That cup defeat still hurts

Last updated : 20 August 2004 By Tony Scholes
Danny Webber
A win would be good, it would help to start wiping that memory away and the three points would mean a good first week for the Clarets at the start of the new season.

It hasn’t been too bad a week for Watford so far. They were somewhat unfortunately beaten at Preston last Saturday before recording the biggest victory so far in the division when they beat QPR in front of the Sky cameras on Monday.

That follows on from the end of last season. As they went into Easter they looked real relegation candidates but four wins and only two defeats in the last eight games saw them finish the season in 16th place some six points clear of the drop positions.

Finance is something of a worry at Watford and in recent times the ground has been sold and players have taken wage deferrals, it shows what can happen if you put the wrong manager in place for a year in their case Vialli.

Ray Lewington has had to pick up the pieces and is now starting his third season in charge with hopes of a much brighter finish.

He’s been able to bring in some new players the first of who was Icelandic international defender Brynjar Gunnarsson who was at Nottingham Forest and Stoke last season. He was followed into Vicarage Road by midfielder Andy Ferrell from Newcastle and Franchise’s Jermaine Darlington.

And just this week West Brom’s James Chambers signed on loan and he made his debut in the win against QPR. There could also be another new player by the time we get there with 24-year-old American defender Jay Demerit set to sign a one year deal although he is not expected to feature.

Players inevitably have left and they include Lee Cook, Paolo Vernazza and Micah Hyde who signed for Championship clubs QPR, Rotherham and Burnley respectively. Cook made a return to Watford this week to play against his former club and now it is the turn of Micah who will then be off to Jamaica and a World Cup Qualifier.

The win against QPR was as comfortable as the result suggests although they were aided somewhat by poor refereeing and a QPR defence that was hardly water tight. Danny Webber was the star of the show for Watford, scoring two of the goals. Bruce Dyer got the other goal.

Watford will almost certainly stick with the line up that beat QPR and that was: Richard Lee, James Chambers, Neil Cox, Sean Dyche, Paul Mayo, Paul Devlin, Brynjar Gunnarsson, Gavin Mahon, Neal Ardley, Danny Webber, Bruce Dyer.

Subs: Alec Chamberlain, Jermaine Darlington, Ashley Young, Hameur Bouazza, Heidar Helguson.

For Burnley, hopefully with all players fit, Steve Cotterill will be certain to stick with the eleven who started at Rotherham whilst Paul Scott, back in training, come could back into contention for a place on the bench.

The Burnley team will be: Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Ian Moore, Richard Chaplow, Tony Grant, Micah Hyde, Graham Branch, Robbie Blake. Subs from: Brian Jensen, Lee Roche, Matt O’Neill, Joel Pilkington, Paul Scott, Ryan Townsend.

Last season’s corresponding fixture ended in a 1-1 draw with Luke Chadwick equalising for the Clarets early in the second half after Watford had led with a goal right on half time from Scott Fitzgerald. Earlier in the game Robbie Blake had missed from the penalty spot.

Again it is a game that we should have won with Watford down to ten men for the last 25 minutes after Flood Warden Andy Hall sent off Paolo Vernazza for a foul on David May. He also booked a total of seven players.

The teams were,

Watford: Alec Chamberlain, Steve Kelly, Marcus Gayle, Neil Cox, Paul Robinson, Gavin Mahon, Paolo Vernazza, Neal Ardley, Danny Webber, Bruce Dyer (Jamie Hand 68), Scott Fiztzgerald. Subs not used: Lenny Pidgeley, Sean Dyche, Lee Cook, Ashley Young.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Dean West, David May (Graham Branch 77), Andy Todd, Mo Camara, Luke Chadwick, Paul Weller, Gareth Farrelly (Richard Chaplow 70), Delroy Facey, Robbie Blake, Ian Moore. Subs not used: Lee Roche, Matt O’Neill.

Previous 20 Seasons

Season

Div

Ven

Result

Att

Scorers

1994/95

1

h

1-1

11,739

Eyres

..

a

0-2

9,297

.

1996/97

2

a

2-2

6,450

Gleghorn Smith

..

h

4-1

8,269

Cooke(3) Parkinson

1997/98

2

a

0-1

11,155

.

.

.

h

2-0

9,551

Cooke(2)

2000/01

1

a

1-0

13,653

Taylor

..

h

2-0

18,283

Payton Mullin

2001/02

1

h

1-0

13,162

Little

..

a

2-1

12,160

Cox Weller

2002/03

1

a

1-2

13,977

Taylor

.

FAC

a

0-2

20,336

.

.

1

h

4-7

10,208

Taylor(3) Davis.

2003/04

1

a

1-1

11,573

Chadwick

..

h

2-3

11,413

McGregor Adebola

Click HERE to see more results against Watford from the first meeting which was as recent as 1971.