A Matter Of Luck

Watford 'keeper Rene Gilmartin cuts a disconsolate figure after his side lost on penalties to Bristol Rovers

When it rains, it pours, that's certainly the way Watford fans are viewing their start to the season, dropping out of the Carling Cup to League 2 Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night following a penalty shootout.

Hornets boss Shaun Dyche has had it tough thus far, prior to the single goal scored by Marvin Sordell in the 1-1 final scoreline at Rovers there have been just two efforts rustling in the back of opposition nets, both of those coming on the opening day at Burnley. Two home defeats followed, that including a 4-0 thumping against West Ham, and last Saturday's 0-0 stalemate against fellow strugglers Coventry City did little to raise confidence amongst the squad.

And yet they came out against Rovers and scored within 2 minutes through Sordell, only for Matt Harrold to hit a barnstorming equaliser from all of 25 yards, Watford going on to later hit the woodwork on more than one occasion. When your lucks not in...

The dominance shown throughout the majority of the rest of the match reaped little reward, 13 shots missed the target, while the 14 that were accurate found either Rovers goalkeeper Scott Bevan or a flying defensive body to keep the ball out of the net. That's not to discredit Rovers who kept the clear cut chances down to a minimum, defending stoutly under pressure and never giving Watford time to settle.

It would have been pleasing to see for fans of the Horns who, despite being harried whenever they were in possession, created so many opportunities, the link up play between Sordell and his strike partner Troy Deeney impressive with the midfield four joining in every chance they got.

The defensive side of their game worked fairly well, the Rovers players closed down and crowded out quickly, though when the home side got the ball down and passed and moved at pace Watford did look vulnerable. The way that the visitors forced the Pirates back was, however, a positive, a fair amount of the passing from Rovers done around their own defence.

After Gas forward Matt Harrold was withdrawn from the field of play by his manager Paul Buckle Watford were able to control the game by a grander degree, Rovers leaving Scott McGleish to play up front on his own and packing five men into their midfield, thus finding themselves unable to maintain possession at the top end of the pitch, allowing the visitors to launch wave after wave of attack on the home third.

After putting on a brave face for the first half of extra time Rovers came out and looked to take the game to their more illustrious opponents, Adrian Mariappa required to make a fine block from McGleish while substitute Wayne Brown forced Rene Gilmartin to extend his body fully to keep out a free kick that was bending towards the top corner.

Referee Coote failed to award a penalty to the Hornets late on after a rash challenge felled a Watford forward as he blazed into the area, the luck still not returning for Shaun Dyche's men, and it wasn't to make an appearance in the shootout either.

After Jo Kuffour scored the opening penalty for Rovers, John Eustace was only able to find the body of Bevan which deflected the ball onto the crossbar and away. Though the shootout was levelled up after McGleish missed and Sordell slotted home Watford missed their fourth penalty, Bevan getting down to save once again, this time from Carl Dickinson and Mustapha Carayol made no mistake as he won the game for the Pirates, sending the fans in the terraced end behind the goal into delirium.

So the winless run for Watford continues, the failure to make their way past a side two divisions below them will dent the already fragile confidence further though a game against Birmingham City, another side in a slump both on and off the pitch, gives Shaun Dyche's men a chance to put the doubters to rest.

The way the visitors ran the game, however, signals that all is not lost and the sooner the Hornets catch a break the floodgates may start to open. No doubt it is going to be a bumpy ride, it's just a matter of whether the luck returns to Vicarage Road.

Bristol Rovers 1-1 Watford (4-2 On Penalties)

120 minutes of high energy football were not enough to separate Bristol Rovers and their Championship opponents Watford at the Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night, the hosts eventually taking the originally postponed Carling Cup tie 4-2 from the penalty spot.

Marvin Sordell scored only the Hornets third goal of the season in the second minute after sliding in to divert Craig Forsyth's low centre, only to see Matt Harrold thump in an equaliser three minutes later. After a goalless extra time period the game went to penalties, Watford missing two of their first four spot kicks, giving Mustapha Carayol the chance to settle the game, the Gambian international obliging with the 12 yard winner.

From the early stages the match looked to be a thriller and within two minutes Watford opened the scoring, Craig Forsyth scampering down the left wing on a break, sweeping a low ball into the box that Marvin Sordell knocked past Rovers goalkeeper Scott Bevan to open his account for the season.

