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Although nervous before the game I, probably like most of us, was confident that we could get over this hurdle and win a semi-final place for the first time in 29 years. It wasn’t to be though and it is a fact that the further you go in this competition the worse it feels when the knock out blow comes.
The anger I felt at Cheltenham just over a year ago, and at Scunthorpe the year before that, is nothing compared to that awful feeling of pain that is there now. But I think we all know that we didn’t turn in a performance that warranted anything other than a defeat this afternoon.
There is always a fear that players can freeze on the big day and a side doesn’t do itself justice and I was keen to see just how we would start the game. In fact we starter it brightly and much better than Watford and in the first fifteen minutes the unchanged Clarets were very much in the ascendancy.
Everything seemed fine and we had hardly seen the ball down where the Burnley fans were as we appeared to be getting a grip on it without ever looking particularly dangerous.
But it changed as Watford finally got into the game but for long periods it was very much a case of long balls being hit. Driss and Coxy were dealing with them at the back but we were now struggling to get hold of the ball and more and more as the half went on Watford were getting at our defence.
Poor Gareth Taylor was working his socks off with little or no support with the two Moores making no real effort to support him and with the midfield at times, particularly Alan Moore, treating the ball as if it was a hot potato we were just unable to get anything like enough possession.
By half time we were looking decidedly disjointed and were grateful to referee Alan Wiley for bringing it to an end. Surely we would be more positive and would improve in the second half.
Sadly it was not to be and the impression was given that we were keen to get a 0-0 draw, presumably to get a Turf Moor replay and some more money, as we conceded ground and possession to Watford far too easily.
Watford were putting us under more and more pressure and it was the work of the two central defenders along with some sterling work in defence from Gareth Taylor that was keeping us in the game.
Stan brought on Glen Little for the hugely disappointing Alan Moore and his first touch saw him shoot over the bar. But his appearance made no real difference as Watford continued to be the only side really looking for a goal.
Then, somewhat strangely but not surprisingly, Steve Davis replaced Paul Cook as we looked even more ready to defend what we had.
It all went horribly wrong though with just over quarter of an hour to go when Tommy Smith put Watford in front with a scrappy goal from a corner. For once, and it really was for once, Gareth Taylor missed a header and the ball finally dropped for Smith to hit home.
You sensed that was it, the Clarets had never looked like scoring a goal all afternoon and it would take a major change for us to get back into it. Robbie Blake came on but in all honesty it changed nothing.
In fact just a few minutes later it was 2-0 as Stephen Glass hit home a free kick from just outside the penalty box with Marlon hopelessly positioned.
That was it, there was no way back now and after four minutes of stoppage time the final whistle blew to signal the end of our cup run.
Not for one minute did we deserve anything else, a poor Watford team were by some distance the worthy winners and after all the build up we had really let ourselves down. It is difficult to recall a single moment when we troubled Watford keeper Alec Chamberlain.
That’s the sad thing, after getting so far we failed to perform and were nothing but a shadow of the Burnley of recent weeks, that is until half time at Millwall.
Getting knocked out of the FA Cup in the 1st round is something Burnley did a few times in the 1980s and 1990s. Telford, Bolton, Chester, Walsall, Rotherham and Darlington have all put us out at that first hurdle. They were all disappointing, some of them even embarrassing.
They didn’t hurt anything like today’s defeat did, it’s just that the further you go in this competition the more painful the knock out blow is.
It has been a good cup run though. There was the easy win against Grimsby when hardly anyone bothered to turn up, the defending for our lives at Brentford and then the draw at Loftus Road followed by he comprehensive stuffing of whinging homeless Premiership Fulham.
Without those good moments we wouldn’t have even been at Vicarage Road this afternoon.
Yes it was disappointing, doubly so because we really didn’t perform today and let ourselves down in front of the television cameras.
It was the first time the Clarets had been on live national terrestrial television for a whole game since the 1962 FA Cup Final and to be honest we didn’t come close to doing ourselves justice.
So when you think about this cup run don’t just remember the pain and hurt of today but the three previous rounds that got us here in the first place. And so as we think about criticising tonight after the poorest performance for a while, the first game without scoring since the Manchester United game, also think about praising the performances in those first three rounds.
For me the Man of the Match today was between two players and needless to say Driss Diallo was one of them. He won so much in the first half in front of the Burnley fans and made defending look easy.
However today I have to go for Gareth Taylor who fought so hard with no support up front and also played more than his part defending set pieces. He didn’t deserve to be involved in that vital first goal.
There were no real problems with the referee and he could hardly be criticised for any of the yellow cards he handed out.
Back to league action now and although the play offs look a tall order it is what we have left and we all have to lift ourselves for a trip to Sheffield United on Wednesday. That’s players, management and fans because we need to get back to winning ways.
The teams today were,
Watford: Alec Chamberlain, Neal Ardley, Neil Cox, Marcus Gayle, Paul Robinson, Gavin Mahon, Paolo Vernazza (Jamie Hand 65), Micah Hyde, Stephen Glass, Heidar Helguson, Tommy Smith (Gifton Noel-Williams 77). Subs not used: Anthony McNamee, Sean Dyche, Richard Lee.
Burnley: Marlon Beresford, Dean West, Ian Cox, Driss Diallo, Graham Branch, Paul Cook (Steve Davis 67), Ian Moore, Tony Grant (Robbie Blake 76), Lee Briscoe, Alan Moore (Glen Little 57), Gareth Taylor. Subs not used: Nik Michopoulos, Paul Weller.
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffs).