Where to start though ......?
The match started brightly enough ...... for Watford as they managed to force an early free kick, following a foul by MacDonald and managed to entice Arter in to the ref's note book as early as the 3rd minute. Why oh why does, and how, Arter manage it? He's going to be looking at his first suspension before the end of August at this rate!! The early Watford pressure paid dividends when Angella received the ball unmarked at the far post, following a mellee in the penalty area. As the Cherries uncharacteristically failed to clear their lines, Angella gratefully stabbed the ball home at an unguarded far post. All this in the 13th minute. Really?? I would have thought that the experience that we have at the back these days would have meant that such school-boy stuff would be bread and butter to the players ......?
Despite the set back, the Cherries stuck to their game plan, and even started to gain the upper hand over our hosts; so much so that the Cherries passing game was proving to be too much for Watford. The main culprits were the diminutive Ryan Fraser who was causing havoc with his direct style of play down the right flank, ably backed up by his accomplice, Simon Francis.
The Cherries reward came on the half hour when a lovely move down the right flank found Francis, whose slide rule pass found Fraser, who went to the bye-line, who in turn cut the ball back for Grabban to angle the ball past Almunia for the equaliser - cue Cherries celebrations in the away end!
Other opportunities came and went without further goals as Pugh, Grabban were denied and a penalty appeal which was emphatically waived away.
For long periods the Cherries were in control of the half, with Watford on the back foot, without an answer to the Cherries passing game. Such a shame that the Cherries couldn't capitalise in a way Watford were going to do after the break.
HT: 1-1
Zola must have given his players a rocket and a half during the half time break as they came out for the second period and simply turned on the style without dominating possession. The difference being that the Hornets were clinical, and hurt the Cherries when chances were presented, where as the Cherries were not.
Defensive lapses were exposed just 7 minutes after the restart when Angella was presented with the opportunity to double his tally as he looped a header past Allsop. Again, where was the man on the post at this set piece which might have prevented the ball from going in?
Just three minutes later the skillful Deeney was sent through with a slide rule pass to easily slot the ball past Allsop, leaving the Cherries with a mountain to climb at 3-1.
The same right hand channel was exposed again when McGugan managed to exploit that apparent weakness to fire past Allsop - it was a carbon copy of Deeney's first goal in the 66th minute.
By this time, the Cherries had been blown away by a combination of their own school boy errors in defending and some clinical approach play and finishing, which we're going to have to rise to or struggle over the course of the season.
The final few minutes just put the icing on the cake for Watford as Deeney netted for the second time (87th minute) when Ward failed to clear, which set up the hat-trick opportunity in the 92nd minute when Francis was adjuged to have conceeded a penalty, which Deeney duely converted, sending Allsop the wrong way.
Player Summaries
Allsop - To be fair when he was called upon to make a save, he did - not a problem. Sadly there wasn't a great deal he could do about the goals such was their execution.
Francis - Did well in the first half, faded a bit in the second after Watford started to dominate.
Ward - Is beginning to remind me of Dan Seabourne we had on loan last season. Needs to improve.
Cook - It was his 'channel' which led to 3 of the Watford goals.This has got to be plugged and soon!
Daniels - Did well enough teaming up with Pugh down the left hand side.
Fraser - Was simply superb down the Cherries right flank - causing all sorts of problems for the Watford defence. A lovely assist to set Grabban up for the equaliser. Sadly was largely anonymous in the seconf period.
Arter - Has got to cut out all these bookings, otherwise he's going to sit out most of the season suspended! Put in a shift when not trying to remonstrate with the ref!
MacDonald - Did okay in the first half, but faded in the second. We need the midfield pairing to be more imposing throughout the entire match.
Pugh - Showed some nice skill at times, without hurting the opposition too often.
Surman - Well off the pace at times.
Grabban - Took his goal exptionally well and could have added to his tally.
The Subs - Did okay when they came on, but by the they did the match was already lost.
Elphick - Where was he?
The overall result is disappointing, it's the first time since Morecambe (a) in the promotion campaign of 2009/10 have the Cherries slipped to a defeat of 5 and it's the first time the Cherries have shipped 6 goal since an away day trip to Peterborough United way back in the 2001/02 season.
On a personal note. I had news which puts things in to perspective as a dear friend, who couldn't attend, is fighting a loosing battle with cancer having spent part of the week in the build up to this match in hospital, seemingly at deaths door. Yes, football does play a part in all our lives, but there are some things which are simply put the game in to perspective. I am not going to mention the individual by name, but I wish them well in their on going fight ...... just hang on in there - you know who you are!
AFCB: Allsop, Francis, Ward, Cook, Daniels, Fraser, Arter, MacDonald, Pugh, Surman, Grabban
Subs: Flahavan, Hughes, Thomas, Stockley, Harte (for Daniels, 55 mins), Pitman (for MacDonald, 61 mins), O'Kane (for Pugh, 69 mins)
Andy Burton, Portsmouth