and found Payero in space, but the shot flew wide of the target. Bravo then went down with an injury and had to be replaced by Vata. The visitors had a decent chance to draw level as a cross was headed on by Mesík to Kelman whose goalbound header was caught under the crossbar by Ravaglia. The visitors had another chance as Carey broke forward but his shot was well wide of the target. There was 5 minutes of added time, which set the nerves jangling. The Hornets had a chance to seal the victory as Payero hit a shot from distance, but it flew well wide of the target. Thankfully the Hornets did score a second goal as Vata played a through ball for Zemura who dinked it over Okonkwo to guarantee the three points would stay in Hertfordshire. This meant that we could enjoy the last couple of minutes of the game free of anxiety. It was lovely to celebrate a win again. Just what we needed after the misery of the past week.

After shipping nine goals in the last two games, it was a relief to get a win as well as our first clean sheet of the season. It was a very good performance from the Hornets and a well-deserved win. Charlton were very physical, so it was great to see the lads unfazed by that and unafraid to fight for the ball. It was an energetic, attacking performance, which was a throw-back to the start of the season and lovely to see. There were some excellent individual performances. Bravo was a joy to watch, constantly breaking forward and creating chances. When he went off injured, my friend commented that he had been a victim of bullying. He wasn’t wrong. He had been targeted all game, and Skipp had to be withdrawn as he was in danger of seeing red while dealing with him. Kyprianou also had a good game, acting as the midfield fulcrum that we know he can be but haven’t seen much recently. Kayembe had his best game in some time, another player who was making regular forward breaks and he wasn’t afraid to shoot and was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet. Ravaglia had very little to do, but what he did, he did very well. The defence were solid and this was certainly partly a result of the cohesion in the midfield. All in all, it was a very good team performance, which was pleasing to see after the recent games when we saw a disjointed group of individuals.

We have a week to build on this before the trip to Wolves on Saturday. Let us hope that we have more to cheer at Molineux.

Another Poor Defeat on the Road

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It has been a turbulent few days for the Hornets. The fallout from Saturday’s defeat to Burnley culminated in an open letter from Roy Moore, on behalf of the 1881, expressing no confidence in the current ownership of the club. This has led to an invitation for Roy to meet with Gino. Roy has agreed, with the caveat that it is a meeting between just the two of them and that he will report everything said back to fans. While I admire Roy for the way he has expressed his problems with the ownership, I have some concerns about this meeting. Roy has certain questions that he will take to the meeting, but these come from a small section of the fanbase and may not cover issues that others would have raised. I am particularly concerned that nobody from the Supporters Board, who are a group of individuals with considerable business acumen, is part of this meeting as I feel that they would be able to bring a different perspective. Also, the insistence that everything is on the record means that Gino will be very limited in what he shares and I would be surprised if Roy hears anything that we didn’t hear at the previous meeting in 2023. Once Gino has met with Roy, this fulfils the request that he meets with fan representatives, so the chances of him subsequently meeting with the Supporters Board are lessened considerably. Much as Roy’s intentions are noble, I fear that this will end up being a missed opportunity. I hope that I am proved wrong.

The journey to Cardiff on Tuesday was uneventful but, on arrival, I found out a little too late that there is more than one Travelodge Cardiff Central, so ended up heading in completely the wrong direction before checking and realising that the hotel that I needed was just outside the station. As I was checking in, I met Jane, who was going to catch up with Ross and Zoë before meeting up with the others in our group. As we were meeting in the café of an arts centre, I had looked to see what was on in their cinema as a possible alternative entertainment for the evening. They were showing “Ink”, Danny Boyle’s adaptation of James Graham’s play about Rupert Murdoch and Larry Lamb’s takeover of the Sun. This was shown at the London Film Festival the evening before, where I was in attendance. It is a fascinating piece showing the descent from newsgathering to sensationalism and the blight that has been on the media. It is a brilliant story, very well told and I would highly recommend it.

On the way to our meeting place, Angela caught up with us and finally Serena made up the quartet. The arts centre is a lovely place for a pre-match drink, so we were suitably refreshed and relaxed when we headed for the ground.

Unsurprisingly, we had sold very few tickets, so it was sit where you like, but we managed to find a decent vantage point.

Team news was that Dionisi made six changes from Saturday as Keben, Zemura, Payero, Mavididi, Maamma and Boadu came in for Coulibaly, Mlačić, Bravo, Nabizada, Doumbia and Kjerrumgaard. So, the starting line-up was Ravaglia; Zemura, Keben, Pollock, Traoré; Kyprianou, Kayembe; Mavididi, Payero, Maamma; Boadu.

The Hornets had an early chance as Boadu broke through and hit a shot that was blocked by the Cardiff keeper, Trott. The Hornets threatened again as Payero broke forward and played the ball for Maamma but it was too far in front of him for a shot to be viable, his cross back for the Argentine was met by a defensive head. The first booking of the game went to Payero for encroaching on a free kick. The first chance for the home side came as Moylan hit a shot that flew straight at Ravaglia. Disaster struck as the Hornets conceded a penalty in the 10^th minute when Pollock tripped Moylan in the box. The winner of the penalty stepped up to take it himself. Ravaglia went the right way and was a little unlucky not to get a hand to the spot kick which found the bottom corner. It was frustrating to concede another early goal.

Pollock congratulates Ravaglia on the penalty save

Cardiff threatened again with a ball into the box for Tanner, but Ravaglia was out to meet it. The next chance for the home side came from a corner that was headed goalwards by Lawlor, but Ravaglia made a great save to keep it out. The Hornets looked to hit back with a lovely move that finished with Zemura crossing for Maamma in the box, but the youngster was unable to hit the target. The next chance for the home side was a shot from the edge of the area by Ashford that was easily gathered by Ravaglia. There was then a lengthy break in play as Lawlor received treatment. He was unable to continue and was replaced by the oddly named Will Fish. Cardiff had a decent chance to score a second as Ng played a clever back flick to Tanner in the box, thankfully the shot cleared the bar. The Hornets launched another decent move as Boadu fed Mavididi who crossed for Maamma who shot into the ground and the ball bounced up for Payero whose header flew just wide of the target. Then Mavididi found Boadu whose cross-cum-shot was caught by Trott. This had been a really good spell by the Hornets, but it was all undone as a misplaced pass from Traoré was intercepted by Ashford who played a through ball for Moylan who broke into box before hitting a shot that went in off the post. The hosts scored a third from a corner that was headed home by Mattie Pollock. The Hornet heads didn’t drop, and they were looking to hit back before half time as Zemura exchanged passes with Boadu before shooting over the bar. There was another chance for the Hornets to pull one back when Mavididi had a shot blocked and Zemura’s follow-up cleared the bar. The fourth official indicated 5 minutes of added time, although a large proportion of the travelling Hornets were already in the concourse enjoying their half time refreshments. The hosts were looking to increase their lead with a powerful shot from Moylan, but Ravaglia made the save. Sadly, Cardiff scored their fourth in the last minute of added time at the end of the half as a shot from Moylan was blocked by Ravaglia, the clearance fell to Bagan and the ball was played around the box until it reached Tanner who found the bottom corner from just inside the area. The half time whistle was met by boos from the travelling fans who had remained in the stand.

