Report: Watford 2-1 Portsmouth
Yesterday at 11:52 AM
- Vata wins it at the death with dramatic goal
- Kayembe penalty levels as Hornets come from behind
- Louza returns and is commanding in midfield
- Deserved win stretches unbeaten home league run to 15 games
- Baah sent off after full-time for two yellow cards
Rocco Vata scored an exhilarating winner in the final seconds to hand Watford a dramatic and deserved win over Portsmouth on Boxing Day.
Five minutes of stoppage-time had nearly elapsed at the end of the second half but there was still time for the young winger to poke home a finish after Moussa Sissoko’s probing run.
Despite dominating much of the game it had looked like the Hornets would have to settle for a point as their high tempo did not turn into goals.
Step forward substitute Vata who popped up to provide what could be a massive moment during the season while sparking jubilant celebrations.
Pompey had enjoyed a half-time lead thanks to Zak Swanson’s low finish but Edo Kayembe restored parity with a penalty after the break.
The visitors resorted to time wasting in a game where tempers often flared, but it was a tactic which was to backfire as Vata enjoyed his magical moment.
Victory means Watford are now unbeaten in their last 17 home games in all competitions ahead of the visit of Cardiff City on Sunday (December 29), although they will be without Kwadwo Baah for the game after he received a second yellow card following full-time.
Tom Cleverley made four changes for the festive showdown and reverted back to his three-man defence with wing-backs following the 2-1 defeat at Burnley.
James Morris returned as one of the trio of central defenders, while a completely different holding midfield duo saw Kayembe promoted from the bench and Imrân Louza return from illness.
In attack, on-loan striker Daniel Jebbison was named for his third start for the club and his first since the win over Middlesbrough on October 5.
Vakoun Bayo, Sissoko, Pierre Dwomoh and Vata all dropped out to take their place among the substitutes.
Jebbison created an excellent chance for himself in the fourth minute after flicking the ball over his man and using his pace to run through one-on-one.
The forward had done well to fashion the opportunity but he placed his shot straight at Pompey goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid.
At the other end, superb defending by Ryan Porteous prevented Callum Lang – fresh from four goals in Portsmouth’s win over Coventry – from getting on the end of a Josh Murphy cross at the far post.
It was an end-to-end start but the visitors took an early lead when a clearance only went as far as Swanson, who drilled a low volley into the corner.
There was an early chance to level when Jeremy Ngakia teed up Giorgi Chakvetadze, but the Georgian took a touch and couldn’t get his shot away.
Mattie Pollock defended superbly as Lang went clear towards Bachmann’s goal, while Baah flashed a cross across Portsmouth’s box as the high-energy nature of the game continued.
Porteous nipped in to meet a Chakvetadze corner but couldn’t direct a shot on target, and the Scotsman next forced a good save from Schmid with a header; the flag then going up anyway.
Despite some good spells of pressure, a handful of set-pieces and Louza beginning to control the game in the middle, the Hornets went in at the break behind with work to do following the re-start.
Cleverley opted to go more attacking by replacing Morris with forward Vata at the break, reverting again to a four-man defence.
Ngakia dipped a shot over the crossbar in the early going before Watford were handed a route back from the spot.
Baah was felled by Freddie Potts and after lengthy discussions between referee and assistant, Kayembe dispatched his penalty into the top corner to bring the Golden Boys back level.
Yellow cards were flashed to Kayembe, Schmid, Murphy and Pompey boss John Mousinho as the red mist rose following the incident, with a late Lang challenge on Pollock only adding to the heightened tension.
Watford pressure continued and on 68 minutes, Baah superbly darted into the box before forcing a fine one-handed save from Schmid as he tried to bend a shot into the far corner.
With the game becoming one-way traffic, substitute Ryan Andrews' low drive was saved by Schmid with the ball then agonisingly going through Jebbison’s legs and ending up behind him when he would have had a tap-in.
Chakvetadze rolled a free-kick across to Kayembe whose shot from the edge of the area deflected wide, while Vata was bundled down when trying to escape into a shooting position.
Owen Moxon was nearly allowed to threaten the goal during a rare moment of danger at the other end, but it remained Watford who looked the more likely.
With Pompey looking to run down the clock and time nearly up, late sub Sissoko darted forward on a run which would turn the game on its head.
Schmid tipped away the Frenchman's shot, but Vata was in the perfect place to slide the ball into the net to ensure the last-gasp delirium.
Watford: Bachmann (GK) (C); Porteous, Pollock, Morris (Vata HT); Ngakia (Andrews 71), Louza, Kayembe (Sissoko 87), Larouci; Baah, Chakvetadze; Jebbison (Bayo 82).
Unused subs: Bond, Ebosele, Sierralta, Dwomoh, Ince.