Personnel Moves

A busy week for the Watford front office:

Alex Kacaniklic was recalled to Fulham this week.

Sean Murray was signed to a three-year contract through 2015.

Troy Deeney's option was exercised, keeping him under contract through 2013.

Watford 2-1 Ipswich Town 14-12-13 54 pts

Sean Murray & Troy Deeney each scored to give Watford a come-from-behind win over the Tractor Boys today.

A Carl Dickenson brain-fart let Ipswich take the lead in minute 18 on a Jay Emmanuel-Thomas goal from 4 yards out.

Ipswich stalled until Murray and Deeney combined on an attack that gave Murray the goal from 18 yards in the 70th minute. Ipswich tried to recover, but momentum was on Watford's side and Deeney scored a goal of his own - a looper over the keeper and into the net - with just 6 minutes left in regulation time.

The win leaves the Hornets seven points off the playoff zone with seven matches left in the season. The next is Saturday, March 31 at Leeds United. Kick is 10:00 am St. Louis time.

Bristol City 0-2 Watford 13-12-13 51 pts.

Two ugly goals carried Watford over the 50 point mark at Ashton Gate today.

The first, keeper David James' mishandled punch of a loopy ball, glanced off his hand and scooted into the net in the 15th minute.

The second, a Sean Murray rebound toe poke lying on the ground after his shot was blocked by James, dribbled over the line four minutes later to provide the only goals and silenced the downtrodden Robins fans.

The win renders Watford, if not mathematically, practically immune to the drop zone. The next match is Saturday, March 24 at Vicarage Road against Ipswich Town. Kickoff is 10:00 am St. Louis time.

Derby County 1-2 Watford 12-11-13 47 pts

Alex Kacaniklic provided a pair of assists in quick succession to put Watford up 2-0 in the first 15 minutes of the match.

The first, a Sean Murray goal from 12 yards out, quited the home crowd, while the second, a deflection from Troy Deeney, positively stunned Rams fans early in the match.

Ben Davies salvaged Derby's pride in the 30th minute, but the rest of the match went scoreless. The three points puts the Hornets 10 points shy of the playoffs (but with a very crowded field) and a fairly safe 17 points clear of relegation.

The next match is Saturday, March 17 when Vicarage Road hosts Coventry City. Kickoff is 10:00 am St. Louis time thanks to the mismatch in Daylight Savings Time changeovers.

Bennett OK

Despite being stretchered off the pitch in yesterday's West Ham match and spending the night in the hospital, Dale Bennett was diagnosed with a simple concussion - no serious head or neck injury.

West Ham 1-1 Watford 11-11-13

Another shake-up in the starting XI lead to a draw for the Hornets at Upton Park. Dale Bennett replaced the ill Nyron Nosworthy, Carl Dickenson stepped in for Lee Hodson, Alex Kacaniklic served in midfield for Prince Buaben, and Chris Iwelumo joined Troy Deeney up front as Joe Garner took a rest.

Sean Murray broke the seal on the match with a 20 yard shot that found the bottom right corner and silenced the home fans.

Murray's goal came ten minutes after a collision between John Eustace and Bennett that left Eusatce bleeding and Bennett being stretchered off (prognosis not yet available). Martin Taylor came on for Bennett, but the injury led to nine nerve-wracking minutes of added time after Ricardo Vaz Te equalized in the 87th minute.

Watford held against the 2nd place Hammers to earn a very respectable point away.

The next match is Saturday, March 10 at Derby County. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford 3-2 Burnley 11-10-13 43 pts.

Excitement. Excitement. Excitement.

It looked like it was going to be 'another one of those' and, as far as the defense was concerned, it was.

Sean Dyche shook things up with four changes to the lineup from the 0-3 Southampton loss (not including keeper Tomasz Kuszczak, on emergency loan from Man. U. after Rene Gilmartin went on emergency loan to Crawley Town - how does that work? - who started last Saturday), but Burnley scored the 8th and 9th unanswered goals in three matches and lead 2-0 in the 51st minute.

The first goal developed from a mental mistake from Adrian Mariappa when he headed the ball back to Kuszczak only to have Jay Rodriguez anticipated the pass and slot the ball in.

The second was an own goal from Nyron Nosworthy, but he made amends four minutes later, heading the Hornet's first goal in ages into the net.

Watford caught fire, especially Joe Garner who figured in two assists in four minutes, setting up Alex Kacaniklic in minute 72 and having his blocked shot rebound by Troy Deeney for the go-ahead goal in the comeback.

Watford are 15 and 12 points off the drop zone and playoffs respectively.

The next match is mid-week (Wednesday) at West Ham United. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Watford 0-3 Southampton 10-10-13 40 pts

I was on the road for this one last Saturday, but Ugh! Seven unanswered goals in two matches. The BBC scoreline is on the link above. That's all I gotta say on that.

Redemption time starts tomorrow. The Hornets host Burnley who they drew away in the first match of the season. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.