Watford draw blank in stalemate with Coventry

Posted Saturday, February 06, 2021 by PA

Troy Deeney hit the woodwork late on but goal-shy Watford fired another blank on their travels in a 0-0 draw at stalemate specialists Coventry.

The Hornets’ away form is in danger of dashing their automatic promotion push as Xisco Munoz’s side, five points off the top two, failed to score for an eighth time on the road this season.

After being second best throughout, Watford rallied in the closing stages but Coventry keeper Marko Marosi denied substitute Joao Pedro and Deeney’s glancing header came back off the crossbar.

The Hornets have scored just seven goals in 14 away games this season and have claimed only 16 points from a possible 42 away.

It was a fourth goalless draw in Coventry’s past six games at their temporary St Andrew’s home but they were the better side for long spells, Max Biamou and Dom Hyam each wasting two big chances.

The draw moved the Sky Blues up a place to 17th ahead of the afternoon kick-offs but they remain firmly entrenched in a relegation battle in a congested bottom half of the Championship.

Coventry created the game’s first chance after just four minutes as Biamou got inside Watford centre-half William Troost-Ekong to latch on to Sam McCallum’s ball but dragged his shot wide.

Watford twice went close around the quarter-hour mark as Ken Sema curled a 20-yard free-kick wide and backpedalling Sky Blues keeper Marosi tipped over Andre Gray’s clever chip.

Hyam then headed wastefully over for the Sky Blues on 25 minutes after a Gustavo Hamer free-kick out wide was inadvertently flicked on to the far post by a Watford defender.

Hornets right-back Jeremy Ngakia lashed just over from 25 yards but Coventry looked by far the more threatening side and went close three times in the lead-up to the interval.

Biamou headed Julien Dacosta’s pinpoint cross into the ground and wide, Callum O’Hare was denied by Watford keeper Daniel Bachmann after a fine run and Hamer drilled wide from the edge of the box.

Coventry’s finishing continued to let them down after the break, Hamer side-footing too close to Bachman after another classy run before the keeper also saved low from a menacing McCallum.

Dacosta was carried off to add to Coventry’s lengthy injury list but they still fashioned the better chances as Hyam headed another Hamer free-kick straight at Bachmann from eight yards.

O’Hare tested Bachmann again with a fierce 20-yard drive 12 minutes from time before Watford’s late flurry.

Ismaila Sarr dragged Adam Masina’s pass wide before Marosi got a strong left hand down to foil Pedro and Deeney glanced Ngakia’s return ball in onto the bar with the keeper beaten.