The Watford players came out early for the second half and their appearance on the pitch was met with boos from the away end. The home side started the second half brightly with a header from Moylan that flew wide of the target. Cardiff had another decent chance to increase their lead as a low cross was played into the box, they failed to turn it in so Tanner crossed for Moylan who headed over the bar. There was then another shambles in the Watford defence as Keben fell over in the box allowing Tanner a free shot that, thankfully, flew wide of the far post. Dionisi made a triple change at this point bringing Bola, Doumbia and Nabizada on in place of Zemura, Boadu and Mavididi. The next chance for the Hornets came from a decent move as Nabizada broke forward and fed Maamma who found Payero whose shot was blocked. The substitutes were making a difference as the next chance came as Kayembe crossed for Doumbia whose header was caught by Trott. At the other end, Cardiff won another penalty after the Hornets had passed themselves into trouble and Kayembe made a clumsy challenge in the box. Willock stepped up to take it, he put it to Ravaglia’s right and the keeper made an impressive save, conceding a corner that came to nothing.

Dionisi made two more changes at this point bringing Bravo and Diatta on in place of Payero and Maamma. Cardiff also made a double change replacing Willock and Moylan with Scanlon and Turnbull. The next chance for the Hornets came after a decent move involving Bola, Diatta and Doumbia who played the ball out to Kayembe whose shot cleared the bar. The next booking of the game went to Kayembe for a pull on Scanlon. The next chance for the Hornets came from a free kick, Pollock headed goalwards, his effort was saved, the ball fell for Doumbia whose shot hit the side netting, but it wouldn’t have counted as Pollock had been flagged offside. The Hornets threatened again as Kyprianou played the ball through to Doumbia whose shot was saved. The hosts made a double substitution as Bagan and Tanner made way for Davies and Robinson. The hosts made it five when Robinson shot just inside the post, but it had been another defensive shambles in which the Hornets had had plenty of chances to clear the ball and, on this occasion, Ravaglia probably should have done better. The next incident was a foul by Ng on Nabizada that led to some afters and both players were booked. The Hornets pulled a goal back from the resultant free kick as Kyprianou headed Bravo’s delivery home. It was a well taken goal, but there was little celebration. Cardiff had a chance for a sixth goal from a free kick that was taken low and was straight at Ravaglia. At the other end Nabizada broke into the Cardiff box, but his effort was blocked. There was 6 minutes of added time, and both sets of fans were chanting “We want six.” The chance for the Hornets to reduce the deficit came as Doumbia broke forward and found Bravo whose shot was wild and went out for a throw. There was only time for Kyprianou to be booked for pulling Davies over before the final whistle went on another poor defeat for the Hornets. The most vocal of the travelling fans gathered down the front of the stand to berate the players and were met by a phalanx of players staring them down. It was rather unpleasant and prompted the sympathetic old folk in the crowd to applaud even though the performance didn’t merit it.

The players facing the boo boys at the end of the match

A Cardiff fan before the game had said that both teams would probably lose, but it would be a goal fest as both defences were woeful. He was right on one point. It was another poor performance by the Hornets. I can accept being beaten by a team that is clearly much better than us, but that has not been the case in recent games. Moylan was clinical in front of goal, but the goals were all the result of lapses in concentration giving the ball away, or the failure of the defence to deal with balls into the box.

One thing that has concerned me in recent weeks is the attitude of the fans. I can understand fans becoming frustrated when we are playing poorly, but when they are chanting “How sh*t must you be it’s still 0-0” in the first 10 minutes of the game when the opposition have yet to create a chance, you have to question their support. The negativity of the chanting, where the majority of the songs are designed to wind up the opposition, is a relatively new phenomenon and one that irritates me immensely. I know it is not just our fans that do this, but I miss the days when fans used to primarily chant in support of their team and individual players. Shout at the ownership all you like, but abusing the players is not going to motivate them to play better or help a team that seems to be extremely low on confidence.

We are in a horrible slump at the moment, and I don’t have any answers for the current situation, but I don’t believe that our squad is as poor as recent results suggest. Changing the manager is not the answer, as misplaced passes and poor defending are not his responsibility. The signs early on this season were hopeful, with some encouraging performances. Since then, we have had a period when our playing options were limited by injuries, but that has passed. In addition, a number of new players have been drafted in. It will take time for the new players to bed in and for those returning from injury to regain match fitness, but I would plead with the fans to show some patience as they are working towards this. I believe that this season will only be a success if the players and the fans all work together. Come on you Horns!!

Thrashed by the Clarets Following the International Break

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Last Sunday, I completed the fifth Taylor Trek. A lovely 18 mile walk around Watford and the surrounding area which started with a hug from Steve Palmer, who was walking alongside us, and finished with a hug from Rita Taylor. The walk aims to raise money for WFC Community Sports and Education Trust and the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice. Thank you to all who have supported me. Any further donations will be gratefully received at the following link https://watfordfccsetrust.enthuse.com/pf/frances-lynn-5aac1

On Saturday, there were some delays on the Northern line that caused me to miss the train that I was planning to get and there wasn’t another train for half an hour, instead of the usual 15-minute gap, so I was in Watford rather later than planned. Jacque was in place when I arrived, but most of the usual suspects had cried off for various reasons.

When I arrived in the Rookery, I saw my niece, Madeleine, who had brought a group of friends from her football team to see the game.

There had been some good news before the game about players returning from injury, but Dionisi only made two changes from the Bristol City game as Traoré and Coulibaly replaced Vata and Keben. So, the starting line-up was Ravaglia; Coulibaly, Mlačić, Pollock, Traoré; Kyprianou, Kayembe; Nabizada, Bravo, Doumbia; Kjerrumgaard. Former loanee, Max Alleyne, started for the visitors.

Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for Kevin Miller who recently passed away at a tragically young age. It was impeccably observed.

The first chance of the game fell to the Hornets as Nabizada ran through to the edge of the box and took a shot, but it was an easy catch for Coudert in the Burnley goal. Sadly, the visitors scored with their first shot of the game as Kyprianou was robbed as he received a pass from Mlačić, Hatate advanced and found Larsen in the box whose shot flew in off the post. The Hornets tried to hit back as Kayembe broke into the box and cut the ball back for Bravo whose shot was blocked. The Hornets had another decent chance as Doumbia met a cross from Kypornets rianou, but he glanced his header wide of the target. The visitors scored their second after 19 minutes, a Larsen shot was met by a good save by Ravaglia, but the ball fell for Amdouni who finished from close range. Amdouni had another chance soon after, but this time he shot over the bar prompting boos from the home fans at the defence allowing Burnley another shot.

Kayembe and Nabizada line up a free kick

The Hornets were three down after 25 minutes, again this followed some good defending as Coulibaly cleared the ball off the line following a shot by Lucas Pires, but the clearance came back to the Burnley man, who found Hatate who curled a shot past Ravaglia. This prompted chants of “Gino Pozzo get out of our club” and “Sack the board.” Dionisi decided to make a change at this point replacing Bravo with Maamma, a decision which was greeted with boos and a chant of “Sacked in the morning.” Burnley had a decent chance to score a fourth through Amdouni, but he shot straight at Ravaglia. The next chance for the Hornets came after a cut back for Maamma whose shot from a tight angle flew behind the goal. The Hornets should have done better when Coudert misplaced a pass in the box, but they could not capitalise on the confusion. The Hornets had one last chance to get on the scoresheet before the break but the shot from distance by Kayembe flew over the target. The half time whistle went to boos from those who were not already enjoying their half time refreshments. It had been a dreadful half of football.

