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Milalai · Site Admin Joined: 01 Jan 1970 Posts: 12137

<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/31816?ns=guardian&pageName=Football%3A+Watford+v+Tottenham+Hotspur+%E2%80%94+live%21&ch=Football&c3=guardian.co.uk&c4=Carling+Cup%2CWatford+%28Football%29%2CTottenham+Hotspur+%28Football%29%2CFootball%2CSport&c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CPremier+League&c6=Barry+Glendenning&c7=2008_12_03&c8=1128123&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Football&c12=Carling+Cup&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FFootball%2FCarling+Cup" width="1" height="1" /></div>Half-timeGOAL! Watford 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Pavlyuchenko 45) The Russian makes amends for his previous miss, but only just. He slots the ball into the bottom right-hand corner where Loach gets a hand to it but can't keep it out.45+1 min: Penalty for Tottenham. Jermaine Jenas is tripped needlessly by Leigh Bromby on the edge of the Watford penalty area. Referee Phil Dowd was standing about two yards away with an unimparied view and awarded it straight away.44 min: A terrible miss shich Roman Pavlyuchenko should be thoroughly ashamed of. Taking advantage of confusion in the Watford defence, the Russian controlled a bouncing ball, burst into the penalty area and lifted the ball over the outstretched goalkeeper and ... on to the crossbar. On the sideline, Harry Redknapp can't believe his striker's profligacy.41 min: Should Watford hang on and win this match, they would join Derby County, Burnley and Manchester United or Blackburn in the semi-final draw. Three Championship sides in the semi-finals? I'm sure sponsors Carling would be delighted.39 min: Possession stat: Watford 45% - 55% Tottenham. There's a bit of a to-do in the Watford penalty area, with Jermaine Jenas and Jay DeMerit tiussling under a bouncing ball. Jenas appeals for a penalty ... or a goal-kick ... or against an offside flag ... I'm not sure what he wants because I was busy wondering if I should admit I might have got the possession stat the wrong way around.37 min: "As the lone American-born supporter of Watford in the world, to get to read your MBM report of the game Barry is a dream come true," writes Bobby Otter. "Sure you'll make a gag about how I don't have much to live for if this is the case, but you know what, it's the little things in life. So with that, I raise my glass of water to you.[Raises glass] Go Hornets!"Go get yourself a proper drink, Bobby.35 min: Watford midfielder Ross Jenkins goes back to coverr in the centre of the home side's defence as Jay DeMerit is forced over to the sideline to have a cut above his left eye cleaned up.32 min: Frazier Campbell curls a beautiful pass into the Watford box, but there's nobody there to capitalise. At the byline near the far post, Benoit Assau-Ekotto pulls it back into the centre, but again there aren't enough Spurs bodies in the box and Watford clear.31 min: Another save from Loach, who parries a diagonal Aaron Lennon drive from left to right. With Fraizer Campbell following up to pounce on the dropping ball, Leigh Bromby edges him out of the way and Loach tidies up.29 min: Jermaine Jenas pounces on a loose ball from Jobi McAnuff inside the Watford half. He surges forward before shooting low, hard and straight at goalkeeper Scott Loach.27 min: Diddier Zokora pings the ball out to Aaron Lennon on the right touchline. His cross goes out over the left toucvhline for a throw-in. That's dreadful.25 min: Watford throw-in, deep in Tottenham territory. Lee Brondby dries the ball on his shirt, takes as long a run-up as the advertising hoarding will allow and tries to Delap it into the six-yard box. His effort doesn't even clear the first man, let alone trouble Heurelho Gomes.23 min: Fraizer Campbell looks clean through on goal but is penalised for offside. On Sky Sports, match analyst Alan Smith (the Arsenal one, not the Emmerdale Eminem) points out that Watford are playing a high line trying to cramp the midfield, then says it's a dangerous game to play when you're up against a man of Campbell's speed. It's like he read my mind.20 min: Great save from Scott Loach. Aaron Lennon had cut in from the right and spotted the Watford goalkeeper a couple of yards off his line. With the outside of his right boot he attempted to score with an insouciant flick, but loach did well to backpedal and claw the ball away to safety with the fingertips of his right hand.18 min: A Spurs sortie into Watford territory is ended by Jay DeMerit, who sends an agricultural clearance up the field. Are Watford going to try and sit on their lead for the next 70 minutes?17 min: Roman Pavlyuchenko picks the ball up in the centre and passes it out to Jamie O'Hara on the right-hand side. His cross is shanked horribly wide and lands in Row Q.15 min: The camera pans to Harry Redknapp, who looks less than chuffed. That was shocking defending.GOAL! Watford 