Watford come back to win at Ipswich (From This Is Local London)

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Watford come from behind to beat Ipswich Town 2-1

5:14pm Saturday 3rd December 2011 in Watford FC - Match Reports

Watford fought back from a goal down to beat Ipswich Town 2-1 and make it just one defeat in the last seven matches for Sean Dyche’s side.

Both teams missed glorious opportunities in the first half but Keith Andrews' header just before the break meant the struggling Town went in 1-0 ahead.

The Hornets continued to battle and equalised through a Marvin Sordell penalty and Troy Deeney grabbed the winner moments later after coming off the bench.

Ipswich were unfortunate not to grab an equaliser late on but the Hornets held on for all three points.

Watford made just the one change as Craig Beattie's goal on Tuesday night was not enough to secure another staring berth, with Sordell returning to full fitness. Beattie joined Deeney and John Eustace on the bench.

Ipswich went into the game in terrible form with six consecutive defeats and the visitors started the brighter.

Chris Iwelumo forced the returning David Stockdale into a decent stop after ten minutes but a free kick was awarded to Town.

Kightly had a good chance when he was released in the box but his effort was tame and easily stopped by Stockdale.

Watford were regularly finding space in the final third only to then waste their territory with poor crosses and were wasteful in possession.

Sean Dyche’s men should have gone ahead a quarter of an hour in though when neat play on the left released Marvin Sordell and he cut inside, only to then smash over the bar from eight yards. The England Under-21 international had plenty of time to set himself and was totally unmarked. It was a terrible miss.

Ipswich then started to take control and enjoyed a real spell of pressure. Nyron Nosworthy had an afternoon to forget with a host of slip-ups and he was lucky not to concede a penalty when he lunged into a tackle with Jason Scotland.

Town had a couple of efforts blocked and should have taken the lead themselves midway through the first half. Scott Loach saved well from Danny Collins' header and then Scotland smashed the ball over the bar from close range.

Watford were looking nervy at the back and Ipswich punished them two minutes before the break when Daryl Murphy sent over a dangerous cross from the left and Andrews leapt to head into the far corner.

Both sides had very good chances in the opening five minutes of the second half. Firstly, Jonathan Hogg’s mishit shot was scuffed goalwards by Mariappa and Stockdale tipped over the bar. Then moments later, Lee Bowyer flashed an effort across the goal and Scotland was unable to reach it as he slid in.

Ipswich were looking dangerous but it was Watford who again went agonisingly close to scoring – twice in a matter of minutes. Yeates saw his 25-yard free kick rattle the crossbar and Sordell’s back-heel from close range was blocked on the line.

Ipswich had the ball in the back of the net around the hour mark with a side-footed finish by Chopra but it was ruled out as Lee Martin’s cross went out of play before Murphy headed back across goal.

It was end-to-end at times and the visitors had another lucky escape when Loach parried Aaron Cresswell’s free kick back into danger but Chopra was unable to apply the crucial touch inside the six-yard box.

Dyche made a double change with 25 minutes remaining as John Eustace and Deeney came on for the ineffective Prince Buaben and Iwelumo - and it paid off.

The equaliser came courtesy of two players who started the game but had struggled. Kightly and Sordell played a neat one-two and Sonko brought down the Hornets striker for a penalty. Sordell stepped up to send Stockdale the wrong way.

The Hornets completed the comeback five minutes later when superb battling for Carl Dickinson resulted in the left back winning possession on the Ipswich byline and passed to Yeates. His shot was blocked but the ball fell kindly to Deeney and the substitute smashed home from eight yards out to make it 2-1.

Ipswich responded immediately and minutes after Scotland forced Loach into a decent stop, there was a moment of pure chaos in the Hornets’ box. Scotland had a close-range header blocked on the line, a Watford defender then somehow got in the way of Bowyer’s low drive and another effort two yards from goal was stopped.

Watford could have secured the victory as they broke four-on-three but Sordell greedily went for goal himself instead of passing to the unmarked Yeates.

Watford had to endure a nail-biting end to the contest as they scrambled several deliveries clear and Edwards had a goal-bound volley blocked, but the visitors held on to make it one defeat in seven matches.

Ipswich: Stockdale; Edwards, Sonko, Collins, Cresswell; Murphy, Bowyer, Andrews, Martin; Chopra (Ellington 77), Scotland.

Subs: Lee-Barrett, Carson, Wabara, Bullard.

Watford: Loach; Hodson, Mariappa, Nosworthy, Dickinson; Yeates, Hogg, Buaben (Eustace 65), Kightly (Beattie 89); Sordell, Iwelumo (Deeney 65).

Subs: Bond, Mirfin.

Referee: Keith Stroud.

Attendance: 16,262 (638).

Comments(82)

johnnyc72 says...
5:25pm Sat 3 Dec 11

Dyche out. Simply not good enough only winning 2 - 1 away from home.