Marvin Sordell greets fans in the Rookery

Saturday was World Mental Health day and staff from Hertfordshire Mind were available at a stall at the top of the Yellow Brick Road. Appropriately, the returning player was Marvin Sordell, who has been very open about his mental health struggles. He was given a very warm reception. There was also an appearance by John English, a lifelong Watford fan who is raising money for research into MND by running 496 miles in the month of October. In the Rookery, we were joined at the break by Madeleine and her friends. It has to be said that the Burnley fan among them was a lot happier than we were.

Dionisi made a double change at the break bringing Zemura and Payero on in place of Coulibaly and Kjerrumgaard. The Hornets had the first chance of the second half as Traoré crossed for Doumbia whose header was met by a smart save from Coudert. The next chance for the Hornets was a shot from Zemura that flew high and wide. Doumbia then latched on to a loose ball and broke forward, but delayed taking a shot allowing the defence to get back, when he eventually shot it was blocked by the keeper. The next chance for the Hornets came from a corner. Zemura’s delivery was headed goalwards by Kyprianou, but his effort was blocked and put out for another corner. The delivery of this one was met by a header from Mlačić that was caught by Coudert.

The next chance fell to Nabizada who unleashed a shot that was easily dealt with by the Burnley keeper. That was the youngster’s last involvement in the game as he was replaced by Boadu. Burnley made a double substitution at the same time bringing Edwards and Vardy on in place of Amdouni and Ramazani. The last thing we needed on this afternoon was the sight of Vardy, who always seems to score against us. The visitors then had their first shot of the second half, and it was a decent effort from Lucas Pires that was met by a good save from Ravaglia. The next chance for the Hornets came from a corner, the delivery was repelled and dropped for Kayembe who played the ball to Maamma whose shot from distance flew wide of the far post. Pollock was then the hero in the Watford box as he blocked a shot from Edwards before heading the follow-up from Hatate clear. Dionisi made another change at this point bringing Vata on in place of Doumbia. The next chance for the Hornets came after Boadu broke forward and played the ball back for Payero whose shot was saved. The next chance for the Hornets came from a Zemura free kick that was met by Kyprianou whose header cleared the bar.

The visitors made another substitution as Larsen was replaced by Satpayev. Burnley had a chance to increase their lead with a free kick from Edwards, but it was met by a great save from Ravaglia. The visitors broke again through Satpaev who crossed for Edwards, but Zemura made a tackle to put it out for a corner. My heart sank as Vardy ran through on goal, but he was accompanied by Mlačić and Ravaglia was able to claim the ball. The visitors made another change as Max Alleyne made way for Broja, the former loanee left the field to warm applause from the Hornet faithful. The Hornets were still looking to get on the scoresheet as Traoré found Kayembe whose shot flew well wide of the near post. Pollock was then in defensive action again getting in the way of a shot from Satpaev and deflecting it over the bar. The visitors scored their fourth from the resultant corner as Lucas Pires put in a deep cross to the far post where Edwards volleyed home. It was a moment of quality in a poor match. The visitors seemed to have a good chance for a fifth when Vardy charged towards goal and Ravaglia came out to meet him in a kamikaze fashion, the shot was blocked and the ball ended up in the net but the flag was up for offside so it didn’t count. There was 4 minutes of added time during which Edwards tried another shot that flew well over the bar. As the clock ticked down the last seconds to the 94^th minute, the crowd counted down and the whistle went right on time to boos from those left in the ground.

It was a much better second half with the Hornets creating most of the chances, although only the shot from Doumbia tested Coudert and the game had been won in the first 20 minutes. There had been too much sloppy play, with misplaced passes and a general malaise in the midfield and defence, despite the return of the full backs. It was too easy for Burnley who seemed able to attack at will. It is hard to praise any of the Watford players, although Doumbia did create a couple of decent chances and Pollock stopped the scoreline being even worse. But a 4-goal defeat to a struggling team is hard to take and a great disappointment given our hopes for a revival following the international break.

On the way out of the ground, I saw John Souter, who has been a regular home and away for decades. We both shook our heads and then he said, “See you in Cardiff.” I must be mad. Although, as we usually meet pre-match in an Arts Centre, I may see what they have on in their cinema.

Taylor Trek 2026

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It is the October international break, therefore it must be the Taylor Trek. This is the fifth year that it has taken place and the fifth year that my sister, Rose, and I have signed up to walk the challenge route of 18 miles to raise money for the Watford FC Community Sports and Education Trust and the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice. In the intervening years, Rose has become a Trustee for the Community Sports and Education Trust and now chairs the Trustees, so this year our participation felt even more important.

I stayed Saturday night at Rose’s in Bovingdon, to save the drive from London. We left bright and early accompanied by her black Labrador, Reggie (named after Elton). It was rather foggy, so the visibility was rather poor for the journey. When we arrived at the ground, Rose jumped out of the car to speak to Rob Smith and one of the other participants asked where Reggie was, so we got him out of the car to meet his adoring public. The challenge walkers gathered and we were delighted to be joined by Steve Palmer, who was bravely walking with a knee injury, accompanied by his lovely wife. After a photo session, which featured an inordinate number of pictures of Reggie, we headed out to start the walk.

Reggie having a paddle in the Grand Union Canal

The first section is around the town through the underpasses commemorating great moments in Hornet history, passing the old museum, through St Mary’s churchyard and up into Cassiobury Park. First stop was the bench that Elton dedicated to GT, where Geoff Wicken was on hand to make sure that we didn’t miss it. He enthusiastically told one participant about the bench, who said that he knew about it and Geoff realised, a little late, that he was talking to Steve Palmer, which amused them both greatly. From the park, we headed to the Grand Union, where Reggie had a paddle before we crossed the bridge to the towpath. The walk along the canal is lovely, but we did have to intervene when Reggie picked up a ball from beside one of the canal boats. He does like a good ball. We left the canal when we arrived in Kings Langley. We were all dreading the climb up Langley Hill, but it didn’t seem to be as steep as we remembered. We were soon at our first refreshment stop at Kings Langley cricket club, where Mark and Amelia had come to pick Reggie up, but not before he had enjoyed some Wenzel’s sausage rolls. A reward for his sterling efforts. The coffee that was waiting for me was very welcome and the spread that was provided was excellent. I enjoyed a pain au chocolat as a second breakfast and then took a doggy bag of sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps and satsumas for my lunch. It was almost a doggy’s bag as I left it unattended and Reggie stuck his nose in it. Luckily, we managed to get it away from him before he took anything.

We waved goodbye to Reggie and headed off on the next section, which is mostly on pavements. We headed down Water Lane in Kings Langley, where I lived until the age of 2, and then past the Ovaltine. As we walked past the station, we were offered water by the volunteers helping those running the Abbots Langley Tough 10K. We politely declined. It was then a long trudge up Abbots Road, which I had enjoyed so much on a previous walk that I knew that we had to get to number 108 before turning off. We were soon at our next stop in Leavesden Country Park. This is not an official stop, but the arrival time made it a perfect place to have our lunch. From there, it is a walk down High Elms Lane past the schools and the crematorium. Our companions were talking about how much the facilities at the schools have changed since they were pupils. From there we headed to Bricket Wood Common and the Munden Estate where we get our first sight of the Meriden where our next stop is. The sight of the Meriden comes quite a long time before we actually arrive there. Luckily the Munden Estate is a lovely place to walk, but we were very happy to finally arrive at the Community Centre. On the first Taylor Trek, this was our lunch stop but, arriving at 2pm, makes that a bit late, so we now treat it as a quick refreshment break before the last leg.

