Hornets brush aside the Saints

Posted Monday, September 11, 2017 by Foxsports.com

Watford took full advantage of an under-par Southampton side to run out comfortable 2-0 winners at St. Mary’s Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Southampton 0 Watford 2
Doucoure opens the scoring in the 36th minute
Janmaat doubles the lead in the 66th minute

Match Summary

After a quiet start to the game, Watford took control and were deserved leaders at the break. There was little change in the second half as a lacklustre home team failed to make any serious attempt to get back into the contest.

There was no Virgil van Dijk in the home starting line-up, despite the Dutch defender being available to play.

Watford were able to enjoy some good early possession, but couldn’t turn that into chances on goal, the first real effort going the way of the home side when Jose Holebas’ 22nd minute free kick curled round the wall and just wide of the post.

But while the Hornets showed some measure of enterprise, the Saints looked well off their game.

The contest certainly needed some livening up and that happened nine minutes before the interval when after a long throw, the ball broke to Abdoulaye Doucoure, who fired a sweetly-struck half-volley from 25-yards out past Fraser Forster.

Doucoure sent another shot over the bar before half time as the visiting side went into the interval very much on top.

Nathaniel Chalobah had the first chance of the second half but fired straight at the home keeper.

Forster however was picking up the ball out his own net on 66 minutes when substitute Janmaat hammered in a low drive from 30-yards out after being set up by Tom Cleverly.

Some excellent defending by Watford meanwhile ensured the Saints, who barely registered a shot on target all afternoon, never harboured any hopes of a comeback.

Andre Carillo missed a couple of late chances for the visiting side to add a third, but it was job done for the Hornets who were on top from the moment they netted their opening goal.