WATFORD Ladies played host to Blackburn Rovers in a game which threatened an avalanche of goals with each side having a potent striker - and in the case of Watford it is the prolific Helen Lander.
On this occasion it was Watford who emerged victorious with the 4-1 score-line not a fair reflection of a game which might otherwise have finished 6-5, although the home side arguably shaded things over the ninety minutes.
The true difference on this occasion was the finishing of Lander, who scored a hat-trick, although Rovers' Katie Anderton was always a thorn in the side of the home defence.
Both sides were relatively quiet early on although only a good tackle from Lisa Burrows thwarted a run on goal from the Blackburn attack, and Marie Hourihan was called on to make a smart save before Landers bagged her first in the 21st minute.
Watford started to get into the game and Lander received a hopeful pass on her chest some 20-yards out volleying the ball home as it dropped to the floor. Her second followed some 15 minutes later as a long left-foot pass from Jodian Clarke split the visitors defence for Lander to run on and volley into the net.
Clarke and Lander were then involved in another attack, playing a tidy one-two, before Clarke delivered a telling cross which the Rovers' defender did well to clear over her own crossbar.
 |
|
Jodian Clarke poses a threat to the Rovers' defence |
Watford finished the half strongly buoyed by their two-goal lead, although a neat back-heel allowed the Rovers' striker an opportunity which she put wide of the far post.
The visitors came out early for the second half clearly intent on mounting an immediate challenge to the Watford lead, and played five across the midfield in an effort to monopolise the midfield exchanges where Holly Miles and Emma Beckett were linking well for Watford.
This approach from Rovers nearly bore fruit when Anderton headed just over from a telling and dangerous right-wing cross. Watford retaliated though and forced a corner from which Lander completed her hat-trick.
Ashlee Hincks, who worked tirelessly for the cause down the left flank, delivered a telling corner where Lander out-jumped the 'keeper to head home from inside the six-yard box.
Blackburn were not to be outdone though and Anderton got her reward some five minutes later chasing a long ball from her own defender before cooling slotting past Hourihan from some 20-yards. This inspired Blackburn and Hourihan was called upon to gather a dangerous header and thunderous shot as Rovers sought to reduce the deficit further.
However some 11 minutes from time Hincks wrapped up the scoring with a thunderous shot into the roof of the net following a link-up between Lander and Mikaela Howell down the left flank.
 |
|
Helen Lander heads the ball on her hat-trick afternoon |
Helen Lander deserved the plaudits for her goals - her volleying from bouncing and dropping balls is almost always text-book and she has few if any peers in this skill-set. However this, despite an odd blemish and lapse in concentration, was arguably Watford's most cohesive performance of the season to date and all the squad should take credit.
They did not match the sublime 30 minutes of the showing at Everton but offered a united, workmanlike performance in which the ball retention and passing to colleagues improved significantly over previous weeks.
The final league position will arguably be determined by the results involving games against those teams who also aspire to be as close to the top three clubs as possible. Doncaster Rovers Belles are the next visitors and also hold the key to whether Watford can reach the semi-final of the Premier League Cup for a second consecutive season.
