It's Round and It's White
Watford came into this game off the back of a 1-1 draw against Cardiff City at home. The Hornets have been in good form over the Christmas period and going into this game were unbeaten in seven. Doncaster however have been having a tough season. They sit in the relegation zone and come into this game with three defeats in five.
Watford made no changes to the team that started the game against Cardiff on Boxing Day. Doncaster made two changes with Pascal Chimbonda coming in at right back in place of James O`Connor. Herold Goulon also replaced the suspended Brian Stock in midfield.
Watford started the game brighter and after 15 minutes Nyron Nosworthy rose well to meet a Mark Yeates corner but his header clipped the top of the crossbar and went behind for a goal kick.
The deadlock was broken on the stroke of half time Marvin Sordell picked the ball up on the half way line. He managed to beat a couple of Doncaster defenders and smartly finished into the bottom left hand side of the Doncaster goal. The Hornets would go into the break with a 1-0 lead.
Doncaster started the second half brighter and made the Golden Boys pay. El Haj Diouf picked the ball up on the left hand side and crossed it in to star forward Billy Sharp who was able to head past Scott Loach in the Watford goal to make it one a piece.
The game changed after 64 minutes. Doncaster captain Goulon, who had already been shown a yellow card, brought down Watford’s Michael Kightly. The referee gave the free kick and also gave Goulon his marching orders. Doncaster were down to 10 men.
It only took Watford four minutes to take advantage of the extra man. Captain Adrian Mariappa played the ball out to Yeates on the right hand side. Yeates cut in on his left foot and crossed into Sordell who headed smartly to give Watford a 2-1 lead. That was Sordell’s second of the game and eighth of the league campaign.
With 15 minutes remaining Sordell had the chance to grab his hat trick. He was played in by Kightly and Sordell took the shot on his left foot. Unfortunately for him the shot was straight at the keeper so was easily saved.
With less than 10 minutes left a mix up in the Doncaster defence between Habib Beye and Hérita Ilunga gave Watford substitute John Eustace the chance to put the game beyond doubt. Eustace didn’t need a second invitation and struck it first time and his effort hit the back of the net. The Hornets had secured all three points.
In the last minute a Beye clearance was charged down by Watford substitute Joe Garner. The ball fell to Kightly, who was making his last appearance at Vicarage Road before his loan spell runs out. He took the ball from just inside his own half, ran all the way to the edge of the box and finished the game off in style with a smart finish to make it 4-1.
The game finished 4-1 to Watford and they are now unbeaten in eight games. They will now look to kick on in 2012 starting with their fixture away at Portsmouth.
Doncaster on the other hand are now bottom of the Championship table and will need to start picking up points if they are to stay in the division at the end of the season.
