What the papers say: Watford

[Far Canal]

sportinglife.com

Reading 0 Watford 2

By Tom Collomosse, PA Sport

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/li ... ading.html


Reading's hopes of qualifying for next season's UEFA Cup suffered a blow today when they were beaten at home by
relegated Watford.

Despite dominating for much of the match, Steve Coppell's team could not find a way past Watford's outstanding goalkeeper
Ben Foster, and they were sunk by second-half goals from Dan Shittu and Marlon King.

Reading were furious that Shittu's goal was allowed as there appeared to have been a foul on Ivar Ingimarsson, but King's
lose-range header - the fit-again striker's first goal since last October - was made possible by a handling error from
goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.

This was only Watford's second away win of the campaign in the Barclays Premiership, and, although they rode their luck,
it will give manager Adrian Boothroyd optimism for next season's promotion push.

Leroy Lita returned from a three-match suspension to replace Kevin Doyle in attack, while midfielders Steve Sidwell and
James Harper came back into the team, and Greg Halford came in for Ulises de la Cruz at right-back.

For Watford, French centre-back Cedric Avinel made his debut in place of the suspended Clarke Carlisle, and Marlon King
captained the team in the absence of Gavin Mahon and Jay DeMerit.

Shortly before kick-off, Reading defender Ingimarsson was named the club's player of the year, with left-back Nicky Shorey
the runner-up.

Watford were forced into a change after only 10 minutes. Brazilian midfielder Douglas Rinaldi took a whack in the face
and had to be replaced by Mahon.

Avinel was struggling to contain the pace and strength of Lita, who drew a foul from the young Frenchman in the 11th minute
which brought the first yellow card of the match from referee Dermot Gallagher.

Halford's resulting free-kick from the left appeared to be going wide, but Foster, caught off balance, was taking no chances,
and tipped the ball behind for a corner.

Watford were grateful for Foster's sharpness in the 17th minute, when the recently-capped England 'keeper raced out of his goal
to claim the ball at the feet of Lita, who had been released by Sidwell's through-ball.

Watford looked uncertain in defence, and it seemed only a matter of time before Reading took the lead.

They went close in the 28th minute when Halford picked up the ball on the right and embarked on an eye-catching run, beating
two players before slipping the ball into the penalty area, where Foster was again quicker than Lita or Dave Kitson to the ball.

Four minutes later, Kitson drifted away from the marking of Shittu to meet Shorey's left-wing cross with a looping header
which beat Foster but hit the top of the bar.

Avinel had found life difficult throughout the first half, and it was no surprise to him replaced by Adrian Mariappa for the
second 45 minutes.

But the early signs were not good for Mariappa against Lita, who held off his new marker with ease in the 48th minute before
unleashing a powerful angled drive from 15 yards which Foster did well to palm away.

Lita gave the visitors' defence another scare a minute later, shooting against Mariappa from close range after Sidwell had
flicked on Seol's corner from the right.

At the other end, Hahnemann was forced into his first save of the match in the 51st minute, holding onto Lee Williamson's
follow-up from eight yards after Smith's goalbound volley had struck his team-mate Henderson.

Reading were soon testing their opponents once more, Foster diving to stop a hard, low drive from Michael Duberry following
more good work from Lita.

But to the surprise of virtually everyone at Madejski Stadium, Watford took the lead on the hour mark.

When Williamson swung over the free-kick from the right, Ingimarsson appeared to be blocked by Darius Henderson as he
tried to run out of the penalty area to catch King and Shittu offside.

With Ingimarsson stranded, the Watford pair were in a legal position, and Shittu had the simple task of stroking the ball past
Hahnemann to put his team in front.

Foster bailed out Watford again in the 75th minute, denying Seol with his legs from close range after the South Korea international
had beaten the offside trap and collected Halford's cross from the right.

Watford kept their cool and, five minutes from full-time, King made the game safe for his team with a simple close-range
header after Hahnemann had failed to catch Smith's cross from the left.

After scoring, King raced to celebrate with Watford's medical team as a thanks for their part in his recovery from the knee
injury he sustained last November.

STAT ATTACK
Reading......Watford
7 Shots On Target 4
8 Shots Off Target 0
10 Fouls (Conceded) 16
14 Corners 2
0 Yellow Cards 2
0 Red Cards 0

[Far Canal]

Watford spoil Reading's European hopes
By Eddie Johnson at Madejski Stadium, Sunday Telegraph

Reading (0) 0 Watford (0) 2

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.j ... grea06.xml

Steve Coppell's perverse wish for Reading to avoid playing in the Uefa Cup next season has seemingly been granted.