Amelia and Mark brought Reggie to meet us there, so he could join us for the last leg of the Trek which takes us through the Knutsford Playing Fields and past the lovely mural by the River Colne, before we head up Orphanage Road into town. As we crossed the bridge across the pond, I wondered whether Reggie would be the most recent Watford fan to have a dip there, but he decided against it. We walked past the Colosseum and the Peace Hospice at which point we saw the participants on the Family Route including the Academy players setting out. Waves were exchanged from the groups on opposite sides of Ricky Road. We then headed through the underpass onto Cassio Road. At this point, I was diligently following the rather wonderful booklet that had been provided which had photos of all of the junctions on the route, which was a bit excessive as I was now on home turf. We were soon walking down Vicarage Road into the stadium. When we got into the SEJ stand, Reggie was let off his lead and ran down to the finishing line where lovely Rita Taylor gave him his medal. We knew that everyone wanted to see Reggie, so stood back to let the paparazzi get their shots before both Rose and I had a lovely hug with Rita and received our medals.

We then settled down for final refreshments. I finished off my sandwiches and tried to resist the lure of the doughnuts, but finally succumbed to a jam doughnut, which was delicious and, I thought, very well deserved. We met Dave Messenger inside. He had been one of the participants in the Taylor Trek Extreme that took place this year. This was a 270 mile walk that connected all of GT’s clubs starting at Lincoln City and taking in Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Wembley and finishing at Vicarage Road. Dave had walked 74 miles the previous week and had added the final 12 miles from Wembley to Watford. A tremendous effort. As they visited the other ground, they had met up with people from the Community Trusts at all of Graham’s clubs and he said how lovely all the people they had met were and how much love they all had for Graham. He even met up by chance with someone who saw his shirt and said that he had been a Premier League referee, and he just wanted to talk about Graham and what a good man he was.

As we watched the other walkers arrive, there were some notable participants. It was lovely to see my friends, Don and Trond, cross the line. Don is an old friend of Rita who is always delighted to see him. Mattie Pollock walked the family route with his partner pushing their baby in a pram. He is the first player from the first team to take part. Alec Chamberlain also completed the family route with his partner and came over to give me a hug. Lloyd Doyley was there leading the Academy lads (another hug). I was particularly moved to see Ryan Jackett coming across the line and that was elevated when I realised that his mum, Sam, had also taken part. That Kenny was represented on such a day meant a lot. I hope they took some comfort from the love that they were shown.

As I write this, my feet are hurting badly, but I will remember this as a lovely day when I walked to raise money and met many lovely people. Some were fans who I see on a matchday and others were legends, who reminded me of all the good things about the football club. The legacy that Graham Taylor left does live on, even if it is hard to see it at times.

If you have enjoyed this report, it is not too late to sponsor me, and you can be sure that your money is going to two very worthy causes.

https://watfordfccsetrust.enthuse.com/pf/frances-lynn-5aac1

Another Defeat in a Poor Game at Ashton Gate

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An away game in Bristol means a visit to my friend who lives in Bedminster. I arrived late afternoon and dropped my stuff off before heading to the pre-match pub. My companion at the game had managed to make it to Bristol, but had hurt her knee, so was staying in the hotel. My friend took her place for dinner, and I had a rather good Brixham gurnard and a lovely catch up. I suspected that would be the highlight of the evening.

I headed for the ground at the appointed hour and soon found my seats where Naila and Roohi were already in place. We were located in the front row, which wasn’t ideal, so we ended up moving a few rows back for a better view once the game kicked off. There were plenty of spare seats to choose from.

Team news was that Dionisi had made four changes from the Stoke game as Mlačić, Vata, Nabizada and Kjerrumgaard replaced Zemura, Coulibaly, Maamma and Mavididi. So, the starting line-up was Ravaglia; Kayembe, Mlačić, Pollock, Keben; Nabizada, Kyprianou, Bravo, Vata; Kjerrumgaard, Doumbia. It was a surprise to see Kayembe named as left back, but the injuries are such that he was the best available for that position.

The players were wearing black armbands in honour of Kevin Miller whose tragically early passing was announced during the week.

The visitors started brightly as the Hornets failed to stop a cross into the box from Ballard which Knight headed wide of the target. The first chance for the Hornets came when Kyprianou played a lovely ball for Nabizada who broke forward and hit a shot that was blocked, the ball fell to Kjerrumgaard whose effort flew over the bar. The hosts threatened again as a shot from Greenwood was blocked by Ravaglia. Atkinson then went down in the box under a challenge by Doumbia. He called for a penalty, but the referee was unimpressed. The next chance for City came as Hirakawa hit a low shot that was stopped by Ravaglia. Hirakawa was in action again soon after with a shot from the edge of the area that was blocked by Pollock. The resultant corner was taken by Cardines whose delivery was caught by Ravaglia. The first booking of the game went to Doumbia as he fouled Knight to stop a counterattack after a corner routine for the Hornets had broken down. Nabizada was then booked for a foul on Hirakawa, who was causing the Hornets all sorts of problems. Following the free kick, Cardines crossed for Williams who headed just wide of the target. The hosts threatened again as Ballard broke into the box, but Pollock shepherded the ball out for a goal kick. The home side took the lead on 31 minutes as Cardines crossed for Ballard to glance a header home. Strangely, that was the end of the first half chances, and the half time whistle went to boos from the away end.

The home side had the first chance of the second half with a shot from Tanner that took a deflection that took the pace off it, giving Ravaglia an easy catch. The Hornets then had a great chance to draw level as Nabizada broke forward and took a shot that was pushed wide by Tickle. There was then a bit of handbags as Knight and Mlačić clashed. Kayembe and Williams then got involved and the City man went down dramatically clutching his face. When it was over, all four players were cautioned. The next chance for the hosts came from a free kick, the delivery by Cardines was met by Williams whose header was caught by Ravaglia. The Hornets had a decent chance to draw level as Nabizada broke forward and played the ball back for Kyprianou whose first shot was blocked by Kjerrumgaard, his follow-up was straight at the keeper. Nabizada broke forward again and this time found Vata whose shot cleared the bar. Dionisi made a triple change at this point bringing Eames, Maamma and Mavididi on in place of Mlačić, Vata and Nabizada. The withdrawal of Amin was greeted with angry boos from the away end as he had been the only bright spark. The home side also made a couple of changes with Ballard and Hirakawa making way for Tolaj and Wallace.

The next chance for the home side was a shot from Greenwood that was blocked and came to Ravaglia. The home fans thought that they had scored a second when Greenwood played a ball down the line for Tolaj who broke forward and unleashed a shot, but it had hit the side netting. Maamma then went on a run but was tackled before he could think about shooting. Dionisi made another change bringing Boadu on for his debut in place of Doumbia. At the same time the hosts replaced Greenwood with Pring. The next chance for City came after a Watford attack broke down, Tanner played a ball over the top for Tolaj who broke forward but shot high and wide, much to the relief of the travelling Hornets. Then Kyprianou gave the ball away and Pollock had to foul Tolaj to prevent a break. He was booked for his trouble. Thankfully the resultant free kick from Cardines landed on the roof of the net. The Hornets then had a decent chance to level as Mavididi found Boadu in the box, but he was pulled over and prevented from shooting. It should have been a penalty, but the referee did not agree. City made two late substitutions bringing Eissat and Yah on in place of Eile and Randell. The next chance came from a free kick, the delivery by Cardines was met by Yah whose header was claimed by Ravaglia. There was 4 minutes of added time during which the hosts looked to increase their lead as Tolaj shot at Ravaglia, who spilled the ball but reclaimed it before a City player could pounce. The Hornets had a final chance to claim a point after a Kayembe shot was blocked for a corner. The ball came to Mavididi on the edge of the box, but his volley was straight at Tickle, so the Hornets fell to another away defeat.