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Priskin 12) Great play by Tommy Smith, who skins Michael Dawson down the left and squares a low pass. Unmarked in the centre, Tamas Priskin picks it up with his back to goal, turns one way and finds his route blocked, turns the other and - still untroubled by any of the defenders loitering without intent nearby - slots it into the bottom left-hand corner.10 min: Watford try and Arsenal the ball out of their own half but their over-elaboration proves their undoing. Benoit Assau-Ekotto robs the ball and tries to put Fraizer Campbell through with a through ball. It's too close to Loach in the Watford goal.7 min: I'm not going to pretend I've seen a lot of Watford since they abseiled out of the Premier League, the team currently trying to pass the ball around on the deck is not reminiscent of the Aidy Boothroyd outfit that was often accused of being over-reliant on Route One football. Which is not to disparge Watford's former manager - I once bought three books on Amazon because he recommended them in an OSM interview.7 min: Yes, it was really that feeble.5 min: Corner for Watford, which is skimmed towards DCeMerit at the near post. Spurs half-clear, but Watford send the ball back into the mixer. It pings to and fro around the box, before falling for Tommy Smith outside the penalty area. His low drive is too feeble to trouble Gomes.3 min: Here's Jamie O'Hara on the overlap, galloping down the left wing. He shapes to cross and his effort is deflected out for a throw-in by Adrian Mariappa.2 min: "This is the first time I ve been able to read a Watford match on the Guardian website," writes Kris. "I have high expectations and expect a great result. That's enough about your report, the football is going to be awful." This could be a very long night. Even longer if, as I fully expect, I have to cover extra time and penalties.Watford kick off: They're in their usual strop of yellow shirts, black shorts and yellow socks. Spurs players are decked out in white shirts, blue shorts and blue-and-white hooped socks. Watford win the first corner of the game, which Gomes punches clear.There might be goals: Add the number of goals scored in every game involving one of these two teams so far this seasons and you get 123. A figure that could well be wrong. As I came up with it after completing a very quick tot that involved muttering numbers under my breath at great speed. While running the nib of a Biro down my computer monitor.That's no way to live. Is it? Sorry about all these disjointed sentences, but they're here for a technical reason that I have neither the inclination nor the smarts to explain. Preamble: Good evening everybody. I'm sure you're all looking forward to this as much as I am, or even more in some cases, as 16th in the Premier League take on 20th in the Championship at Vicarage Road in a Carling Cup quarter-final that couldn't be more glamourous if you covered it in lipstick and sent it tottering down a red carpet. Under new manager Brendan Rodgers, who arrived with a ringing endorsement from Jose Mourinho, Watford go into this game on the back of a win and two draws, while Spurs, under Harry Redknapp, have lost two and won one of their last three outings. On a vaguely interesting side-note, Harry's brother-in-law and best mate, Frank "Father of Frank" Lampard will be in the Watford dug-out this evening, whispering pearls of wisdom in his new role as Rodgers' No2.Team news: Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas comes back in to the starting XI for tonight's Carling Cup quarter-final against Watford after missing two games with a toe complaint. Jenas replaces Tom Huddlestone for the clash at Vicarage Road, while centre-back Michael Dawson comes in for Ledley King, who is resting his troublesome knee. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp shuffles his midfield, with Aaron Lennon moved to the right and Jamie O'Hara given a run in place of David Bentley. In attack, Fraizer Campbell comes in to support Roman Pavlyuchenko, with Darren Bent dropping to the bench. Brendan Rodgers makes one change to his Watford side, with Leigh Bromby returning in defence. Ross Jenkins returns to the heart of midfield as Adrian Mariappa fills the right-back berth.Watford (4-4-1-1): Loach; Mariappa, Bromby, DeMerit (c), Harley; Williamson, Jenkins, Bridcutt, McAnuff; Smith; Priskin. Subs: Lee (gk), Doyley, Robinson, Bangura, O'Toole, Hoskins, Henderson.Spurs (4-4-2): Gomes; O'Hara, Woodgate, Dawson, Zakora; Corluka, Lennon, Jenas, Assou-Ekotto; Campbell, Pavlyuchenko. Subs: Sanchez (gk), Bale, Bentley, Huddlestone, Bent, Gunter, Boateng.<div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/carlingcup">Carling Cup</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/watford">Watford</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/tottenham-hotspur">Tottenham Hotspur</a></li></ul></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a>
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