WATFORD POP ZOLA'S WEST HAM BUBBLE
Championship club Watford gave new West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola his first dose of defeat as they overcame their Premier League opponents by a solitary goal at Vicarage Road in the Carling Cup Third Round. Aidy Boothroyd's side, victims of a "phantom goal" against Reading in the League on Saturday, were the benefactors of fortune themselves thanks to Hayden Mullins's second-half own goal.
Italian Zola, who earlier in the day had learned that his new employers would have to pay a significant amount in compensation to Sheffield United - the figure £30m had been reported - had selected a young team, but it was experienced substitute Scott Parker who made the game's telling mistake.
With 20 minutes remaining the former England midfielder handled on the left of his own box gifting the home side a free-kick from a dangerous position. Lee Williamson swung a cross over and it deflected in off Mullins's knee into the net to hand Watford their first victory at home against the Hammers in 23 years.
Watford started the brighter in an open first half, and it took only three minutes for Aidy Boothroyd's side to create their first meaningful chance. From the left Tommy Smith picked out Ross Jenkins on the edge of the box with a drilled cross, but the forward could only fizz his header wide right of Jan Lastuvka's goal.
In the absence of rested forward Carlton Cole, Fred Sears, the 18-year-old of which so much is expected at Upton Park, had been handed the chance by Zola to stake his claim to a regular first team spot and let loose a shot only two minutes after Jenkins's wayward header.
The diminutive striker, given his first start of the season, foraging alone in attack, wriggled clear in the left side of Watford's area, but he, like Jenkins, could only fire wide. On nine minutes Sears's team-mate Matthew Etherington cut in from his left wing and cracked a shot goalwards, though Scott Loach, deputising for the injured Mart Poom, clung on well.
In wasn't until 20 minutes before the interval that the best chance of the half arose, when Sears released West Ham's central midfielder Mark Noble with a clever ball behind the static Watford defence. The England Under-19 international played in the charging Noble with a pass between two defenders, but Loach was positioned well and stayed big for Noble's close range strike. He parried the shot, snuffing out the danger, and the Premier League side rarely threatened for the remainder of the half.
Four minutes before the break the home side mustered one last significant effort, when striker Will Hopkins pulled the ball back on the left-hand-side of the West Ham box. Smith raced on to rocket a low shot on target but Lastuvka was up to the task.
The contest continued to be a ding-dong affair in the second half, with Etherington again causing problems for Watford on their right and West Ham's inexperienced team allowing the Championship side time and space that manager Zola will not have been pleased with.
On 58 minutes home central midfielder Williamson clipped in an enticing delivery from the left byline, but Smith, unmarked, could only direct his powerful header towards Lastuvka, who parried the ball to safety.
The next thing the visiting team's goalkeeper had to do, however, was collect the ball from his net, as, from another dangerous Williamson delivery, Mullins deflected into his own net.
Zola's side almost levelled immediately, but Etherington's header arrowed agonisingly wide. Boothroyd's side, currently 17th in the Championship, held on for an impressive win, while Zola will hope for a fast improvement in the weekend's Premier League visit to Fulham, who also stumbled in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.
Championship club Watford gave new West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola his first dose of defeat as they overcame their Premier League opponents by a solitary goal at Vicarage Road in the Carling Cup Third Round. Aidy Boothroyd's side, victims of a "phantom goal" against Reading in the League on Saturday, were the benefactors of fortune themselves thanks to Hayden Mullins's second-half own goal.
Italian Zola, who earlier in the day had learned that his new employers would have to pay a significant amount in compensation to Sheffield United - the figure £30m had been reported - had selected a young team, but it was experienced substitute Scott Parker who made the game's telling mistake.
With 20 minutes remaining the former England midfielder handled on the left of his own box gifting the home side a free-kick from a dangerous position. Lee Williamson swung a cross over and it deflected in off Mullins's knee into the net to hand Watford their first victory at home against the Hammers in 23 years.
Watford started the brighter in an open first half, and it took only three minutes for Aidy Boothroyd's side to create their first meaningful chance. From the left Tommy Smith picked out Ross Jenkins on the edge of the box with a drilled cross, but the forward could only fizz his header wide right of Jan Lastuvka's goal.
In the absence of rested forward Carlton Cole, Fred Sears, the 18-year-old of which so much is expected at Upton Park, had been handed the chance by Zola to stake his claim to a regular first team spot and let loose a shot only two minutes after Jenkins's wayward header.
The diminutive striker, given his first start of the season, foraging alone in attack, wriggled clear in the left side of Watford's area, but he, like Jenkins, could only fire wide. On nine minutes Sears's team-mate Matthew Etherington cut in from his left wing and cracked a shot goalwards, though Scott Loach, deputising for the injured Mart Poom, clung on well.
In wasn't until 20 minutes before the interval that the best chance of the half arose, when Sears released West Ham's central midfielder Mark Noble with a clever ball behind the static Watford defence. The England Under-19 international played in the charging Noble with a pass between two defenders, but Loach was positioned well and stayed big for Noble's close range strike. He parried the shot, snuffing out the danger, and the Premier League side rarely threatened for the remainder of the half.
Four minutes before the break the home side mustered one last significant effort, when striker Will Hopkins pulled the ball back on the left-hand-side of the West Ham box. Smith raced on to rocket a low shot on target but Lastuvka was up to the task.
The contest continued to be a ding-dong affair in the second half, with Etherington again causing problems for Watford on their right and West Ham's inexperienced team allowing the Championship side time and space that manager Zola will not have been pleased with.
On 58 minutes home central midfielder Williamson clipped in an enticing delivery from the left byline, but Smith, unmarked, could only direct his powerful header towards Lastuvka, who parried the ball to safety.
The next thing the visiting team's goalkeeper had to do, however, was collect the ball from his net, as, from another dangerous Williamson delivery, Mullins deflected into his own net.
Zola's side almost levelled immediately, but Etherington's header arrowed agonisingly wide. Boothroyd's side, currently 17th in the Championship, held on for an impressive win, while Zola will hope for a fast improvement in the weekend's Premier League visit to Fulham, who also stumbled in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.
Labels: Carling Cup, Watford, West Ham United