It had been a very poor game of football in which neither team impressed. A friend told me that he had been talking to City fans before the game and they were competing for who was the most pessimistic about their prospects for the game. The Hornets dominated the possession, but failed to create enough decent chances, and the patchwork defence always looked vulnerable. Vata disappointed on this occasion, making very little impression and wasting the one decent chance that he had. The only real positive was Nabizada who created most of the chances that we had and gave the City defence an uncomfortable evening.

I was glad to get the game over and done with on Friday, so that I had the rest of the weekend free to meet up with old friends for a swim in the Clevedon Marine Lake, a wander around an art trail, and a major reminiscence about our schooldays.

We now have a three week international break for the players to get some rest and for those on the injury list to get back to fitness. When we get back, we will get a more accurate picture of our prospects for the rest of the season. Let us hope that it is more positive than it appears now.

On 4^th October, I will be taking part in the fifth Taylor Trek, walking 18 miles around Watford and the surrounding area to raise money for WFC Community Sports and Education Trust and the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice. All donations will be gratefully received at the following link https://watfordfccsetrust.enthuse.com/pf/frances-lynn-5aac1

Gorgeous Nabizada Strike Rescues a Poor Game Against Stoke

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The games are coming thick and fast so, after our midweek win, we were back to Vicarage Road on Saturday for the visit of Stoke. I arrived at the West Herts to find Jacque and Jane were already at our table. The usual suspects then gathered and we were joined by Shauna, Women of Watford’s brilliant newsletter writer. It was lovely to meet her at last although she revealed a little late in the day that she had never seen Watford win at home. We could only hope that would change at this game.

We headed for the ground at the appointed hour and were in our seats in time to see our new signing, Michail Antonio, being introduced to the crowd. Another addition to the strike force is welcome, but whether he will be fit enough after his accident is unknown. We can only hope so.

Team news was that Dionisi had made four changes from the Preston game as Zemura, Maamma, Bravo and Mavididi replaced Traoré, Nabizada, Payero and Vata. So, the starting line-up was Ravaglia; Zemura, Coulibaly, Pollock, Keben; Kyprianou, Kayembe; Mavididi, Bravo, Maamma; Doumbia. Former Hornet, Ben Wilmot, started for the visitors.

The visitors started brightly as Coulibaly failed to stop a ball down the line to Cissé who crossed to the back post for Bocat who shot wide of the target. Stoke threatened again with a shot from distance by McGlynn that was deflected wide. The visitors should have taken the lead after Bocat crossed for Cissé, who was right in front of the goal, but headed the ball down and it bounced over the crossbar. The first attack of note for the Hornets came as, following a throw, the ball was played to Maamma whose cross was blocked. The next chance for the visitors came following a corner, the ball came to Bocat whose shot was deflected wide by Pollock. The resultant corner was an easy catch for Ravaglia. Maamma then broke forward and put in a cross that was blocked. At the other end Johnson broke forward and took a shot that was gathered by Ravaglia. The first booking of the game went to Bravo, I have no idea why as I didn’t see a foul. The next chance for the visitors came as Cissé controlled a long ball before playing the ball across the goal, Bocat picked it up and played it back to Galbraith whose shot was met by a decent save from Ravaglia. Then Cissé tried his luck, but his shot was straight at Ravaglia.

The visitors threatened again as Galbraith hit a shot from distance that flew well over the bar. The first booking for the visitors went to Soumaré for a foul on Bravo that prevented him breaking forward. The next attack from the Hornets came as a long ball was played for Doumbia who played the ball back for Maamma whose cross was headed out. The resultant corner was played out to Maamma who shot well over the bar. The Hornets had a decent chance to take the lead after Maamma broke forward and played the ball back for Doumbia but the shot was deflected wide. Maamma played the resultant corner short to Bravo, who played a return pass, but the cross ran behind the Watford players. At this point Zemura went down off the ball and it was clear that he wasn’t going to be able to continue so, after treatment, he was replaced by Traoré. There was 3 minutes of added time at the end of the half. The visitors had the ball in the net through Cissé, but the flag was up, so the goal didn’t stand. But the Hornets weren’t going to reach the break level as a McGlynn shot from the edge of the box beat Ravaglia. So, the half-time whistle went with the Hornets a goal down.

At the interval, we were introduced to our new Academy intake of Under 9s who were given a warm reception by the crowd.

The visitors started the second half on the front foot as Cissé pulled the ball back for Johnson whose shot was brilliantly blocked by Traoré. Cissé then hit a shot from distance that, from the other end of the ground, appeared to be flying wide of the target but curled back and hit the crossbar, thankfully it bounced down and away from the goal. Johnson then broke forward beating Traoré and squaring the ball for Devenny who shot wide when he should have hit the target. The visitors had the ball in the net again as Bocat played a through ball for Cissé, it was flagged offside, but it was concerning that they had again been able to get through the defence so easily. The Hornets had a rare attack as Mavididi broke forward but his effort was cleared back off him for a goal kick. Stoke scored their second in the next move after some neat passing through the midfield, Cissé chipped the ball to Bocat in the box where he beat Ravaglia and the boos rang out from the home crowd.

Dionisi immediately made a double substitution bringing Vata and Nabizada on in place of Mavididi and Maamma. The Hornets were immediately on the attack as Traoré fed Nabizada who ran around the back of the defence and put in a cross, but no Watford player was in the box to meet it, although the linesman had indicated that the ball had gone out before he crossed, so it wouldn’t have counted anyway. Nabizada then played a ball into the box meant for Doumbia, but it ran through to Johansson in the Stoke goal. The visitors made a substitution at this point bringing Hirst on in place of Cissé, who I was glad to see the back of. The substitute was immediately involved meeting a cross from Devenny with a header that cleared the bar. The Hornets then had a chance from a corner that Vata played to Kyprianou who poked the ball wide of the near post. It was a really poor effort. Dionisi made another change bringing Kjerrumgaard on in place of Bravo. The Hornets were looking to pull one back as Keben found Vata who advanced and crossed straight to the keeper. There was then an injury to Pollock who was off the pitch for ages receiving treatment and returned with a heavily bandaged head and wearing a clean shirt with no number on it. Stoke broke forward again, but this time Kayembe intervened to stop the attack.

Doumbia congratulates Nabizada on his goal

At the other end Traoré put in a cross for Kjerrumgaard who had two defenders on him stopping him reaching it. With 10 minutes remaining the visitors were forced to make a change as Bombino replaced the injured Bocat. There was another booking for the visitors as Hirst was cautioned for a foul on Kyprianou. The Hornets had a chance to pull one back when Vata found Kjerrumgaard whose shot took a deflection and was just kept out by Johansson. The Hornets pulled a goal back in the first of the 6 minutes of added time, as Nabizada curled a beauty from just outside the box to give us all something to celebrate. He was then in action at the other end tracking back and fouling Bombino, for which he was booked. The visitors had a chance to restore their two goal lead with a shot from Devenny, but it was an easy save for Ravaglia. The Hornets had one last chance to win an unlikely point, but Keben shot straight at the keeper when he should have played the ball to Nabizada beside him. In the last action of the game, Vata launched a long throw into the box, where it was met by a defensive head, so, the Hornets fell to their first home defeat of the season.

