João Pedro and Grace Garrad have won November’s Player of the Month and Stake Goal of the Month awards respectively, following a fan vote conducted on the official Watford FC app.
Brazilian starlet João Pedro has secured his third POTM gong of the campaign having won in August and October, impressing again with a scintillating performance in the Hornets’ 2-1 away win at Cardiff, before he scored both goals in a 2-0 victory at home to Reading a week later.
Such displays didn’t go unnoticed by Watford supporters at the time, with João Pedro finishing third and second in polls for the Man of the Match prizes against the Bluebirds and the Royals respectively, earning 24.1% and 32% shares of the votes.
The 21-year-old also started the narrow defeat at home to Coventry early on in the month, and came off the bench to help the Golden Boys sign off for the month-long break with a valuable point away at Bristol City.
Taking home the November award, João Pedro earned over half the POTM votes, with Golden Girls Garrad, Poppy Wilson and Gemma Davison in second, third and fourth respectively.
Having been João Pedro’s closest challenger for the POTM prize, young defender Garrad has laid claim to the latest Stake Goal of the Month award, thanks to her dramatic winner against AFC Wimbledon in the FAWNL Cup.
Damon Lathrope’s charges were heading for penalties against the Dons at Carshalton Athletic’s War Memorial Sports Ground when Garrad launched a shot into the top corner, booking the Hornets’ place in round two and creating bedlam in the stands and away dugout.
The 19-year-old, who joined Watford on a dual-sign agreement from West Ham United in August, reflected on her second goal at senior level following the full-time whistle, having paved the way for a cup run that continues against Hashtag United on Saturday December 17 (6pm KO).
She said: “I don’t have words to describe it! As soon as Gem [Davison] set it to me I saw the lights and went for it; I was always going to shoot from there.
“It was one of those that left my boot and I knew it was going in. I didn’t know where to run! Everyone from the bench was coming over; it was unbelievable.”
Accumulating over 50% of the vote, Garrad saw off close competition from POTM winner João Pedro (second goal v Reading) in the Stake GOTM ranks, while Davison (v Billericay Town) and Flo Fyfe (v Fulham) finished third and fourth respectively.
