Watford 2-0 Bristol City: Own goal and Joao Pedro give Hornets points

A Harry Cornick own goal and Joao Pedro’s 11th of the season secured the points and made for a brighter afternoon in the spring sunshine after the dark clouds of disaffection and anger had gathered following their last home game against Huddersfield Town.

The victory also moved Chris Wilder's side back to within three points of a play-off place, although that gap will return to six points if Blackburn Rovers beat Hull City in the late kick-off.

The Hornets were handed an early lead when an inventive free-kick from Imran Louza found Pedro and his low ball across the area was turned into his own net by Cornick.

The hope was the Hornets would push on from that early boost, but they played within themselves for much of the first half, struggling to get on top in the game and created very few opportunities as a result.

It took a fine save from Daniel Bachmann to keep his side in front after the restart and the value of that was underlined when Joao Pedro scored the second, his right-footed effort appearing to take a deflection through the legs of goalkeeper Max O’Leary.

Despite the cushion of a second goal, the Hornets continued to lack conviction and a Bristol City goal would certainly have made for an edgy finale, Nakhi Wells going the closest with a free-kick which hit the crossbar.

The home side were able to see the job thorugh to secure just their third win in 15 matches as two supporters chose the end of the game to unfurl a ‘Pozzo out’ banner and carry it almost two-thirds the length of the Graham Taylor Stand before it was taken off them by stewards.

Wilder made two changes from the side that let a two-goal lead slip in Monday’s 2-2 draw at Coventry City. Bachmann returned from suspension in place of Ben Hamer in goal, while the fit-again Keinan Davis replaced Britt Assombalonga up front.

Bristol City came into the game unbeaten in three and former Hornets boss Nigel Pearson kept faith with the same side that started their 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough last time out.

Bachman was given an early routine save to make after Matty James chanced his arm with a half-volley from 20 yards after latching onto Ryan Andrews’ attempted clearing header, but it was the hosts who were to strike first in the sixth minute thanks to a bit of good fortune.

After an attempted counter-attack had been cut short when Pedro was bodychecked off the ball, Louza clipped the free-kick into the Brazilian on the right side of the area to flash a dangerous ball across the six-yard box and Cameron Pring, who had Davis lurking behind him, tried to clear but the ball was turned into his own net by Cornick.

The scorer of the own goal had the game’s next opportunity, at the right end as far as he was concerned, when he met Jay Dasilva’s cross from the left with a sharp near post header which forced Bachmann into a smart stop to keep his side in front.

The former Luton man had another chance in the 16th minute, firing over from around eight yards after a corner from the right had been flicked on as the visitors continued to have the better of the play despite trailing.

City kept pressing with Sam Bell hitting a deep cross on the run from the left which Wells headed goalwards, but Bachmann held beneath his crossbar.

Watford hadn’t shown a great deal offensively in the opening 25 minutes, apart from taking the lead, but they sprung to life when Wesley Hoedt spread a cross-field pas out to Ismaila Sarr, who worked a neat one-two with Hamza Choudhury before hitting a first-time right-footed effort which O’Leary had to push round his near post.

That opportunity sparked the home side into more life going forward, Pedro the next to have an effort with a shot from just outside the 18-yard box after some promising build-up play involving Sarr, Louza and Choudhury.

However, Watford were caught napping at a corner in the 39th minute when James pulled the set-piece from the left back to Dasilva, he flighted in a cross to the back post where Andreas Weimann had got free to head back across goal but it was too far ahead of a red-shirted teammate to make the chance count.

The Hornets did win two corners before the break but the fact Hassane Kamara hit the scoreboard from the second one summed up the level of threat they offered.

Watford were able to take their one-goal lead into the break through, but the moments of attacking promise had been few after taking an early lead as much of their play was again too pedestrian and meant they were unable to impose themselves on their opponents.

Wilder made a change at the start of the second half, bringing on Ismael Kone for Leandro Bacuna, meaning Choudhury dropped back into the holding midfield position after playing his part in some of his side’s more noteworthy attacking moments in the first half.

The hosts created their first chance of the second period within a minute of the restart when Sarr played in a good cross from the right but George Tanner did well to beat Pedro to the header.

But four minutes later the Robins spurned a great chance to equalise when Andrews lost out in midfield and the ball was worked forward to the right side of the area where Weimann weighed up his options before hitting a left-footed curler which forced Bachmann into a superb diving save. The visitors kept the ball alive though, playing the ball back in for Weimann to head across goal but Cornick somehow failed to turn it in from barely a yard out, but his blushes were partially spared by a linesman’s flag.

The Hornets could easily have been pegged back but moments later they could have doubled their lead when a Sarr cross from the right was crying out to be hit first time by Davis, but instead he turned back inside to get it on his left foot and his eventual effort was deflected behind.

But Watford didn’t have to wait much longer for their second which arrived in the 54th minute when Kone found Pedro just outside the left edge of the area and he came inside before hitting a right-footed shot which went through the legs of O’Leary, the keeper appearing to have been caught out by a deflection.

Pearson responded by making his first change, bringing on Alex Scott for Cornick, with the substitute soon on the receiving end of a foul from Ryan Porteous which earned him the game’s first yellow card.

The Hornets were very nearly punished further from the resultant free-kick though, as Wells curled it superbly over the wall but his effort crashed off the bar as Bachmann tried to get across.

Both sides then made their second changes, Ken Sema coming on for Davis, while Kal Naismith replaced Andy King.

The Robins enjoyed a decent spell of possession in the Hornets half as the midway point of the second half, with Print firing over at the back post under pressure from Porteous after a cross had been glanced on by a Hornets head.

The Robins were continuing to boss the exchanges as Pearson made a double change with 15 minutes to go, Tommy Conway and Anis Mehmeti coming on for Bell and Zak Vyner, while Sarr was taken off and replaced by Jeremy Ngakia.

Such is the fragility of the Hornets’ confidence though, they really needed a third goal to make the points safe and a Kamara pass into Louza on the left side of the area gave the Moroccan an opportunity to score it but he fired over from a tight angle to the left of the six-yard box.

A jinking run from Pedro near halfway was ended by a foul from James, which earned him a yellow card, before Andrews was given a warm ovation from the home faithful as he made way for Yaser Asprilla.

A City goal would have made for a nervous finale and the visitors had an opportunity when they broke three-on-three with Conway leading the charge, but he dragged his eventual attempt wide and although Weimann managed to keep the ball in play, the grateful Bachmann was able to pluck the ball out of the air as Watford were able to negotiate five minutes of stoppage time to pick up just their third win in 15 matches.

Watford: Bachmann; Andrews (Asprilla 84, Porteous, Hoedt, Kamara; Bacuna (Kone 46); Sarr (Ngakia 75), Choudhury, Louza, Pedro; Davis (Sema 62). Subs not used: Hamer, Araujo, Kabasele.

Bristol City: O’Leary; Tanner, Vyner (Mehmeti 75), Pring, Dasilva; King (Naismith 62), James; Cornick (Scott 56), Weimann, Bell (Conway 75); Wells. Subs not used: Wiles-Richards, Taylor-Clarke, Leeson.

Bookings: Porteous for a foul on Scott (61); James for a foul on Pedro (84).

Referee: Dean Whitestone.