Watford vs Sunderland. Sky Bet Championship.
Vicarage RoadAttendance20,712.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Watford and Sunderland at Vicarage Road on Saturday | Ryan Andrews' second-half goal earned Tom Cleverley's Hornets a first home win since November 28
Saturday 27 April 2024 18:59, UK
Substitute Ryan Andrews ended Watford's dismal run of form at Vicarage Road as they clinched a 1-0 victory over Sunderland.
Tom Cleverley was able to celebrate his appointment as permanent manager with the club's first home victory since November 28, ending a run of 12 winless games.
In spite of improved performances since taking charge on a caretaker basis from the sacked Valerien Ismael, Cleverley's record had read five draws in seven games.
And the first half on Saturday was similarly mediocre, both teams seemingly searching for an identity, with Sunderland, like Watford, on their third manager of a muddled season.
It took 32 minutes for the first chance to arrive.
From a Jack Clarke corner for Sunderland, Dan Ballard rose highest at the far post, but his header was comfortably cleared by Ryan Porteous.
Watford's only effort of note came six minutes later when Ismael Kone toe-poked a shot wide. As it dribbled toward the advertising hoardings it barely raised a murmur among the Vicarage Road faithful, so soporific had the rest of the half been.
Those two opportunities did at least raise hopes of better things to come.
Moments later, Sunderland ought to have taken the lead when Adil Aouchiche seized on a wayward Watford pass, sprinted forward and laid the ball into the path of Chris Rigg, who was coming in at an angle.
Rigg delayed his shot just long enough for Daniel Bachmann to touch the ball away for a corner with his outstretched foot.
The Watford goalkeeper proved his side's saviour again in first half added time when he rushed out to block a Trai Hume shot, the ball bouncing up and landing on the roof of the net.
The visitors' dominance continued into the second period when Clarke sprinted clear, only to steer his shot wide of a post.
Suddenly, though, Watford carved out an opportunity through Ken Sema, whose cross was eventually volleyed by Edo Kayembe against the legs of Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson.
The deadlock was broken after 64 minutes with a move of rare quality.
Kone waited for Andrews to sprint ahead of him before slipping his pass between defenders and watching the substitute drill a low shot into the far corner.
Sunderland's search for an equaliser was determined, but they could not carve out an opportunity of note.
There was a poignant moment as the match entered stoppage time, with Yaser Asprilla being substituted and seemingly waving goodbye to the Watford fans. The 20-year-old seems certain to leave Vicarage Road in the summer.
Watford's Tom Cleverley:
"I would have taken a 1-0 win before the game, but I'll always be honest and that was possibly our poorest performance since I've been in charge.
"Football has got a funny way of working out. We were excellent in the second half at West Brom and at Southampton and we came away with one point from those two games, so we've got a little bit of payback today.
"Unfortunately, it wasn't a stellar performance, but the result was huge for us today. We were sloppy in possession and made too many technical mistakes.
"Maybe that's the high demands I have of the team. I see on a daily basis how technically good we are in small spaces. I won't stop demanding until we can have a complete performance.
"Sunderland did a good job of knocking us out of our rhythm and they caused us a lot of problems in the second half.
"It was pleasing that we managed to see it out defensively when we couldn't manage it against Leeds and West Brom. We showed a bit of grit to see it out and make it five clean sheets in eight.
"It's massive to get the home win out of the way before the summer. If we went an off-season and a pre-season and then to the first game in August, you're looking at nine months since the last win at home. That doesn't sound great for a club of our size in this league.
"We've managed to clear that one off today, so we're really, really pleased that we've managed to send our supporters away for the summer with a little bit of something to celebrate."
Sunderland's Mike Dodds:
"I'm really upset for the group and really upset for the fans, whether those who have travelled to the stadium or those back in the north east.
"That's a game we shouldn't be losing or even drawing if I'm completely honest. It could have been a 3-0 or 4-0 game to us. But this group has to realise that they've got to take their chances.
"When their players and staff are saying something similar as you come off the pitch and their bench is saying that they got away with one today, it's a really bitter pill to swallow.
"And then their goal is a really poor one to concede. But I would say that's one moment in 90-plus minutes out of possession where we didn't do what we should do.
"Taking the emotion out of it, I can't be overly critical of the group. If we play that game 10 times over, we win it nine times."
