Watford buzzing as they hit the goal trail again

Ian Gibb11 April 2012

Watford certainly sold themselves well to any potential new owner with a thrilling late win over Sven-Goran Eriksson's Leicester.

What's not to like about a team who, with Queens Park Rangers, are joint top scorers in the Championship with 35 goals?

It's just that they have let in 32, as opposed to nine by Rangers. But hey, if you want goals, watch Watford home or away and you get good value.

Captain John Eustace and returning winger Will Buckley, who was surprised to start, had them cruising at 2-0 but it took a late winner by Danny Graham to secure a first win in eight games and take them back up to 10th.

Buckley forced keeper Chris Weale into a clearance mistake for his goal and said: "We are really buzzing again. Having not played for five or six games I thought it would be hard to come in and make an impact. It was a bit of a surprise to start — but I was ready for it. And I think I did my bit for the win."

Manager Malky Mackay gasped: "Fantastic game for the neutrals — perhaps not so good for my blood pressure."

Steve Morison quickly proves the critics wrong
Some of Millwall's fans are hard to please. Just because Steve Morison missed an early chance, there was an outbreak of jeering only for him to silence the critics with goals nine and 10 of his first Championship season as Scunthorpe crashed 3-0 at The Den.

The game featured the home debut of fellow front man Josh McQuoid who came on after the interval and linked well with Welsh international Morison. McQuoid, scorer of two hat-tricks for Bournemouth already this season, was around just in case Morison needed assistance before tucking away his double.

Manager Kenny Jackett was pleased enough, despite a McQuoid headed miss from six yards, saying: "He's only had a day of training but he looks a natural at 20 with a lot of pace and ability. He made good angles."

As Morison pointed out, even Chelsea's Didier Drogba has had goal droughts, though the Millwall man is never far from his next goal. Winger James Henry started things off with a fine solo run and shot in the left corner.

Sickener for George Burley as Palace come unstuck
Crystal Palace boss George Burley is starting to sound like a cracked record away from home as he praises the performance — but has nothing to show for his team still chained to the bottom three.

Once again Palace led on their travels, through Neil Danns, only for Leeds to win with a Luciano Becchio double in the last 10 minutes. Palace Midfielder Danns hit a post and that was before Darren Ambrose forced Kaspar Schmeichel into a fine save before half-time.

Burley said: "We played some decent stuff. That was a bit of a sickener. Maybe we encouraged too much pressure, something we've got to be better at."

So Palace still have the equal worst away record in the division, after having won three at home. But it is tight enough at the bottom for them to be still in touch with other strugglers.

Constable roughs up Barnet
Barnet's trip to Oxford United was one of only a couple of League Two games that went ahead and they led through Mark Marshall. But they reckoned without United's physically menacing John Constable.

He forced Anwar Uddin into an own goal before notching the winner himself - all from entering the fray at 55 minutes. Barnet boss Mark Stimson groaned: "It wasn't until the boy Constable came on that we were in any trouble. Izale McLeod had a great chance in the second half. You've got to take those. He chose to round the keeper and it didn't work.

"This was an opportunity to move up the table. It's a pity we couldn't capitalise."

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