It was a poor performance by the Hornets. Stoke were fast and strong and spent most of the game on the attack, but any time the Hornets got into their half, they had 10 men behind the ball. Bravo and Maamma who had shone in midweek did very little in this game. The brightest spark was Nabizada who scored another gorgeous goal. I won’t blame Shauna for this loss as the reality is that we are playing players who are not totally fit and with two games a week, the players look exhausted. We have another tricky game away at Bristol City next week which is followed by an extended international break which will be very welcome for this team. It will be a chance for some of the newer players to have a mini pre-season and for others to regain their fitness. I think a fully fit squad would be competitive in this division. Let us hope that we get the chance to test that theory.

On 4^th October, my sister and I will be taking part in the fifth Taylor Trek, walking 18 miles around Watford and the surrounding area to raise money for WFC Community Sports and Education Trust and the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice. Rose is now the chair of the Trustees so is a leading light at the Trust. All donations will be gratefully received at the following links

Fran: https://watfordfccsetrust.enthuse.com/pf/frances-lynn-5aac1

Rose: https://watfordfccsetrust.enthuse.com/pf/rosemary-inskipp-79847

Bravo Stars in a Come from Behind Win Against Preston

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I spent Monday evening in Sheffield seeing the Spell Songs folk supergroup perform their new album, In Thin Air, inspired by The Book of Birds by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris. As well as the beautiful music, we were treated to the sight of Jackie Morris painting along, which is really amazing to see. It was a gorgeous evening.

As Tuesday had been cold and wet, I had my fleece and waterproof with me when I left for the game. On my way out of the house, I added a scarf as I expected the temperature to drop further as the evening went on. I arrived in Watford to blue skies and warm sunshine, so questioned my attire.

I headed for the West Herts via the Argentinian steak place in the food hall. I had contemplated trying something else for a change but was glad I didn’t as the food is delicious. Due to a combination of illness, holidays and travel issues, none of the usual suspects joined me so I spent my pre-match alone apart from the occasional greeting by regulars.

On arrival at the ground there were very few people outside and the concourse was deserted, although there was still a slight queue in the ladies. When I got to my seat, I was pleased to see that my niece and her boyfriend had made it, so I wasn’t alone.

Team news was that Dionisi had made six changes from the West Brom game as Coulibaly, Traoré, Kayembe, Nabizada, Vata and Doumbia came in for Eames, Zemura, Bove, Bravo, Maamma and Kjerrumgaard. So, the starting line-up was Ravaglia; Traoré, Coulibaly, Pollock, Keben; Kyprianou, Kayembe; Vata, Payero, Nabizada; Doumbia.

The Hornets started brightly as Doumbia nicked the ball off an opponent and played it to Vata whose shot was saved by Iversen in the Preston goal. Sadly, it was the visitors who took the lead in the fifth minute as a corner was played to Thompson on the edge of the box, his shot was pushed onto the post by Ravaglia but fell to Lang who prodded the ball home. Ravaglia got a hand to the shot and scooped it out, but the referee indicated that the ball had crossed the line, and we had it all to do.

The visitors had a chance for a second as Devine received a cross from Lang on the edge of the box, but his shot cleared the bar. At the other end, Nabizada put a cross into the box which flew over Vata’s head. The Hornets threatened again as Payero exchanged passes with Vata before finding Traoré who shot wide of the near post. Then Doumbia went on a great run before finding Nabizada who won a corner. Kayembe’s delivery was caught by Iversen and Preston immediately broke down the other end where Kenny crossed for Lang in space whose shot was blocked by Ravaglia. The Hornets had a half chance as a shot from Kayembe took a deflection before being gathered by Iversen. Then Preston broke again through Vukčević whose cross was headed clear by Pollock. The Hornets failed to clear from the next attack allowing Kenny to shoot but his shot was deflected wide. The visitors had another chance as Leroy took a shot from distance that flew high and wide of the target. It was all Preston at this point, the next chance falling to Devine whose shot from distance was saved by Ravaglia. The Hornets then created their first chance for some time as Nabizada did well to keep the ball under challenge and found Vata whose shot flew well over the bar. Then Nabizada had a shot that was deflected out for a throw. The next chance for the Hornets came from a Kayembe cross that Keben headed well wide of the target. Then Vata played a through ball for Doumbia, the ball was taken off his feet, but he was offside anyway. The Hornets created the last chance of the half as a cross from Keben dropped for Kayembe who shot wide of the near post. So, the half time whistle went with the Hornets a goal down after what had been a very poor half of football from them.

At half time, there was a tribute to Pete Munroe who has been providing match commentary on hospital radio and for the visually impaired in the ground for 50 years. Well done to him for such sterling service.

It was no surprise that Dionisi made a triple change at the restart bringing Maamma, Bravo and Mavididi on for Nabizada, Vata and Payero. The visitors created the first chance of the second half as Vukčević crossed for Clarke whose header was poor and flew wide of the target. The Hornets then had a decent chance to draw level as Maamma crossed for Pollock who turned and shot over the bar. Then Traoré hit a cross straight at O’Leary. The visitors nearly had a second goal as a shot from Clarke hit Coulibaly whose intervention took the pace off the shot but also changed the direction so it was rolling into the goal until Ravaglia got a hand to it to tip the ball off the post before grabbing it. Dionisi made another change at this point bringing Zemura on in place of Traoré. The first booking of the game went to Vukčević for a foul on Maamma. The Hornets threatened again from a Zemura free kick that Maamma met with a header that hit a defender. He claimed it had been handled, but nothing was given.

Preston made a couple of changes at this point bringing Burgzorg and Mills on in place of Kenny and Vukčević. Gibson was then booked for a foul on Bravo. The Hornets threatened as Mavididi put in a cross that was deflected wide. He took the corner, but his delivery didn’t beat the first man and the ball fell for Maamma whose cross was repelled. The Hornets drew level in the next move as Maamma exchanged a series of passes with Mavididi before running around the back of the defence and pulling the ball back for Kayembe to power home. There wasn’t really a celebration of the goal, the players just ran back to the centre circle. The Hornets looked to take the lead as Mavididi exchanged passes with Kayembe before taking a shot that was blocked. At the other end Devine played a through ball for Burgzorg, but Ravaglia was out to meet him and block the effort, the ball ran loose and was crossed to the back post where Lang missed the header. The Hornets had a great chance for a second after Zemura and Mavididi combined, the ball was played back to Kayembe who missed the shot. The visitors made a double change at this point bringing Erabi and Gibbs on in place of Lang and Leroy. The Hornets took the lead after 76 minutes when Bravo put in a lovely cross for Doumbia to head home. The players certainly celebrated this goal, and I was delighted for Mamadou who had been working his socks off all evening. The Hornets had a decent chance to score a third when Bravo released Doumbia who found Mavididi but was unable to pick up the return pass. Maamma then impressed in defence getting back to dispossess a Preston forward. The visitors made another change bringing Small on for Devine. Maamma then showed some excellent skill before winning a free kick and earning the cheers of the crowd. Dionisi made a final change bringing Kjerrumgaard on in place of Doumbia. I like to think that he did this so that Mamadou could leave the field to the ovation that he deserved (and that was delivered by the Hornet faithful). There was four minutes of added time during which Zemura and Maamma combined to feed Bravo who was in space and should have taken a shot, instead he passed the ball, but it came back to him and this time he hit a shot that was saved by Iversen. So, the final whistle went on a pleasing win for the Hornets.

