Report & Reaction: Watford 2-0 Hashtag United

Watford inflicted just a second league defeat of the season on table toppers Hashtag United thanks to goals from Jessie Gale and Coral Haines.

The Golden Girls – who started the game 12 points behind their opponents, having played two fewer – took an early lead through England youth international Gale and continued to dominate throughout.

Haines scored the goal of the game with a second-half stunner from distance that secured an impressive three points for the Hornets, who have now won two on the bounce in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division.

Gale opened the scoring with just five minutes played, converting a cross at the back post from Flo Fyfe, who had sprung the offside trap down the right.

Arsenal dual-sign Gale – who now has five goals for the season – almost created a second as Watford looked a real threat on the counter in the opening stages. A clever switch of play from Haines found the 18-year-old in acres of space down the left but her ball across goal didn’t get the touch it needed.

Maria O’Sullivan had comfortably held a couple of long-range Hashtag efforts, but the clearest of the first-half chances continued to fall to the Golden Girls.

Sophie McLean’s shot from the edge of the area was palmed away by visiting keeper Frankie Angel, then shortly before the break Poppy Wilson lifted a strike from another Fyfe centre over the bar.

Watford continued to threaten after the restart with a Gale shot deflected wide and Wilson firing too high of the target, as the momentum remained with the hosts. 

With an hour gone, Haines’ free-kick created mayhem in the box and when the loose ball fell to Wilson, the midfielder’s effort was only an inch the wrong side of the post.

The Hornets doubled their advantage in spectacular fashion with little over 15 minutes to play, Haines sending a bullet-like 30-yarder over Angel and into the top corner to create a deserved two-goal lead.

Substitute Madison Perry came close to adding a third moments later with a close-range strike that flew narrowly wide following Gale’s cross.

O’Sullivan made a superb save from point-blank range to deny former Hornet Fran Ali in the closing stages and ensure a well-earned clean sheet.

Hornets Head Coach Renée Hector was thrilled by the manner of her team’s performance.

“I’m over the moon,” she said. “The ways the girls dug in from minute one all the way until the end, that’s the fight and determination we’ve seen building up in recent weeks. We fought for each other, threw bodies on the line, scored two brilliant goals and I’m so happy for them.

“In some games we’ve felt we’ve deserved more and we’ve had a lot of the ball without being able to put it in the net. We always say about trying to start fast and today was the perfect start. I loved the first goal because it’s stuff that we’ve worked on so it just shows the work we’re putting in during training is coming out in games.”

On Haines’ wonder-strike, Hector said: “That was unbelievable; I’m so happy for her. 

“That goal put the nail in the coffin a little bit and allowed us to go and manage the game. I’m over the moon for her because she’s had a lot of strikes and opportunities in other games and she’s taken this one brilliantly just when we needed it.”

Having expertly seen off the league leaders, Hector believes it’s a result that will build confidence as her squad prepare for their next challenge at Oxford United in the FA Cup next weekend.

“We know we have the quality within our group to beat any team in this league,” said the Head Coach.

“We have to be on it, ready to fight and win duels, and that’s the side of the game we have to be 100 per cent consistent at.

“Hashtag are very physical and athletic, they make things difficult for you on the ball – which is a different challenge for us – but we dealt with it brilliantly.”

Watford: O'Sullivan; Chandler (C), Filbey, Meiwald; Haines, Georgiou; McLean, Wilson (Rossiter 86); Fyfe (Baptiste 88), Head (Perry 68), Gale.

Unused subs: Goldsmid, Davison, Paul, Bowyer.