Courtesy of:- Ray Lo, and the Spurs List

   Barclays Premiership Reserve League South
   Vicarage Lane, Watford, Herts.
   Wednesday 10th November 2004, 7pm

      WATFORD	v    SPURS
 (Yellow/Black)	    (White/White)
      4-4-2	     4-4-2

      1(0)	     2(0)

Alec Chamberlain   1  Marton Fulop
Ben Herd           2  Mauricio Taricco
Jamie Collins	   3  Erik Edman
Jamie Hand         4  Mark Hughes
Paul Mayo          5  Anthony Gardner(C)
Marcus Gayle	   6  Rodrigo Defendi
Anthony McNamee	   7  Spase Dilevski
Scott Fitzgerald   8  Johnnie Jackson
Hameur Bouazza	   9  Jamie Slabber
Toumani Diagouraga 10 Edson Sousa Silva
Andy Ferrell	   11 Mark Yeates

Gauthier Diafutua  12 Paul O'Donoghue
   (9) 61Mins.        (5) 75Mins.
Reece Kirk	   13 Tommy Forecast
Ryan Gilligan	   14 Jamie O'Hara
(11) 75Mins.
Adrian Mariappa	   15 Kieran McKenna
Joel Grant	   16 Marcel McKie
(8) 81Mins.          (3) 62Mins.

Scorers :- Mayo (og) 63, Hand 82, Jackson 90

Booked :- Slabber (behind) 44, Fitzgerald 64, Yeates(foul) 69, Silva(10yds) 72, Collins(foul) 74,

It was a chilly evening for this match with a crowd of only 298 with yours truly missing the first 20 minutes due to the Watford website telling me it was a 7.30pm kick off.

Spurs lined up with Gardner and Defendi at the back with Taricco at right back to allow Edman, on his return to action, the left back slot. Hughes played in front of the back four alongside Jackson with Dilevski on the right and Yeates on the left.

I did not miss much in the first twenty minutes apart from the home side hitting a post. The first half was fairly evenly contested with both sides attacking fast and with some good moves without either keeper having to do a lot of work. The Hornets being more direct as opposed to the patient build-up by the visitors. As with the first team the play was being switched from one side of the pitch to the other with both wide players doing the probing supported by the full backs.

They were not getting to the byeline but putting in high and low centres for the strikers supported by Jackson and Hughes. Silva's first touch is improving especially laying the ball off for others. Jackson missed a clear chance from Dilevski's centre in the 36th minute as they looked for the opener.

The second half started the same way as the first finished with both sides attacking. Edman had had a good hour before being replaced just as the game hotted up. Silva and Slabber were both put through beating the off side flag but wasting the chances by shooting wide before Silva had another chance from a Hughes long ball through the middle. His cross shot was tipped away for a corner. From the corner Mayo, with no-one near him headed over the stranded Chamberlain into his own net to give us the lead.

Over the next ten minutes the ref got into the action producing his yellow card four times with two for each side. Fitzgerald was subbed after another run in with the Ref just before they equalised. Watford won a corner on the far side and when the ball was curled in Fulop failed to gather it and it dropped to the feet of Bouazza. His shot was blocked on the line but hit a defender and fell nicely for Hand to prod home. A little flukey and against the run of play and with O'Donoghue off the pitch having treatment.

Silva was put through again but hit the post before, as the fourth official held up the board with three minutes on it, we scored with a great sweeping move. Watford had pushed players up for a free kick which was caught by Fulop who quickly threw it out to Yeates on the right. As he was being closed down he came inside and hit a diagonal ball into the middle. Jackson beat the defender to the ball and raced away towards goal lobbing the advancing keeper. A good goal to win a game.

The whole side put in solid performances, Edman had sixty minutes and looks good for Saturday, Gardner played well in the centre as did Defendi. Dilevski played better than I had seen before and Silva's one touch layoffs are improving. Yeates was a little below his normal level which probably had more to do with his marker's attention. Their next game is against Ipswich Town on Monday at Stevenage.

Ray

Follow @spursodyssey