March 29 2010

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace travel to Watford knowing that only a win will provide any hope as we seek to escape relegation, writes Simon Pophale.

Given that the clubs have shared such a rich history, as I touched on for the home match, this time the focus will shift to memorable games at Vicarage Road, especially in more recent times.

We have played Watford in all competitions, except for the top flight, so certainly in both current and historical senses, we have made common bedfellows.

With a total of 51 matches in Watford, we have emerged victorious 14 times and avoided defeat on 12 other occasions. While this means that Watford have won nearly half these fixtures, our recent record in Hertfordshire is fairly decent with these three matches in the last 10 years providing rich entertainment.

Season 2000/01: Watford 2-2 Palace

Relegation was a by-word in the first season of the Simon Jordan era and a point gained in April at Vicarage Road gave us hope of beating the drop. Amidst the headlines of “We Can Stay Up – Dean Austin speaks!” and “There is no rift at Palace”.

Rumours amidst the potential departure of Alan Smith an encouraging performance saw us take the lead through Austin and should have had the game wrapped up by half-time, as we missed a host of chances.

We would pay for our profligacy as Watford first pegged us back with a goal from Alan Neilsen and then went ahead through a Tommy Mooney two minutes later. This left us about 12 minutes to save the game and fortunately Tommy Black managed to squeeze home an equaliser with two minutes remaining.

At the end of the season: Watford, despite falling from their Premiership perch managed a creditable 9th place finish, we needed that strike by Dougie at Stockport coupled with the sacking of Alan Smith against Wolves in our last home match to save us by a single point.

Season 2002/03: Watford 3-3 Palace

Our trip to Watford came amidst rumours of a manager potentially getting the boot, this time the spotlight was falling on Trevor Francis. However, this six-goal thriller and an incident packed match put all talk of the manager’s future on hold for about a week.

The problems for both clubs were plain for all to see, as neither team could defend in an open first half. Watford should have drawn first blood but Danny Webber blasted a penalty against the crossbar after 14 minutes. This woke us up and Hayden Mullins gave us the lead on 25 minutes, but Watford drew level through a Neil Ardley free kick on the half hour.

With the half drawing to a close both teams went goal crazy – Watford taking the lead through Micah Hyde but we went in ahead at half time thanks to goals from Danny Granville and second from Hayden Mullins.

Whatever Francis said to the team at half-time about being tight at the back had no effect as Heidar Helguson immediately brought Watford level from the restart and although this brought an end to the goalscoring, it did not to the controversy as Wayne Routledge was sent off for an innocuous shirt-pull.

At the end of the season: Francis lasted until April before leaving “by mutual consent” and both Watford and Palace finished in uninspiring mid-table finishes of 13th and 14th respectively.

Season 2003/04: Watford 1-5 Palace

The next time we met Watford it was under yet a new manager, this time Iain Dowie and although he had been in the hot-seat for about a month, this huge victory over the Hornets was just the start of a road which would lead to an unlikely play-off final.

Dowie had started to bring in his own players and Mark Hudson, on loan from Fulham, started for the first time. We started strongly and took the lead after only nine minutes with an Andy Johnson header. Wayne Routledge put us two up before half-time and on the stroke of the whistle, Neil Cox saw red for a stonewall penalty which AJ despatched to end the game as a contest.

Watford reduced the arrears when Mark Hudson brought down Scott Fitzgerald and Heidar Helguson scored from the spot. Further strikes from Julian Gray and Dougie Freedman left no doubt in which was this team was heading.

At the end of the season: We put a run together which took us from 21st in December to 6th on the last day and then promotion against West Ham in Cardiff in the play-off final. Watford finished 16th.

Last Time Out

Goals from Don Cowie and Jobi McAnuff gave Watford a 2-0 win in what was a rancid Palace performance, which is best forgotten. We cannot have, or afford, a repeat performance.