In a game that was a struggle to lose, his team surrendered the initiative in the pursuit of European competition in inept fashion.

Tottenham, who play Charlton Athletic at the Valley tomorrow night, must now consider themselves the favourites to get that
seventh spot.

It took some rather slipshod defensive improvisation to allow Watford's anodyne attack a goal midway through the second half.

From Chris Powell's short free-kick, Lee Williamson crossed into the Reading box but while every other defender had sprinted
out to play Watford offside, Michael Duberry had stuttered.
Danny Shittu, the towering Nigerian centre-half, smashed the ball in with ease. Reading made embarrassed complaints.

The American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann will have shared Duberry's mortification last night as he was culpable for Watford's second.

Tommy Smith's gentle cross from the left looked ripe for the gathering but Hahnemann patted it behind him and Marlon King
nodded gratefully into the net.

These two promoted sides have spent a fair amount of stultifying time in each other's company - Shittu's goal was the first in
332 minutes between these clubs - but Reading should have crushed their flimsy opponents early on.

Aidy Boothroyd, having already lost Douglas Rinaldi to what looked like a broken nose, had to withdraw his defender Cedric Avinel
at half-time, so much abuse was the Frenchman sustaining through Leroy Lita's pace and power.

The England Under-21 forward was denied a clear penalty when tripped by Avinel and was thrice denied by the alert Ben Foster,
keeping the Watford goal.

Foster would go on to deny Seol Ki-Hyeon from point-blank range and when Dave Kitson did manage to get the ball past the
man on loan from Manchester United, it bounced off the top of the bar.

It was a lame way for Reading to finish an outstanding season at the Madejski.

This was, in all likelihood, Steve Sidwell's last game at a stadium where he has established such an impressive reputation.
He is bound for Newcastle in the summer and this was not the way he would have wanted to say farewell.

Watford, who rarely made it into Reading's box, celebrated with their fans at the final whistle.

It has been a fairly gruelling season but Boothroyd's infectious enthusiasm has kept the club buoyant.
There was consolation in the result, if not in the performance.

Match summary
Man of the match: Ben Foster. Showed why Alex Ferguson sees him as Edwin van der Sar's heir apparent with a whole
series of fine saves.
Extremely astute in coming to gather the aerial ball and his timing in three on-on-ones with Leroy Lita was excellent.
Moment of the match: Referee Dermot Galllagher's failure to award a first half penalty when Leroy Lita was clearly tripped in the
box by Cedric Avinel. Had Reading taken the lead then, Watford could have been crushed.
Rating: 3/10

[Far Canal]

the independent

Reading 0 Watford 2: Coppell vents his frustrations with a loan voice
By Norman Fox at The Madejski Stadium
Published: 06 May 2007

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football ... 516707.ece

If Steve Coppell was serious when he said that Reading were not ready for, or really wanted European football next season,
he may not have been overly concerned about dropping three points to the worst side in the Premiership.
A Uefa Cup place now looks much less likely.

"I don't want to talk about Europe. In fact, I don't want to talk about anything," he said after Watford embarrassed him
and the fans who wanted the day to be a celebration of a season that has established the club in the Premiership. But Coppell did
want to talk about the loan system after seeing Ben Foster, on loan to Watford from Manchester United, play superbly.

"Yes, Ben was fantastic, but I'm all against the loan system. The whole thing is wrong. You should start and finish a season
with the same players. The system plays into the hands of the big clubs. If you have to have loan players they should only be
those without first-team experience." Despite that unusual outburst, Coppell said he had great respect for Watford
"who have remained competitive despite their defeats". It was certainly so yesterday.

Never one to display much confidence before playing against even the least of his opponents, Coppell had earlier said Watford
always gave Reading a difficult game. That certainly applied yesterday. Watford looked effective going forward, but they often do,
only to lose all sense of purpose when in the region of goal. Here they rectified that though too late for them this season.

Watford's manager, Aidy Boothroyd, gave a debut to Cédric Avinel in defence and was lucky not to see the Frenchman
give away an early penalty when bringing down Leroy Lita who, moments before, had gone clear through the Watford defence
only to lose control when Foster came out to meet him.