Just a couple of minutes after the restart the game turned back the way of the Pirates as Matt Harrold collected the ball on the edge of the box before unleashing a venomous drive from all of 25 yards that had Rene Gilmartin diving in vain to his left, unable to sustain his sides slender advantage.

Watford's front pairing of Sordell and Troy Deeney linked up well throughout and the latter could have snatched back the lead after twenty minutes but Bevan was quick off his line to smother at the ex-Walsall man's feet.

Soon after the match almost swung Rovers way, Harrold knocking down a Jo Kuffour cross into the path of Chris Zebroski who failed to connect with his swinging right boot. Kuffour hadn't given up on the move, however, following in and hitting the underside of the crossbar off of Gilmartin's body, only to see the ball bounce back down plum onto the line and away from goal.

Watford were having the better of the first half proceedings and the loss of central defender Cian Bolger further added to Rovers woes as Deeney again missed chances, flashing a header wide from a Mark Yeates cross before rifling a shot that forced Bevan to push the ball into the side netting.

Kuffour hit a low shot wide but it was at the other end where Josh Walker hit a cracker that thundered off of Bevan's crossbar, meaning the sides went in level at half time.

Into the second half and Harrold and Kuffour saw efforts miss the target, only for the Hornets to take the game by the scruff of the neck, Lloyd Doyley hitting an instinctive effort from range that took a bounce before going out of play via Bevan's right hand post, the Rovers custodian failing to react to the full back's shot. John Eustace was the next to be involved, hitting wide after Forsyth's shot was blocked.

And so it went to extra time, by which point Watford were in full control, Wayne Brown having replaced the imposing Harrold leaving the Gas with little power or presence to hold the ball up front, the away side able to control phase after phase of the play.

The best chance of the extra period went to Eustace, the visiting captain forcing Bevan to drop to his left to stop the downward header while Rovers substitute Mustapha Carayol fired wide at the other end.

The second half of extra time was far more even and there were two late chances for the home side to take the tie. Firstly Kuffour was unable to get on the end of a McGleish ball, the veteran striker reacting quickly to the half clearance as he volleyed a shot directly at Adrian Mariappa.

Moments later came the final opportunity of the game, Wayne Brown hitting a bending free kick that looked for all the world to be heading into the top corner, Gilmartin, though, had other ideas as he tipped the ball behind for a corner.

That was to be it for a game that had kept the 4,432 crowd on the edge of their seats for two hours, penalties the only way the contest was going to be sorted.

Jo Kuffour stepped up first for Rovers, sending Gilmartin the wrong way. Watford's first kick taker was Eustace, his low effort hitting Bevan, bouncing up onto crossbar and away from the goal.

The most experienced man on the pitch, Scott McGleish, failed to utilise what he had learned in his 17 year Football League career as he dragged his penalty wide, Sordell equalising with his own spot kick.

Adam Virgo and Mariappa cancelled out eachother's strikes before Wayne Brown powered his penalty past Gilmartin. The pressure moved onto Carl Dickinson and it seemed to get the better of him as Bevan produced his second save of the shootout.

That left Carayol with the chance to finish the match and with consummate coolness the winger slotted the ball home to hand Rovers a second round tie away to Leyton Orient.

'It Is Going To Be Tough' Says Buckle

Paul Buckle admitted that when his Bristol Rovers side line up to face Watford in the Carling Cup this evening they will have a stern test ahead of them.

What remains of the Pirates squad from last term will be looking to put to rest the haunting memories of their 6-1 humiliation away to Oxford a year ago, their opponents having only just won promotion back to the Football League after a four year absence. The last time the Hornets clashed with Rovers was three years ago, once again in the Carling Cup, a certain Will Hoskins sentencing the Gas to a 1-0 defeat at Vicarage Road.

Buckle is under no illusions as to the challenge that stands between his side and a second round tie against Leyton Orient, that despite Watford's thus far winless campaign.

"It is going to be a tough game, and we are going to have to be at the top of our game defensively." Said the Rovers boss, "You have to be watertight without the ball against teams from a higher division. If we can do that we still believe we can create chances.

"I think Watford will mix it up. I watched them in pre-season and the Championship is a tough division, it is a physical league, so we will have to be on top of our game physically.

"The players have been great defending the box, we have to go and do that again, but at the same time we have to try and have some quality to try and open them up when we get the opportunity.

