Ipswich 4 Watford 1
Teenager Dean Bowditch helped himself to a hat-trick as Ipswich boosted their play-off challenge with a comfortable victory over struggling Watford.
But it was an afternoon to forget for young Watford keeper Lenny Pidgeley, who handed the Ipswich striker two of his three goals.
The on-loan Chelsea man made the first of two howlers after just five minutes, when he swung at Sean Dyche's backpass with his left foot, only for the ball to ricochet off his standing foot into the path of Bowditch, who couldn't miss from six yards.
Then, just after the hour-mark, Pidgeley was involved in a mix-up with defender Jerel Ifil as a long ball held up in the swirling wind, and Bowditch nipped in between them and rolled the ball into the empty net.
In between, Bowditch added a second for the home side with a fine goal. Darren Bent, a hat-trick hero at Walsall in midweek, picked him out with a superb defence-splitting pass, and the 17-year-old placed the ball past the advancing Pidgeley.
Bent had already gone close with a 20-yard cross-shot after just four minutes for Joe Royle's men, although they didn't have it all their own way.
Heidar Helguson missed three chances to bring Watford back into the game, the first opportunity falling his way when John McGreal's headed backpass fell short, but he couldn't lift the ball over Kelvin Davis.
The Icelandic striker then met Chris Baird's fine cross on the stretch, but could only turn the ball wide, before he lashed a shot wide of the target from 20 yards after another error of judgement from McGreal.
Scott Fitzgerald finally pulled a goal back for the visitors on the stroke of half time, after Neal Ardley and Paul Devlin had worked a short corner routine, but Ipswich made sure of the points thanks to Pidgeley's second error and Jermaine Wright put the icing on the cake with a fabulous 25-yard strike in stoppage time.
But it was an afternoon to forget for young Watford keeper Lenny Pidgeley, who handed the Ipswich striker two of his three goals.
The on-loan Chelsea man made the first of two howlers after just five minutes, when he swung at Sean Dyche's backpass with his left foot, only for the ball to ricochet off his standing foot into the path of Bowditch, who couldn't miss from six yards.
Then, just after the hour-mark, Pidgeley was involved in a mix-up with defender Jerel Ifil as a long ball held up in the swirling wind, and Bowditch nipped in between them and rolled the ball into the empty net.
In between, Bowditch added a second for the home side with a fine goal. Darren Bent, a hat-trick hero at Walsall in midweek, picked him out with a superb defence-splitting pass, and the 17-year-old placed the ball past the advancing Pidgeley.
Bent had already gone close with a 20-yard cross-shot after just four minutes for Joe Royle's men, although they didn't have it all their own way.
Heidar Helguson missed three chances to bring Watford back into the game, the first opportunity falling his way when John McGreal's headed backpass fell short, but he couldn't lift the ball over Kelvin Davis.
The Icelandic striker then met Chris Baird's fine cross on the stretch, but could only turn the ball wide, before he lashed a shot wide of the target from 20 yards after another error of judgement from McGreal.
Scott Fitzgerald finally pulled a goal back for the visitors on the stroke of half time, after Neal Ardley and Paul Devlin had worked a short corner routine, but Ipswich made sure of the points thanks to Pidgeley's second error and Jermaine Wright put the icing on the cake with a fabulous 25-yard strike in stoppage time.
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