Hornets fall deeper into relegation mire

5:11pm Saturday 9th April 2005

THE CONTROVERSIAL second-half dismissal of Jay DeMerit cost Watford dear at Vicarage Road today as Leeds United went on to win 2-1 and leave the Hornets one place above the relegation zone - ahead of Brighton only by goal difference.

After Heidar Helguson had levelled Rob Hulse’s fine header, the match was evenly poised early in the second-half when DeMerit was shown a second yellow card for a tackle on Hulse, although TV replays seemed to indicate that the American got at least part of the ball.

Leeds then moved into the lead through a Carlisle header, and although Watford bravely battled in the latter stages, a Young shot which crashed against the bar was the closest they came.

Adrian Boothroyd made two changes from the team able to include Danny Cullip after the on-loan Sheffield United defender recovered from his thigh strain. Neil Cox dropped to the bench alongside Bruce Dyer, who was replaced by Hameur Bouazza.

Following their humiliating 4-0 Yorkshire derby defeat at home to the Blades Kevin Blackwell made four changes, although one was enforced with skipper Paul Butler ruled out after swallowing his tongue in a collision with Neil Sullivan. In came defenders Gary Kelly, Carlisle and Michael Gray while Sean Gregan was also included and out went Danny Pugh, Simon Walton and Marlon King.

Buoyed by a vocal crowd, the Hornets started brightly and could have gone ahead in the second minute. Chris Eagles threaded the ball through to Helguson, and although the Icelandic international lost possession, Matthew Kilgallon made a hash of the clearance but from 12 yards out, Helguson fired the ball too close to Neil Sullivan and the keeper got down low to his left and beat the ball away.

Eagles was certainly in the mood and on eight minutes a fine marauding run was unceremoniously halted 22 yards out dead centre when he was bundled to the ground. However, the Manchester United loanee drove the free-kick straight at the wall.

Leeds had struggled to get out of their own half in the opening 15 minutes but almost took an undeserved lead with their first attack of the match when David Healy latched onto a loose ball and rounded Richard Lee but there was no white shirt in the middle as he launched a hopeful cross from the by-line. That was Healy’s last meaningful contribution though as he was forced off with what looked like a knee injury on 26 minutes, replaced by Ian Moore.

And two minutes later Leeds were ahead; Sean Gregan clipped a floated ball into the box and Rob Hulse sent a wonderful diving header past Lee into the top left-hand corner of the net.

Eagles almost replied in spectacular fashion five minute later; he picked the ball up on the half-way line and drove into the Leeds box beating three players but Sullivan tipped his drive over for a corner, which Helguson headed straight at the keeper.

Lee then had to look sharp to beat Seth Johnson’s well-struck half-volley from 30 yards to safety.

But it was the Hornets who levelled five minutes from the break. Mahon picked out Gunnarsson in the Leeds box and he turned his man well and shot at goal, but Sullivan did well to claw it away. However, Helguson was the first to react to the rebound and superbly controlled a header from 12 yards past Sullivan high to the keeper’s left.

Watford started the second-half in the manner they finished the first and Dominic Blizzard was quick to test Sullivan with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box.

But the Hornets were struck a massive blow five minutes after the break when DeMerit was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence. It looked an extremely harsh decision for what appeared an innocuous tackle on Hulse but Boothroyd quickly reacted by slotting Doyley into the centre of defence and Gunnarsson into right full-back.

Despite having the ten men, Watford did not look unduly threatened and in fact Bouazza almost raced onto Helguson’s flick-on before being denied by a last-ditch Clarke Carlisle tackle.

But Carlisle then nodded Leeds in front on 66 minutes when Derry’s free-kick was half-cleared to Gregan on the left, and he floated a cross to the back post where the towering centre-half forced the ball home from close range.

Leeds piled forward looking for the killer goal and Hulse headed straight at Lee from six yards out following a Gregan corner.

Ashley Young was introduced into the action with 20 minutes remaining and he came so close to levelling after curling an effort from 20 yards out but his shot crashed off the face of the bar.

Hulse should have put the result beyond doubt on 84 minutes but headed over from inside the six-yard box with the goal gaping before Lee did terrifically well to block from Johnson when the Leeds man was straight through.

More heroics from Sullivan again frustrated Helguson when the keeper tipped over a header from Young’s cross.

Watford laid siege to the Leeds goal in injury time, winning a number of corners and launching the ball toward makeshift centre forward Cullip at every opportunity.

Watford: Lee; Doyley, Cullip, DeMerit, Chambers; Eagles, Gunnarsson, Mahon, Blizzard; Helguson, Bouazza. Substitutes: Young for Eagles after 70 mins; McNamee for Bouazza after 73 mins; Dyer for Gunnarsson after 79 mins. Cox, Chamberlain not used.

Leeds United: Sullivan; Kelly, Carlisle, Kilgallon, Gray; Lennon, Derry, Gregan, Johnson; Healy, Hulse. Substitutes: Moore for Healy after 26 mins; King for Lennon after 65 mins; Richardson for Hulse after 87 mins. Einarsson, Spring not used.

Bookings: Healy for a foul on Cullip after 13 mins; DeMerit for a foul on Hulse after 38 mins; DeMerit for a foul on Hulse after 50 mins.

Attendance: 16,306.

Referee: Nigel Miller (Durham, County Durham).

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