As always, Watford were susceptible to the quick breakaway and allowed Greg Halford to stroll 40 yards before he ruined his
effort with a poor final pass. But Reading took a grip on midfield and Dave Kitson came within a few inches of scoring with a
header after good work by the ever-improving Nicky Shorey.

Doggedly, Watford kept their goal intact as the game moved into the second half. Lita occasionally threatened it, and one of
his low drives brought out an important touch around the post from Foster, whose form this season has defied his club's failings.
Reading then drifted into a period of lethargy that allowed Watford hope.

After an hour they gave away a free-kick on the right edge. Chris Powell played short to Lee Williamson who centred firmly.
Danny Shittu moved forward and almost immediately Marcus Hahnemann began appealing for offside. However, the linesman had a
better view and saw that Michael Duberry had played Shittu on and the Watford man slammed in a welcome goal for the long
suffering Watford fans.

Hahnemann remained furious about the goal decision but that only served to increase his team's frustration.
It got worse for the goalkeeper when a centre from Tommy Smith five minutes from the end was mishandled by Hahnemann.
The ball looped on to Marlon King who headed into an empty goal.

[Far Canal]

Shittu and King put Reading's European plans on hold

Will Buckley at the Madejski Stadium
Sunday May 6, 2007
The Observer

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/st ... 21,00.html

A year ago, Reading drew in the sun at Leicester to secure promotion to the top division for the first time in their history.
In similarly balmy conditions here, they appeared to be cruising towards their European debut only for Watford, of all teams,
to puncture their ambitions.
Perhaps they will not be too concerned.
Steve Coppell had recently taken some of the glitter away from Reading's push into Europe by doubting they had the funds to
sustain such a challenge and worrying that an over-stretched squad might follow Ipswich's example five years ago and end up
being relegated.

This had seemed unnecessarily pragmatic, but such is the Coppell way. When you are as pessimistic as the Reading manager is,
at least in public, life rarely lets you down.
The crowd, in contrast, were in boisterous spirits.
'We're all going on a European tour,' the Reading fans sang.
They would be thrilled to qualify for the Uefa Cup whatever the management might think.

Reading made the early running with Greg Halford, who had been signed from Colchester in the January transfer window for
£2.5 million and had once interested Manchester United, particularly impressive.

Steve Sidwell released Leroy Lita, whose first touch let him down and allowed Ben Foster to take the ball off his boots.
Lita was sharper a minute later when Watford debutant Cedric Avinel appeared to wrestle him to the ground inside the area.

Reading continued to play tidy football. A cross from Nicky Shorey was headed by Dave Kitson against the bar.
It was Foster who again came to his team's rescue after Lita had once again breached the defence.
'I thought he was fantastic in the first half and kept us in it,' said Aidy Boothroyd, the Watford manager.
'We could have been two or three down without him.'

The second half continued in the same vein as the first, with a stinging shot from Lita drawing a save from Foster.
Watford were not entirely supine and Lee Williamson might have given his team an unlikely lead had he not shot straight at
Marcus Hahnemann in the Reading goal from the penalty spot.

Five minutes later, Williamson crossed and the Reading defence were tardy coming out, leaving Danny Shittu all alone
to side-foot the ball into the net.
Hahnemann, refusing to believe that his entire defence had gone AWOL, was apoplectic and hared over to the linesman to complain.
The goal inevitably, and rightly, stood. It was the first between the two teams in over five-and-a-half hours of inaction.
'He wasn't offside,' Coppell said. 'You live by the sword, you die by the sword.'

Reading, for whom the game had appeared too easy, were suddenly under pressure to sustain their European challenge.
Seol Ki-Hyeon should have equalised from four yards out, but his shot was blocked spectacularly by Foster.

Coppell made all three of his substitutions in short order, but Watford doubled the lead. Tommy Smith jinked down the left,
crossed, Hahnemann flapped at the ball and Marlon King headed in from a yard. This time, the keeper had no one to blame but himself.

After the match, Reading, as they had at Leicester, did a lap of honour. Yesterday's hiccup notwithstanding, they have performed
creditably all season. They were cheered by their fans. There can be honour in defeat.

'Credit to Watford for their resilience,' said Coppell. 'It's sad to see them go down because we have a mini-brotherhood, having
all come up together.'