"The fact that they have not won yet this season makes them very dangerous. Their manager is a very organised guy, and Watford are a proud club.

"They will not want to come to Bristol Rovers and go out of the competition, they will see this as an opportunity to kick start their season, what we must try and do is try and add as much misery to their season as we can. If we are at our very best, we will have a chance."

The confidence that a Carling Cup run could provide to Buckle's squad, not to mention the financial rewards to the club, are major factors for future success and the former Torquay gaffer noted that he will be taking the competition seriously.

"The Carling Cup is massive. I have always taken great pride in the cups, and we want to do well every game and do ourselves proud and put a good show on for the fans.

"It is a massive game for us, it is one we are not expected to win, we are playing against a very good Championship side, but we are at home, and we fancy our chances. I think it will be a very good game, a fast game, and we will have to be at our very best.

"We would like to build momentum and confidence ahead of our league game on Saturday. There is so much stuff you can take from a good cup run, I have been fortunate over the last four years to have had good cup runs, and I want to continue that.

"It is exciting for the club that we have a Championship side coming down tomorrow night, to see where we are at as a club."

Despite a tough encounter away at Macclesfield on Saturday Rovers still have a strong squad available, Stuart Campbell and Gary Sawyer the only players definitely out while Joe Anyinsah faces a race against time to prove his fitness.

Bristol Rovers Face Watford In Carling Cup Clash

Bristol Rovers take on Watford in the Carling Cup on Tuesday, a game whose original date was postponed due to the riots that swept the nation.

Rovers come into the game on the back of a 0-0 draw away at Macclesfield having missing a host of chances, hitting the target just the once throughout the ninety minutes. At the other end Scott Bevan was kept far busier, denying Scott Wedgebury during the first half in a one-on-one situation and scrambling saves on further occasions. Rovers sit in ninth position after the weekends round of games concluded with seven points out of a possible twelve and a first clean sheet of the season will encourage the defence and manager Paul Buckle as Rovers look to tighten up at the back.

New Watford boss Shaun Dyche has endured a testing start to the season, his side currently sitting in the bottom three of the Championship table with just a pair of points after the Hornets weekend game also ended in stalemate at Coventry. There have been just two goals for Watford fans to cheer this term, both coming away at Burnley on the opening day. Add in results from the tail end of last season and the Hertfordshire club have failed to win in seven away games.

If Rovers are to get past past Watford, a clash away to League 1 Leyton Orient the reward, they will have to bypass Horns' defender Adrian Mariappa. An academy graduate Mariappa has held down a regular place in the Watford team for the past two seasons, helping the side to 16th and 14th placed finishes, and will look to continue his run for the continuation of this. The 24 year old, scorer of three goals during his six years at Vicarage Road, has been offered the opportunity to play for the Fijian national team, only to turn down the chance offered to appear at the Pacific Games.

One of the key players who will be vying to get the better of Mariappa is ex-Arsenal trainee Jo Kuffour, currently one of Rovers in-form strikers. Though he has scored just a single goal so far the pacy forward has proved that the poor form shown last season is behind him, having started the previous two games and looking threatening with his turn of speed and tricky runs. Pre-season saw rumours of Kuffour's departure, the 29 year old turning down an offer from Yeovil Town before deciding to remain at the Memorial Stadium for Paul Buckle's tilt at League 2 promotion.

Pirates winger Joe Anyinsah will be fitness tested before the game as he looks to make a comeback from a niggling hamstring injury while Stuart Campbell is also unavailable with a longer term hamstring complaint.

Full back Gary Sawyer and young midfielders Ollie Clarke are definitely out having both undergone surgery for a hernia and knee injury respectively.

Watford will be without the services of recent signing Prince Buabe. The Ghanaian, yet to make his Hornets debut, has had a minor hamstring injury and is generally lacking in fitness after joining Shaun Dyche's squad two weeks after pre-season training had started.

Gavin Massey missed the weekend game with Coventry, suffering from a virus, but is likely to return to the squad that travels to Bristol. Imposing forward Chris Iwelumo, formerly of Bristol City, has only a slight chance of recovering in time to face Rovers, Dyche wanting the Scotland international 100% fit before throwing him into competitive action.

Ross Jenkins and Martin Taylor will face fitness tests to determine whether or not they can play after taking slight knocks from the Coventry game.