At the final whistle there was lots of celebration between the players before they finally came to greet the crowd. When they reached the Rookery, Kayembe was serenaded and Nabizada and Maamma were conducting the crowd and pushing him forward, which was rather lovely.

It had been a terrible first half of football, but the changes at the break made all the difference and it was a decent performance in the second half. Bravo made all the difference as, finally, we had someone in the midfield battling for the ball and launching attacks. His cross for Doumbia’s goal was perfect. He was my man of the match, but praise should also go to Ravaglia without whom we would have been further behind when we scored. Maamma was another bright spark. He has struggled in recent games, but was back to his best, powering down the wing and making the goal for Kayembe. He was also seen on more than one occasion tracking back and making important tackles. Kayembe gets a hard time from a section of the fan base, but he worked hard and I was glad that he scored and received the adulation from the fans. Similarly, Doumbia, who worked hard all evening and was rewarded with a goal.

At half time, I was seriously considering giving up watching football. My niece’s boyfriend, who is an Arsenal fan, assured me that we would come back. He was being kind as there had been nothing in the first half performance that would indicate that. But we did and the joy at the final whistle reminded me why I go. More of the same on Saturday please.

Narrow Defeat at the Hawthorns

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The Women’s season in the WSL2 kicked off on Friday night at the Vic. They were up against Burnley who had been promoted from the Northern division in the first season that the champions of both divisions were promoted. It was a decent performance that only lacked a goal. The visitors had started the game strongly, but the Golden Girls dominated the second half and were unlucky not to come away with all three points. It was a bright start to the season though and I hope the crowds come out when we have the games on Sundays.

Saturday morning, I had the nice easy journey to West Brom, and was in the pub before midday, but Serena had beaten me to it. We were soon joined by Jane, Jacque and the male section of the Happy Valleys. After a very pleasant pre-match, we headed to the Hawthorns. The train from Snow Hill was heaving but we all managed to board for the short journey. On arrival, we had the climb to the highest ground in the country, so it was a relief to get inside and take our seats.

Team news was that Dionisi had made four changes from the Swansea game giving Eames his first league start in place of the injured Traoré while Bove, Payero and Kjerrumgaard came in for Kayembe, Nabizada and Doumbia. So, the starting line-up was Ravaglia; Zemura, Keben, Pollock, Eames; Kyprianou, Bove; Bravo, Payero, Maamma; Kjerrumgaard.

The home side started brightly with a shot from Price in the first minute, but it was straight at Ravaglia. The Hornets really should have opened the scoring when Payero picked up the ball in the midfield and broke forward before finding Maamma whose shot was saved by the keeper’s feet. The home side had a decent chance of their own to take the lead as Morgan beat Pollock and hit a shot that Ravaglia also saved with his feet, conceding a corner which he gathered. Then Maamma picked up the ball and found Luca whose cross evaded everybody. The first booking of the game went to Payero for a foul on Nzingoula. There was almost disaster for the Hornets as a Keben clearance was charged down by Heggebø, but Ravaglia made a great save to keep it out. The home side had another chance from a corner, the delivery from Styles was met by Campbell whose header missed the target.

The home side broke again and the ball came to Price whose cross was put over the bar by Pollock. The next move for the Hornets started with Zemura and Bove passing down the left hand side and finished with Zemura putting his cross over the bar. Then Maamma went on a lovely break down the right but decided to cross when he should have tried a shot, the ball eventually came to Bravo who won a corner that Maamma hit straight at the keeper. At this point a guy had taken up the empty seat next to me and was gesturing rather enthusiastically so that I had to get out of his way. He told me that he loved Watford and that his nephew was out there. Turned out he was Jordan Zemura’s uncle, so I told him how much I liked his nephew. The hosts had the ball in the net soon after, but Morgan had fouled Ravaglia, heading the ball out of his hands, so he was booked and the goal was ruled out. West Brom took the lead soon after as Whitwell broke into the box and pulled the ball back for Morgan who beat Ravaglia. The hosts threatened again as Morgan played the ball out to Price whose cut back was blocked by Maamma. The Hornets had a chance to hit back when Payero broke forward and was fouled by Diakité, who was booked for his trouble. Zemura took the free kick and hit it into the wall. There were three minutes of added time which passed without incident, so the Hornets went into the break a goal down.

Kayembe came on in place of Zemura at the start of the second half. I felt sad for his excitable uncle. The hosts had a decent chance to increase their lead as Morgan played a ball across the face of the goal, but it was too far in front of Heggebø. The Hornets then had a great chance to draw level when Bove played a through ball for Kjerrumgaard who broke forward before playing a lovely ball for Maamma whose shot was blocked, the ball came back to Luca who found Bravo whose shot was also blocked. West Brom immediately broke down the other end and Morgan hit a shot that was straight at Ravaglia. The Hornets had another great chance as Bravo crossed for Maamma who headed the ball back for Payero whose shot cleared the bar. The hosts had another chance to increase their lead as Whitwell broke into the box and played a ball across the goal but couldn’t find Heggebø. Dionisi made another change at this point bringing Coulibaly on in place of Eames. The next chance came as Kyprianou crossed for Kayembe whose shot was blocked. Edo was then booked for a clumsy tackle. The next chance came as Keben crossed for Bravo whose header was caught by the West Brom keeper, O’Leary.

The Hornets made a double substitution bringing Mavididi and Nabizada on in place of Maamma and Payero. Amin was involved immediately making a run into the box where his shot was blocked. At the other end Whitwell played a through ball for Heggebø, who was one-on-one with Ravaglia, but the Watford keeper made the save. Both sides made changes at this point as Phillips and Stewart replaced Mepham and Morgan for the home side and Doumbia came on in place of Kjerrumgaard for the Hornets. The next chance came after Nabizada did well to battle for the ball in the midfield, it fell for Bove who flicked it through to Bravo who found Mavididi who twisted and turned to get into position, but his shot cleared the bar. At the other end, following a corner, Price crossed for Diakité whose header was caught by Ravaglia. The Hornets had a chance from a Kayembe free kick that Mavididi headed on for Coulibaly who missed his kick. There were two late bookings for the home side, first Phillips for a foul on Pollock then Whitwell for a foul on Mavididi. There were 4 minutes of added time during which the Hornets were pushing for an equaliser. First Keben found Mavididi whose cross was cut out. Then Nabizada had a shot blocked. Finally, Kayembe hit a cross straight at the keeper. There was a time for a prolonged bout of handbags on the pitch, for which Bravo and Price were booked, before the final whistle went and the Hornets were defeated for the second time in a week.

The Hornets were a bit unlucky not to come away with a point from this game. It had been another battling performance and, if Maamma had taken his chances, we could even have won it. The new boys looked promising, particularly Coulibaly, who caught the eye such that he had a song dedicated to him soon after entering the fray. It was a disappointing week on the road, but there were enough encouraging performances that I didn’t come away too downhearted. I have liked the look of our new recruits. Let’s hope they continue to impress. Our next two games are at home. We must make Vicarage Road a fortress.

Our First League Defeat of the Season in Swansea

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When the fixtures came out and the trip to Swansea was scheduled for early September, I decided to spend a few days there, as I did last year. I hadn’t quite realised that it was the bank holiday weekend which, of course, meant the weather would break. Sure enough, when I arrived on Sunday, it was cold and wet, and I began to regret my decision. Thankfully Monday and Tuesday both dawned brightly, so I spent two days at the seaside, swimming and walking. I even saw a couple of seals frolicking in the waves. A good way to prepare for what was likely to be a difficult evening at the football.

