Tuesday, March 11, 1969

Chasing promotion to the second division for the first time, the Hornets entertained Tranmere Rovers at Vicarage Road.

Goals from Barry Endean and Tom Walley helped Watford gain another valuable two points but the most memorable strike of the evening came from long-serving defender Brian Owen.

His shot was blocked by a defender and ballooned above the crossbar towards the back of the Rookery; Rovers' goalkeeper Jim Cumbes, also a fast bowler for Surrey at the time, jogged behind the goal to retrieve the wayward ball only to be caught out as it stalled in the wind, dropped on the line and bounced off the hard ground into the roof of the net.

The goal was Owen's last for the Hornets before leaving for Colchester at the end of the following season.

Reproduced by kind permission of Matt Rowson from his book, Watford FC On This Day