Watford 0-0 Plymouth Argyle: Frustrating draw for both at Vicarage Road
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford and Plymouth Argyle at Vicarage Road on Saturday; Hornets and Pilgrims play out draw that does neither any favours.
Saturday 29 March 2025 16:04, UK
Watford and Plymouth fought out a goalless draw in the Vicarage Road sunshine that did nothing to help the ambitions of either club.
An insipid first half did at least give way to a second period full of chances and urgency.
However, Watford's dominance after the interval could not be converted into the victory that would have enhanced their play-off hopes.
For bottom club Plymouth, who began the day six points adrift of the Championship safety zone, a solitary point felt similarly inadequate.
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The visitors' pressing game nullified the passing style of their hosts in a first half in which the only chances fell the way of Miron Muslic's side.
Shortly before the half-hour, Michael Obafemi slipped a cute ball into the path of Ryan Hardie whose first-time swept shot was parried away superbly by Watford keeper Egil Selvik.
The two Plymouth strikers combined again shortly afterwards with Obafemi again the provider. On this occasion, Hardie's shot was partially blocked by Caleb Wiley.
Visiting keeper Conor Hazard spent the opening half largely untroubled. Ryan Andrews ought to have tested him a minute before half-time only to misjudge a Wiley pull-back and allow the ball to bounce away from his feet.
It was not until injury time at the end of the first period that Rocco Vata attempted Watford's first shot.
Even as the ball thudded into the advertising board wide of the Plymouth goal, ironic cheers rose up from the frustrated home supporters.
With a five-point deficit to make up on the play-off places at kick-off, victory felt imperative for Watford boss Tom Cleverley, whose frustration with his side's passivity was clearly aired in the dressing room at half-time.
His side's greater urgency was immediately apparent with crosses sent over from both flanks. One delivery by Wiley was nodded down by Francisco Sierralta only for Vakoun Bayo's mistimed shot on the swivel to fail to make it through a forest of Plymouth legs.
Plymouth central defender Kornel Szucs was then required to block a Vata shot before Bayo threw himself at a driven Giorgi Chakvetadze cross but was beaten by its pace.
Suitably impressed, Cleverley introduced the energetic Kwadwo Baah whose dynamic wing play set up Vata for a shot that was deflected against the Plymouth crossbar.
Baah then sprinted away to sting the palms of Hazard with a rising shot. It seemed only a matter of time before the Plymouth goal was breached, although a volleyed Vata cross somehow evaded everyone in the six-yard box.
Opportunities for the away side were scarce until substitute Muhamed Tijani sent a low shot narrowly wide following an 87th-minute corner.
Watford were denied late on as a last-gasp Edo Kayembe shot was deflected inches over.
The managers
Watford's Tom Cleverley:
"We wasted 45 minutes at home against a team that we feel we're good enough to beat. That's the main regret.
"We didn't play with enough tempo, enough desperation to score, enough penetration and too many unforced errors.
"There has to be a determination to break down that back line and I didn't see that in the first half. It's not just going to happen, you have to make it happen.
"The second half was how we should play, a more entertaining style, more direct, no mistakes. It's a bit of a head scratch how the ball's not found its way into the net, but that's the way it's been going for us at the minute.
"I've a lot of admiration for our second-half performance, how the players reacted to a bit of a rocket at half-time.
"There have only been two or three rockets this season. I feel the players are mentally strong enough to take them, otherwise I wouldn't do it.
"It probably wasn't my character when I was a player but I have developed it. It's a stressful job."
Plymouth's Miron Muslic:
"We were almost perfect in the first half in not allowing Watford a shot on target. And they are a very good team with a fantastic home record so it's not easy to keep them out.
"The next step is to reward ourselves with goals. We created so many good things due to good structure.
"We had a lot of opportunities but we needed to be a bit calmer and show more efficiency. If we had given Watford the same chances that we had, I think they would have taken them."