Late Tuesday afternoon, I headed to the bar of the Grand Hotel, which isn’t the most exciting pre-match venue, but is convenient for the walk/bus to the ground. When I first started going there, it was busy pre-match but, on this occasion, it was very quiet, although that is no bad thing in my book. We saw a couple of Watford fans there who were accompanied by a Swansea fan (currently living in Ealing). The ‘local’ described this as the away pub and seemed to be expecting an influx of Watford fans that never came. We headed for the ground at the appointed hour. My companions took the bus, but I decided to walk and was there in good time.

When we got into the stand, we found that stewards were telling people to sit where they liked, despite the website having said that the game was sold out. In reality, the away end was sparsely populated, and we found seats in the same row as our assigned seats which had a very good view.

Team news was that Dionisi had made two changes from the West Ham game bringing Kayembe and Doumbia in for Bove and Kjerrumgaard. He again named two keepers on the bench alongside new boy Mlačić, who had signed that afternoon. So, the starting line-up was Ravaglia; Zemura, Keben, Pollock, Traoré; Kyprianou, Kayembe; Maamma, Bravo, Nabizada; Kjerrumgaard.

Prior to kick-off, there was a very moving tribute to Kenny Jackett, which was warmly greeted from all sides of the ground.

There was a very nervous start from the Hornets as Swansea launched a series of attacks. Their first chance came in the second minute when Idah ran along the top of the box before taking a shot that was straight at Ravaglia. Soon after, a shot by Just was deflected just wide by Pollock while I had flashbacks to the own goal on Saturday. The home side nearly scored from the resultant corner as Stamenić headed against the post and there was an almighty goalmouth scramble during which Opoku had a couple of chances to finish, but Ravaglia managed to block before finally claiming the ball. The keeper was eventually awarded a free kick.

Swansea took the lead in the next attack as a neat passing move the length of the pitch finished with a through ball for Idah who advanced before pulling the ball back for Eom to finish. It seems strange to say that it had been coming when we were only in the 8^th minute of the game, but it had. The home side had a great chance for a second soon after as Opoku broke forward and played in Idah whose shot was blocked. The first chance for the Hornets came after 15 minutes as Bravo crossed for Maamma whose first touch was heavy, but he managed to win a corner. Maamma’s delivery was met by the head of Pollock, but Vigouroux made the save. Watford had another decent chance to level as Kayembe played the ball out to Nabizada who found Zemura who crossed for Kyprianou who turned it wide when he should have hit the target. It was a missed chance. At the other end, Idah met a cross with a header that flew wide of the target. The first booking of the game went to Traoré for a foul on Eom. The resultant free kick was met by Lissah whose header hit the side netting. But the home side scored their second soon after when Eom played a brilliant through ball for Idah who finished past Ravaglia. It was a very well taken goal. At this point Traoré went down injured and had to go off, so we got our first sight of our new signing, Mlačić, who took up a position in the centre of defence as Keben went to right back. He was in action almost immediately as he got in the way of a through ball into our box. The Hornets had a decent chance to pull one back as Zemura played the ball out to Maamma whose cross was met by Doumbia whose header flew over the bar. Then Bravo played a through ball for Maamma whose first touch was again too heavy and the chance was gone. There was 3 minutes of added time at the end of the half during which Maamma found Zemura who crossed for Kyprianou whose header was an easy save for Vigouroux. So, the Hornets went into the break two goals down.

During half time I was joined by Ashley who had messaged me earlier in the week about spare tickets. He had managed to get hold of one and was sitting two rows behind me, so came to join us for the second half. He was good company, but I could have done without his scrutiny of my photography given that he is a rather good photographer.

Dionisi made a change at the break bringing Bove on in place of Nabizada. The Hornets started the half brightly as Bravo played a lovely cross-field pass for Maamma who broke into the box where he was crowded out and couldn’t get a shot off. Then Doumbia nicked the ball off an opponent and put in a cross that Bove was just unable to connect with. The first chance for the home side in the second period came as Eom tried a shot from outside the box that flew wide of the target. Swansea made a double change at this point bringing Widell and Yeo on in place of Just and Opoku. The home side had another chance to increase their lead as Eom ran through on goal, but Ravaglia came to meet him, the ball fell for Eustáquio and Pollock made a great block to stop him burying the follow-up. At the other end Bove crossed for Kyprianou whose shot was blocked.

Each side made a change at this point as Vata replaced Maamma for the Hornets and the home side brought on Vipotnik and Fulton in place of Idah and Stamenić. The next booking of the game went to Kyprianou for a foul on Key. The home side threatened again with a shot from Widell that flew past the near post. The Hornets then had a chance to reduce the deficit as a Bove cross was half cleared to Kayembe who curled a shot wide of the target. Then Doumbia played the ball out to Vata who crossed back for him, but the header was poor and easily gathered by Vigouroux. The next chance for the Hornets came when Bravo got the ball in the box, but the shot was blocked for a corner. The delivery was headed over by Doumbia who was stretching and didn’t get a good connection while Bravo was in a better position behind him. There was another booking for the Hornets as Keben was cautioned for a foul on Tymon. The home side really should have scored a third when Widell unleashed a shot from distance, but Ravaglia made a brilliant save, tipping it around the post. At the other end Vata played a low cross for Doumbia but the defenders were back to stop him shooting. Each side made late changes as Kjerrumgaard replaced Bravo for the Hornets and Welsh made way for Seelt for the hosts. The Hornets continued to look for a goal as Kayembe played a lovely ball to Vata whose shot was saved, the ball looped into the air and dropped for Kjerrumgaard whose header was straight at Vigouroux. There was three minutes of added time during which Zemura was booked for a foul on Eustáquio. The home side then had a decent chance to score a third as a Swansea break finished with Widell finding Vipotnik whose shot was blocked for a corner. The delivery was met by the head of Seelt, but Ravaglia was equal to it. So, the Hornets fell to a two goal defeat. There were a few boos at the final whistle (as there had been at half time), but most people applauded the players when they came to us at the end of the game. One fan was rewarded as Matty Pollock threw them his shirt.

It was a deserved defeat for the Hornets. Swansea are the best team that we have seen so far this season and were unplayable for a lot of the first half. Eom, Idah and Opoku caused us no end of problems, and their goals were both excellent moves. The second half was much more even as a contest and Watford did create chances, but Vigouroux wasn’t really tested. The positives for the Hornets were that Ravaglia pulled off a couple of good saves. I thought Zemura had another strong game. Mlačić made a good first impression, looking very assured despite his youth.

We left the ground and headed back into town (which is mostly uphill). As we reached the station, we caught up with a number of away regulars. Jerry said, “Swansea were lucky,” and when we looked at him sideways followed up with, “Lucky to be playing us.” I thought that was a bit harsh, as a lot of teams in our division would have struggled against that Swansea performance. It is no surprise that they are topping the table.

It was deadline day, so by the time I got back to my hotel, we had already signed a couple of new players. A total of four had signed by the time the window closed. We have a couple of new centre backs, a new striker and a new winger, so most of the positions with little cover have had a boost. Let’s hope that the rest of the players settle in as quickly as Mlačić seems to have. The next couple of games will be interesting.

Fran's Watford Blog

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Narrow Defeat at the Hawthorns

Our First League Defeat of the Season in Swansea