Swansea City nearly let slip three-goal lead at Watford

First-half goals from Scott Sinclair and Stephen Dobbie put the Swans in the driving seat before the interval and, when substitute Frank Nouble came off the bench to score with his first touch mid-way through the second half, it looked to be game over.

However, another replacement, Troy Deeney, gave the Hornets hope with his first league goal for the club and when Martin Taylor headed a second with five minutes remaining the comeback was well and truly on.

And Watford thought they had done it when Danny Graham looked to have scored a second from close range in the fifth minute of injury time, only for jubilant celebrations to be curtailed by the assistant’s flag.

Malky Mackay made just the one expected change following Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough, with Andrew Taylor, who was ineligible to face his parent club, returning at the expense of Lee Hodson.

This meant Lloyd Doyley moved across to right-back, but the match was also significant for skipper John Eustace, who made his 300th career appearance.

Rodgers made three changes from the side that made it four straight away defeats this season with a 3-1 loss at Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

David Cotterill and Darren Pratley were ruled out with groin and shoulder injuries respectively, while Nouble dropped to the bench. Striker Dobbie and ex-Chelsea winger Sinclair were both fit to return and Albert Serran also came into the starting XI.

A strong-looking Swans bench featured Craig Beattie and Angel Rangel, who were available again after being sidelined with calf and thigh problems.

Rodgers took his place in the dug-out to the predictable chorus of boos from the Rookery and the Northern Irishman may also have noticed a large banner in the south-west corner that read ‘Liar’, although this was quickly removed by the stewards.

The visitors, playing a 4-1-4-1 formation with Ashley Williams pushed up from his usual centre-half berth into a holding midfield role, had the better of the opening exchanges, but neither side was able to create an early opportunity.

That almost changed in the eighth minute when Sinclair crossed from the left and Nathan Dyer played the ball back into the danger zone from the opposite side of the box to Dobbie, who produced an exquisite turn only to be denied an attempt at goal by a fine Eustace challenge.

The Hornets were finding it hard to gain any meaningful possession in the early stages and they were undone in the 11th minute when Sinclair managed to break into the area and draw Scott Loach before confidently dispatching the ball into the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Watford had an opportunity to get straight back into it when, from Don Cowie’s first corner of the match, the ball was headed away to the edge of the area where Jordon Mutch had the space and time to line up a volley, only to miss his kick.

The hosts continued to probe away, with a vocal faithful urging them on, although it was the Swans who had the next opening in the 23rd minute when Alan Tate capitalised on some indecision in the left-back area and only the outstretched boot of Lloyd Doyley prevented Sinclair from latching on to his cross at the back post.

The visitors though, were looking very comfortable in possession and they made it count to impressive effect on the half-hour when Joe Allen slid the ball to Dobbie on the edge of the area and the striker turned before rifling a tremendous shot over Loach and in off the underside of his bar to double his side’s advantage.

That lead was almost halved soon after when, from a Cowie corner on the right, Adrian Mariappa headed goal bound, only to see the hosts’ first attempt of the night cleared off the line.

Another half chance came the Hornets’ way in the 37th minute when, following a Mutch block close to the left touchline, the ball ricocheted to Graham in the area and he held play up before laying it back to Marvin Sordell, but his effort was deflected behind.

From the resultant corner though, the ball broke for Graham in the centre of the area and he did everything right, only to see his effort superbly blocked by the legs of keeper Dorus de Vries.

Dyer was the first player to be booked in the last minute of the half for stupidly delaying a Watford free-kick, but the Hornets were lucky not to concede a third – and possibly even worse – in injury-time.

The home side were caught on the counter and Mark Gower slipped in Sinclair, who ran across the line and into space, before latching on to the pass, drawing Loach and, to his considerable credit, staying on his feet when he could have gone down for the penalty, only to then hit the side netting from a tight angle on the right side of the six-yard box.

Watford responded with Mutch advancing into space before striking a fine 20-yard effort that de Vries had to push round his near post, but Mackay’s troops headed for the dressing room with plenty of work to do after the break.

The Hornets started the second period seeing the majority of the ball and had their first semblance of an opening came in the 50th minute when Mariappa slipped a pass down the right side of the defence for Graham to run on to, but he put his low cross too close to de Vries.

However, it was the visitors who had the first attempt of the half, with Sinclair volleying a couple of yards over, but soon after he went haring down the left flank and into the area before picking out Dobbie, whose goal-bound effort was well blocked by Andrew Taylor.

Neil Taylor was then booked for a foul on Will Buckley - the caution coming after Andrew Taylor had fired an ambitious effort wide as referee Iain Williamson played advantage.

The Hornets continued to have the better of the play, without creating too much against a side who were happy to get bodies behind the ball and play on the counter. And that was precisely what happened in the 63rd minute when Mutch lost possession too easily, Gower again fed Sinclair in far too much space and the youngster again beat Loach, but this time put it the right side of the far post as far as the hosts were concerned.

It was Rodgers who made the first change a minute later, bringing on Rangel for Neil Taylor, although Mackay soon followed suit as Buckley made way for Deeney.

Two changes then became three after 68 minutes when Nouble replaced Dobbie. And the substitute’s impact was instant as he was in the right place to apply a straightforward finish and make it 3-0 after Dyer had taken maximum advantage of the Hornets being caught with too many bodies upfield.

Rodgers played in his final card in the 73rd minute, bringing on Cedric van der Gun for Sinclair, but moments later Watford should have pulled one back when Graham latched on to a loose pass in the area and rounded de Vries, only to put the ball over from a tight angle.

But, after Deeney had seen another effort blocked over, the former Walsall forward gave the Hornets hope in the 76th minute when he lifted the ball beyond de Vries to score his first league goal in yellow over after both he and Graham had been played onside in the heart of the area.

The substitute could have had a second soon after when a cross from Cowie found him unmarked in the area, but he flicked his header wide. Then, after de Vries had been booked for time-wasting, Deeney had another opportunity, but this time he headed straight at the keeper after another Cowie ball had not been cleared properly.

The Hornets continued to press and a second looked inevitable when Eustace connected superbly with a rocket of a long-range effort, only to see it blocked inside the far post by Tate, but with five minutes remaining the grandstand finish was on.

After seeing one header blocked, Martin Taylor was left all alone at the far post to easily beat de Vries with a header after being picked out by Doyley to make it 3-2.

A tremendous roar greeted the fourth official’s board showing five minutes of stoppage time, but the hosts struggled to put the City defence under real pressure until the 95th minute when the Hornets looked as if they had completed their comeback.

Following a long throw from the right, Martin Taylor flicked the ball on at the near post, Graham's shot on the turn was blocked, the ball broke for Eustace whose effort was saved by the legs of de Vries, only for the ball cannon into the net of Graham's knee. However, delight soon turned to dismay when it was realised the linesman's flag was already raised.

Watford: Loach; Doyley, Mariappa, M Taylor, A Taylor; Eustace; Buckley (Deeney 66), Mutch, Cowie; Sordell, Graham. Not used: Hodson, Walker, Gilmartin, McGinn, Bryan and Oshodi.

Swansea City: De Vries; Tate, Serran, Monk, N Taylor (Rangel 64); Williams; Dyer, Gower, Allen, Sinclair (van der Gun 73); Dobbie (Nouble 68). Not used: Beattie, Orlandi, Lopez and Makabu-Makalambay.

Bookings: Dyer for dissent after 45 mins; N Taylor for a foul on Buckley after 57 mins; de Vries for time wasting after 79 mins.

Attendance: 11,485.

Referee: Iain Williamson.