Report: Oxford United 1-0 Watford

• Watford beaten late on at Kassam Stadium
• James Abankwah sent off for two yellow cards
• Hornets had been better side but fell behind with 10 men

Ten-man Watford were beaten by Oxford United as James Abankwah’s red card caused a huge momentum shift at the Kassam Stadium.

The Irish defender was shown two yellow cards in the second half and the U’s opened the scoring shortly afterwards through Siriki Dembélé.

Until then it had been the Golden Boys who had dominated the ball and created the best chances, but they were made to pay for not turning that into goals with a lack of cutting edge in the final third.

It means the Hornets head into the international break with defeat after a deeply frustrating afternoon where the wind also played its part.

Tom Cleverley made two changes from the midweek victory over Swansea, with Mattie Pollock dropping out of the centre of defence to attend the birth of his first child.

Francisco Sierralta was named to replace him, while Jeremy Ngakia came in for Ryan Andrews at right-back with the latter a doubt due to a muscle injury.

The Hornets Head Coach persisted with Edo Kayembe in the striker’s role, meaning that Vakoun Bayo – who was named on the bench against Swansea on the day his daughter was born – had to once again settle for a place among the substitutes.

A youthful bench also featured Academy products Leo Ramirez-Espain and Zavier Massiah-Edwards, as well as Jai-Dea Moulton who was selected in a matchday squad for the first time.

Abankwah again showed his ability to drive up the pitch from defence in the early going, with the second of his runs leading to a Tom Ince strike which deflected just over.

At the other end, Przemysław Płacheta flashed a shot just wide of Egil Selvik’s post following an Oxford counter-attack.

Giorgi Chakvetadze bent a free-kick from the edge of the box just over the crossbar, before the best chance so far for the Hornets on 26 minutes.

Ince dissected the Oxford defence with a lovely through-ball to find Moussa Sissoko’s well-timed run, but the Frenchman tried to position onto his right foot and couldn’t get a clean shot away.

Watford had continued their trend of having the lion’s share of possession but there was a scare at the other end when Ben Nelson met Cameron Brannagan’s corner with a free header, only to send it off target.

Chakvetadze had an immediate chance to punish the miss as he eased past his man on the right, but he fired his shot wide of the near post.

Some well-worked football then led to Tom Dele-Bashiru aiming right down the throat of U’s keeper Jamie Cumming.

Oxford were mainly a threat from set-pieces but Brannagan did provide an easy save for Selvik in the final minutes of the half.

A superb piece of skill by Chakvetadze nearly sent Watford away just before the break, but Imrân Louza’s dinked cross eventually found no-one as the attack fizzled out.

There was still time for another good chance as Sierralta got his head to an excellent Louza free-kick, with his effort going straight at Cumming who was able to palm it away. 

Ince’s low drive was then also straight at the U’s stopper as the half ended goalless.

Oxford had a good chance early after the restart when Dembélé nipped in to collect Płacheta’s cross, but he poked wide from close-range.

The Hornets then needed to defend a pair of corners as the hosts started the half strongly, before Louza whipped a free-kick over the top after a foul on Ince.

Louza was involved again as he nipped past Ciaron Brown and sent a low shot only just wide of the post; the referee awarding a goal-kick despite Watford being convinced that Cumming had saved it.

Abankwah then received his first yellow card after a coming together with Płacheta, a booking which would prove crucial in the final reckoning.

Bayo was introduced as Watford’s first change for Ince, pushing Kayembe back into the midfield.

The latter had barely had a chance in the striker’s position but immediately got one after dropping further back.

Bayo got a touch in the box and the ball dropped for the DR Congo international who could only volley high and wide.

Watford were again hogging the ball with a sublime Louza pass cutting open the home defence and just evading Bayo’s reach.

The Hornets kept coming with Sissoko then touching to Bayo, who couldn’t direct his shot on target.

It was the visitors who were looking much the more likely, but the game’s key moment came when Abankwah was shown a second yellow for tugging back Placheta.

Cleverley wanted to bring James Morris on with only one centre-back now on the pitch, but before the substitution could be made Oxford took the lead.

A long ball found Dembélé, who cut inside and finished into the far corner to put the U's in front.

Cleverley made a late triple switch with Morris finally coming on and Andrews and Rocco Vata also joining the game in place of Ngakia, Sissoko and Chakvetadze.

It did not have an impact, however, as seven minutes of injury time came and went with no sign of a leveller.

Watford: Selvik (GK); Ngakia (Andrews 84), Sierralta, Abankwah, Larouci; Louza, Dele-Bashiru; Sissoko (C) (Morris 84), Ince (Bayo 68), Chakvetadze (Vata 84); Kayembe.

Unused subs: Bond (GK), Wiley, Ramirez-Espain, Moulton, Massiah-Edwards.