Man of the Match - Ben Foster

The Watford fans chanted 'England's No 1' throughout and on this display they have a convincing case. Foster made a number of
high-class saves and commanded his area bravely, diving at the feet of on-rushing strikers on more than one occasion.

[Compo's Hat]

From The Sunday Times

Foster denies Reading

Reading 0 Watford 2

Barry Flatman at Madejski stadium

TESTIMONY to the goalkeeping excellence of Ben Foster is that he has established a place in the England squad despite playing behind the most charitable defence in the Premiership.

On a day when the already relegated side managed to win despite affording the Manchester United-owned player no more protection than normal, he produced the sort of performance to suggest Paul Robinson will soon have a major contender.

Only Sir Alex Ferguson will know whether Foster will replace Edwin Van der Saar when the goalkeeper returns to Old Trafford next season, but this was the sort of performance to suggest the 24 year-old is more than ready. Reading may not have been at their most productive but saves from Leroy Lita and Stephen Hunt were demonstrations of Foster’s reflex and agility while his positional play was never anything less than exemplary.

Compare that to Reading’s Marcus Hahnemann, who admittedly was left helpless as Danny Shittu gave Watford an unexpected lead. However the Reading goalkeeper was completely at fault for the visitor’s second six minutes from time when Tommy Smith broke clear down the left and aimed in a cross. Hahnemann fumbled and merely served to spoon the ball on for the grateful Marlon King to head home from two yards.

Few arrived at the Madejski Stadium expecting a goal feast, matches between these two Home Counties outfits have hardly been scintillating affairs over the years. Admittedly Leroy Lita, back in the Reading front line after serving a three-match ban seemed motivated and believed had done enough to earn a penalty after the outstretched foot of Cedric Avinel sent the England Under21 striker sprawling. Referee Dermott Gallagher thought otherwise but the hosts were beginning to hit their stride.

Watford’s luck has seemed wretched so many times this season and once again they suffered the misfortune of an early injury when Douglas Rinaldi was forced to make an 11th-minute exit with an apparently broken nose. Gavin Mahon was thrust into the fray, giving the midfield a distinctly more combative look but the slight dominance continued to belong to Reading. Foster’s positioning was put into question by an accurately flighted Greg Halford free kick and the goalkeeper was rendered helpless as a powerful header from Dave Kitson grazed the bar.

Watford’s problems this season have emanated from their attack. They have scored less goals than any other team in the Premiership but much of that is attributable to the extended absence of King with a serious knee injury that required surgery. The former Gillingham and Nottingham Forest player returned to the side a few weeks ago and added some thrust, causing Reading’s newly awarded Player of the Season Ivar Ingimarsson some anxiety. Reading emerged in a far more determined mood after the interval and twice came close to breaking the deadlock.

Lita surged past the challenge of Lloyd Doyley on the edge of the Watford penalty area to fire a shot that extended Foster into make a full length save. Not wanting to let the pressure abate, Reading forced the ball back into Watford area with Korean midfielder Seol Ki-Hyeon crossing from the right and Stephen Hunt hitting a left footed volley that packed such force that substitute Aidy Mariappa required concerted treatment after blocking the shot. It seemed as though Foster was becoming the busiest player on the pitch as he was forced into another save, this time from the forward patrolling central defender Michael Duberry but Reading were in for a shock.

With an hour played Watford were awarded a free kick wide on the right flank. The danger seemed minimal and Chris Powell seemed overly concerned at Hunt and Shorey not retreating 10 yards. But the veteran left-back eventually tapped the ball into the path of Lee Williamson whose cross proved a test to the Reading offside trap. The home side were convinced they maintained a sufficiently straight line to render any Watford reaction invalid, but Duberry was a pace slow and it allowed the unmarked Danny Shittu to run in from the left completely unhindered to tap a shot past Marcus Hahnemann.

Star man: Ben Foster(Watford)

Player ratings. Reading:Hahnemann 5, Halford 7, Ingimarsson 6, Duberry 5, Shorey 6, Seol 6, Harper 6, Sidwell 7, Hunt 7, Kitson 7, Lita 7 Watford:Foster 8, Doyley 6, Shittu 7, Avinel 7 (Mariappa ht 5), Powell 6, Smith 7, Rinaldi 4 (Mahaon 11min, 6), Bangura 6, Williamson 6, King 7, Henderson 5

Scorers: Watford:Shittu 60, King 85 Referee:D Gallagher Attendance:23,294