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Watford’s new season is off to a winning start after they demonstrated many of the qualities they will need if they are to have a successful Championship campaign and beat Middlesbrough 1-0.
The Hornets got their season off to an ideal start in the 11th minute when a short corner was played for Ken Sema and he hit a good cross from the left for Craig Cathcart to head in.
The home team had other chances after that; the impressive Joao Pedro approaching from a corner. But while their possession-based approach was promising, it also caused many of their problems, as the ball was often carelessly and unnecessarily wasted and they were lucky enough not to be punished more than once.
The Hornets found attacking opportunities much harder to come by after the break, but new head coach Vlaidmir Ivic will have liked some of the other qualities his team displayed to ensure they start the season with three points: good organization, much effort and good disposition. to dig and fight when necessary.
Boro continued to have his chances, and the best arguably came near the end when Assombalonga put a header from close range over the top as the home side maintained a welcome clean sheet.
There was always going to be a new look when Watford set out to live on the second tier, but it’s fair to say the team didn’t have the look most fans would have hoped for.
Jeremy Ngakia was the only rookie in a starting XI that, perhaps surprisingly, also featured Ken Sema, while there were a few names that raised their eyebrows on the bench, most notably Jerome Sinclair.
Pervis Estupinan and Stipe Perica were ruled out with ‘light blows’, Tom Dele-Bashiru had a thigh problem while Craig Dawson and Luiz Suárez were, according to the club, ill.
Middlesbrough had their two new additions to their lineup, Grant Hall and new goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli following their loan from Fulham yesterday, and they were coached for the first time by new captain and former Hornets forward Assombalonga.
The visitors started better, but it was their opponents who created their first promising attacking moment when a pass from Domingos Quina inside allowed Nathaniel Chalobah to put Kiko Femenia into space down the left. He in turn fed Sema, but the returning Udinese loan officer hit a dead end, though he led his team to win the first of the two corners in quick succession.
Craig Cathcart tops Watford’s first goal of the season
Encouraged by that, the Hornets looked to continue on the front foot and that positivity was rewarded from another corner in the 11th minute.
This time Quina turned Sema around to the left, threw an excellent cross, and Cathcart redirected power with his head passing Bettinelli to score the first of the season and Ivic era Hornets.
Boro was not far from an instant replay when Ashley Fletcher found herself on the right side of the box and threw a cross shot that deflected through the goal and deflected off Ben Foster’s far post.
However, the goal had calmed the Hornets and their possession-based approach began to generate more opportunities; Joao Pedro spun Djed Spence onto the left touchline before accelerating inside to the edge of the 18-yard box where he fired a shot with his right leg that Bettinelli dropped to hold.
It was the visitors who were going to get the next chance when Cathcart lost possession to Marvin Johnson and slipped into Assombalonga on the left side of the penalty area, but the forward’s low shot was kept out by Foster’s legs.
Ngakia was then called in to make a clever interception in the heart of his penalty area, but the former West Ham United defender soon got involved at the other end, playing a low cross from the right that Joao Pedro hit around the corner for see his shot drifted wide.
The Brazilian was going to get even closer with his next effort that emerged from a welcome originality in a set piece.
Quina drove into a corner from the right and Watford’s players in the area held their ground for the most part, except for the young forward who dived into space to hit a free header that he put not far behind.
Valdimir Ivic directs operations
The visitors were doing their best to get back on terms and on more than one occasion Watford reached out to the back but they were able to hold their ground, although at times this had an element of good luck.
Jonny Howson fired a 25-yard-wide effort in first-half stoppage time, but the Hornets entered their first break of the season with a goal.
Ivic’s team started the second period on a positive note, with Joao Pedro continuing his impressive full league debut with a good turn and run before almost playing for Ngakia, only to be disappointed by touch from the winger when he threatened to break the game. goal.
However, it was the visitors who had the first effort, as Assombalonga pulled away from his man before launching a right-hand shot from the edge of the area that a nosedive Foster whirled behind.
Boro continued to ask the questions, and Djed Spence became a growing influence on the proceedings from his right-back position.
The visitors had another chance in the 62nd minute when Chalobah threw Marcus Tavernier back about 25 yards. Assombalonga finally took the piece with a curling effort with his right foot, but it was central and a good height for Foster to help over the bar.
Ben Foster frustrates Britt Assombalonga
The danger was not over as at the resulting corner from the right, Hall stepped in front of his man but couldn’t keep up his effort on goal.
That stoppage in the game saw Glenn Murray enter for his Hornets debut as a replacement for Sema in the 66th minute.
The pressure continued toward the Hornets’ goal, with Spence cutting off a deflected shot off a deep free kick from the left.
Ivic made his second substitution in the 75th minute when Femenia gave way to another loan, Marc Navarro.
Lewis Wing replaced George Saville a couple of minutes later, but Neil Warnock’s team looked like it might start to run out of ideas against the organized and disciplined Hornets defensive ranks.
However, they were given another promising situation with five minutes of normal time remaining when Ben Wilmot collected the game’s first yellow card for retiring Assombalonga.
The punishment was almost a lot worse, as the free kick was launched at a good pace from the right and Assombalonga put up a good header overhead.
Daniel Phillips entered for his Watford debut in the last minute of normal time in place of Quina and his team safely sailed four minutes into injury time to start the season with three points.
Watford: Foment; Cathcart, Kabsele, Wilmot; Ngakia, Chalobah, Cleverley, Femenia (Navarro 75); Sema (Murray 66), Quina (Phillips 90); Joao Pedro. Substitutes: Bachmann, Sierralta, Pussetto, Sinclair.
Middlesbrough: Bettinelli; Dijksteel, Hall, McNair; Spence, Howson, Saville (wing 77), Johnson; Tavernier; Fletcher, Assombalonga. Substitutes: Pears, Fry, Browne, Wood, Bola, Coulson.
Reservations: Wilmot for a foul on Assombalonga (85).
Referee: Keith Stroud.
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