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UE LLEIDA 1 WATFORD 1

Posted on: Tue 28 Jul 2009

THE result was the same but the performance was quite different as the Hornets drew the second and final match of their pre-season trip to Spain.

Again Malky Mackay's men took a first half lead, this time through Danny Graham and again their Spanish opponents grabbed a second-half equaliser. 

This time it was the hosts who finished with ten men as striker Sellares went for two yellow cards.

The English side started with a 4-4-2 formation with the same back four and goalkeeper as Friday's draw with Balaguer. 

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Scott Severin came into the middle of midfield for John Eustace, while Don Cowie started on the left and young Michael Bryan on the right.

The front two comprised of Danny Graham and Tamas Priskin with Tommy Smith still troubled by a shin problem.

Watford, buoyed by a decent size support in the Spanish sun, started well and moved the ball around nicely with Priskin unlucky early on and Bryan showing great skill on the right.

In contrast to Friday's game, the referee took a much more balanced view of the action - indeed Lleida had two players booked in the opening 20 minutes whilst Watford's first caution - for Severin after a foul - didn't come until the half hour mark.

Graham thought he had given the Hornets the lead on 23 minutes when he finished well after being put through, after being released by Priskin, but the flag was up and the 'goal' was chalked off.

On 36 minutes, Scott Loach produced an incredible save, clawing the ball off the line after Lleida had flicked on a corner at the near post.  The ball landed at Sellares who seemed certain to score only for Loach to leap and somehow reach the ball.

There was more goalmouth action a minute later when Lloyd Doyley was adjudged, harshly, to have shoved Sellares at the far post and the referee pointed to the spot.

Figuerola made a hash of the penalty, striking the top of the crossbar with his kick and, 60 seconds later, his side went behind.

The Lleida goalkeeper, Joel, made a total mess of a routine through ball, somehow fumbling an innocuous ball into Graham's path and the Geordie striker made no mistake in thumping the ball home.

Mackay made no changes at the break and the second period had a quiet opening.

A mix up between Severin and Doyley presented the ball to Sellares but the Lleida front man still had a lot of work to do. He hammered a shot from fully 25 yards right into Loach's top corner, leaving the England under 21 goalkeeper with no chance.

After conceding, Watford continued to craft good openings with Cowie twice finding himself with only the goalkeeper to beat but failing on each occasion.

With just under 20 minutes to go, Mackay made another two changes, bringing on McAnuff and Lee Hodson for Priskin and DeMerit, moving Mariappa to centre back with young Hodson slotting in at right back.

On 75 minutes, Sellares, the Lleida goalscorer was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for a petulant foul on the newly-arrived McAnuff but the visitors were unable to press home their advantage in the game's closing stages.

With ten minutes left, Jon Harley was given a run out in place of Severin.

 

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