Stung by the Hornets?

The Hornets are, of course, Watford. In August we visited Vicarage Road after a tremendous start to our season, winning the first three games. Sadly, that run came to an end, with a 1-1 draw. Andy Reid opened the scoring, but our old boy Lewis McGugan scored for his new team with a fine free kick.

That match, if I remember rightly, was played under blue skies; anyway I remember sunshine at some point during the afternoon. The contrast to that day could not have been more different on Thursday night. Yes, Thursday. Sky had chosen our game for TV, so instead of playing on Tuesday or Wednesday like all the other Championship clubs, we were moved to Thursday, which meant, in turn, moving our game versus Yeovil from Saturday to Sunday. The weather on the night was cold and very wet. Not so much during the game, but in the days and hours leading up to the game which meant that the normally billiard table perfection of the CG was no more. I sit high up in the Upper Brian Clough stand and the pitch didn't look too bad, but the track the linesman runs up and down on our side looked sloppy and muddy. However, as usual, the groundsmen produced an excellent pitch in the circumstances.

Watford, at the start of the season, had been one of the teams expected to figure in the promotion reckoning. However, some of their leading players from last season had left the club and things had not been going well. This led Gianfranco Zola, their manager, to leave the club mid-season after about 18 months in charge and another Italian, Guiseppe Sannino, coming in. Mr Sannino had been manager of several clubs in Italy and his appointment reflects the Italian ownership of the club. The also have a large number of Italian players at the club.

Watford, before the game, were in the lower reaches of the Championship, being closer to the bottom than the top. Forest, in contrast, have had a good recent run, scoring a few goals and playing pretty well. They were in fifth position in the table with a game or two in hand on those above. Billy Davies made a few changes for this game. Henri Lansbury was serving the final game of his suspension and Vaughan had gone back to Sunderland at the end of his loan, though the management team were trying to bring him back on loan for the rest of the season. Jamaal Lascelles, interesting at least one Premiership club in the transfer window (which shuts Friday 31 January), returned after injury and Greg Halford moved forward to striker again to make room for him. Moussi came in for Vaughan, Jara moved to midfield, Lichaj moved to right back and Dan Harding came in on the left. Cox and Mackie were left out. So, once again, we took the field with a patched up back four. The only constant is Karl Darlow in goal. In fact, the whole team had a patched up look to it and I felt that this could all go badly wrong. Before the game started, three players signed in the transfer window paraded on the pitch and were introduced to the fans. Djebbour, from Olympiacos(like his compatriot, Abdoun, so he has someone here he knows) a striker, Danny Fox, from Southampton, a left back (I know, fancy, a left back) and a young man from the French club Nice, Kevin Gomis, a centre back. The foreign players moves are presumably conditional on international clearance.

The first half started quite well for us, but throughout the first 45 minutes Watford looked quicker round the pitch, pressed us well and moved the ball with more purpose. So it was no surprise that after about half an hour Anghella, one of their centre backs, scored from a corner, one of a series Watford gained during a period of pressure, with a fine flick which was heading into the gaol. A despairing attempt by Jara, on the line, to head the ball out only succeeded in deflecting it upwards onto the underside of the bar and in to the net.

1-0 at the break was bad enough, but worse was to come. For the first couple of minutes of the second half, we looked quite bright. Halford had been substituted and Simon Cox came on in his place. Then a hammer blow. From a free kick on their left, Watford swung the ball in towards the penalty spot and Anghella, completely free of any Forest marker, headed his second goal. Delirium amongst the travelling support, who must have thought the game was done and dusted. 2-0 after 47 minutes and glum silence amongst the home support

This season, even when we have gone behind in games, I have always felt there is a chance of a result, but here I felt a bit numb. I couldn't see one goal coming let alone two for a draw and three for a win. Forest continued to plug away, having the majority of the play, but not looking penetrative. However, after an hour, Jara, having an excellent game in midfield, chipped the ball to Moussi on the right of the penalty area. He neatly headed across the box and Cox rushed forward to fire the ball into the net. The CG came alive and there was more zip to the Forest play, an altogether different game now. After 69 minutes Henderson a former Watford player, came on for Abdoun. 'Beware the curse of the returning player' came to haunt Watford. Just minutes after appearing, Hendo scored. With the outside of his left boot,Reid dinked a delightful ball to the back post and Henderson was first to react and headed it back across the keeper into the far corner. Unlikely just 20 minutes before, it was game on! 2-2

The CG was now in full voice and the players were giving their all. Young Paterson was replaced by Jamie Mackie after 80 minutes and two minutes later he put the icing on the cake by scoring number three. Andy Reid chased a seemingly lost cause to the goal line, luckily it was on his left foot, and he lobbed a delightful ball into a crowded goal area and Mackie rose to head a fine goal. It was the Forest fans turn to go bonkers. There were still well over ten minutes to go, mainly because of all the time wasting by Watford when they were in the lead. Billy must have been regretting complaining so much about the time wasting now his team were in the lead. However, it was not to matter. Watford did mount a few spirited attacks, but Cox finally settled it when he scored number four. The ball was passed across the edge of the Watford penalty area. The ball was heading to an unmarked Cox, but Henderson intercepted and failed to control it and a despairing Lloyd Doyley poked the ball away from him. Such was our luck on the day, the ball rolled neatly into the path of the unmarked Simon Cox and he calmly slotted home his second goal, passing the ball into the far corner of the net. A lucky break, but well taken.

When fans roll up to a match, they never know what is going to happen; that is the joy of sport. This game is a case in point. Right until the end, it was impossible to predict what was going to happen. Thanks to a tremendous team spirit and never-say-die attitude, Forest prevailed and added another three points to keep the club comfortably in the playoff places and with just a hope of something more come the end of the season.