Under-21: Watford 1-3 Swansea City

Watford Under-21s’ winless run was extended to five matches following the side’s 3-1 defeat at home to Swansea City in the PL Professional Development League.

Morgan Bates’ header for the visitors was the only goal of the first half, but an improved Hornets showing after the interval resulted in Tobi Adeyemo drawing level.

The Golden Boys could not build on their leveller, however, with late strikes from Josh Pescatore and Thomas Woodward condemning Watford to a third successive loss.

Lead Coach Charlie Daniels admitted his side were not at the races this afternoon, but believes their away match against Queens Park Rangers on Thursday offers the perfect way to respond.

“I just think we weren’t good, really from start to finish,“ he admitted. “I didn’t think we played our usual game, with the usual flow.

“There was something missing today which we haven’t seen for a while really.

“We had a lot of opportunities to score more goals, and I thought Tobi took his goal really well today.

“We are disappointed with the result, and how the goals went in, but this is the beauty of football - we have got another game on Thursday.

“We need to put it right.”

On a cold afternoon at London Colney, Woodward could only put Sammy Henia-Kamau’s pull back wide as the Swans fashioned the first chance.

Caio Ifans then almost turned Freddie Buers’ clearance into his own net, before Aidan Coyne’s header from the resulting corner forced visiting keeper Kit Margetson into a good save.

Ignacio Garcia-Romero then placed wide from the edge of the box from another set piece, before Adeyemo headed a powerful cross just wide at the near post as the Hornets got closer to breaking the deadlock.

Coyne and Josh Keyes had shots inside the box blocked in quick succession, before Swansea reminded of their threat as Bates headed over Pescatore's cross following a quick passing move from the visitors.

This threat was then realised as Swansea took the lead soon after, with Watford failing to clear Ramon Rees-Siso’s cross, before another high ball was headed home by Bates.

Garcia-Romero then saw another shot go over as the Hornets went in behind at the break.

Watford were quick out of the blocks in the second half, with Coyne driving through the middle before laying it off to Albert Eames, who flashed his shot across the face of the goal.

The Hornets continued on the front foot, and soon made the most of their momentum to draw level.

Zavier Massiah-Edwards did exactly what he was brought on to do – picking the ball up on the wing and dribbling past several players – before delivering a low cross that Adeyemo did well to turn in at the near post via the woodwork.

Watford saw more of the ball as they looked to capitalise, with Adeyemo going close to his, and Watford’s, second after a cross was headed on by both Josh Mullins and Travis Akomeah, but his effort was blocked.

The visitors then regained the initiative and soon after had the lead when Pescatore finished with a first-time volley following a cross from the left delivered by Rees-Siso. 

Another substitute then went close to restoring terms for the Hornets. This time it was Jonathan Lawson driving down the right before firing off a shot that unfortunately smashed against the woodwork before going behind.

Jonathan Macaulay kept the deficit to just one soon after with an excellent close-range stop after some pinball in the area saw Bates shoot from inside the box.

However, Swansea then secured all three points in stoppage time when Woodward latched onto a long ball over the top before finishing confidently for the away side’s third.

The young Hornets will now look to bounce back immediately against QPR at Loftus Road on Thursday (March 20, 1pm KO).

Watford: Macaulay, Eames (Burton 80), Buers, Gaspar (Sikiru 80), Akomeah (C), Mullins, Garcia-Romero Ferrer (Lawson 60), Coyne, Adeyemo, Ramirez-Espain (Moulton 89), Keyes (Massiah-Edwards 60).