Watford came from behind to condemn Town to their seventh successive defeat as the Hornets left Portman Road with a 2-1 win. Keith Andrews saw the Blues into a half-time lead but a penalty from Marvin Sordell and a second from Troy Deeney soon after sealed the victory for the visitors.

Ibrahima Sonko and David Stockdale returned to the Town side after hamstring and shoulder injuries respectively, while Jason Scotland were Lee Martin also are back in the starting XI.

Jimmy Bullard and Arran Lee-Barrett dropped to the bench while, Ívar Ingimarsson and Mark Kennedy weren’t included in the 16.

Daryl Murphy switched to left midfield, but there was no place for Jay Emmanuel-Thomas in the squad. Watford included former Town academy keeper Scott Loach, a Blues supporter.

Town were looking to end both their six-game run of defeats and a winless streak of 13 matches against the Hornets.

There were few chances in the opening 10 minutes, Watford coming closest to creating a serious opportunity but Chris Iwelumo was adjudged to have pulled back Sonko as a cross came in from the right.

A minute later, Michael Kightly, on loan from Wolves, ought to have done better when in space on the left but shot weakly to Stockdale. At the other end, Martin sent over a dangerous cross but the Hornets’ backline cleared, but not with any great certainty.

Watford should have gone in front on the quarter hour after a flowing move down the left involving Kightly and Carl Dickinson led to Marvin Sordell having time and space to pick his spot inside the area having cut inside Danny Collins, but somehow the England U21 international blazed well over. It was a lucky escape for Town.

On 20 Scotland hit an ambitious and deflected 30-yard effort to Loach’s right but the keeper was equal to it.

The Blues were getting on top and in the 23rd minute, after a long spell of Town pressure, Loach punched poorly and Bowyer struck a shot which was deflected over.

From the corner on the left, Martin whipped the ball across and Collins saw his header saved by Loach. Sonko following up lashed wildly over when he probably should have done better.

Watford keeper Loach claimed a Martin cross-shot, then at the other end Kightly saw a strike blocked by Collins after the Blues failed to clear a corner. As the game reached the half hour mark, former Colchester man Mark Yeates hit a low 25-yard shot through to Stockdale.

Town were a touch away from a goal in the 31st minute when Carlos Edwards took a freekick short to Martin on the right and the former Manchester United man sent over a cross which was just too high for Michael Chopra.

On 36 a well-worked freekick from 25 yards led to Andrews’s shot deflecting over. From the corner, Sonko’s header was bundled wide. From that flagkick, Andrews flicked a header over Loach’s goal with the Watford keeper the busier of the two.

Michael Chopra felt he ought to have been awarded a penalty in the 41st minute after he was shoved in the area but the linesman’s flag had already been raised.

Town had looking the more likely scorers and just before half-time they went ahead. Scotland deftly took down Yeates’s poorly directed chest down and laid it off to Murphy to his left and the on-loan Celtic man sent in a superb cross, which his fellow Irishman Andrews headed beyond Loach and into the net for his sixth Town goal of the season.

A few moments later referee Keith Stroud’s whistle went and the Blues were for once applauded off at the break.

Paul Jewell’s men had looked nervy to start with and ought to have been behind when Sordell missed his gilt-edged chance but as the half wore on the Blues grew in confidence and deserved to be in front by the time the goal came.

At the back, Sonko’s return gave Town a presence at corners — at both ends - that they had missed while the Senegalese international had been on the sidelines.

After Chopra had narrowly failed to get on the end of a ball into the box from the left, Stockdale did brilliantly to get across to his left and deflect over from Watford skipper Adrian Mariappa after Jonathan Hogg had turned a ball from the right on to him.

On 50 the Blues were an inch from increasing their lead when Edwards found Bowyer on the left and the midfielder played the ball powerfully across the six-yard box and Scotland just failed to get touch at the far post. Soon after, one-time Town target Nyron Nosworthy picked up the game’s first booking for a foul on Aaron Cresswell.

Watford were close to getting back on terms on a number of occasions moments later, Yeates hitting the angle of bar and post with an excellent freekick after Sonko had fouled Iwelumo, then Sordell had a backheel stopped by Stockdale’s knee and a subsequent effort also blocked.

The chances were starting to come at either end and in the 57th minute Martin hit a low shot just wide of Loach’s left post.

Scotland was again near to adding to Town’s lead on the hour when Martin crossed low from the right after a Cresswell freekick from the left, but the ball flew just behind the Trinidadian frontman. On 62 Chopra had the ball in the net from a Murphy knockdown but the ball had already gone out of play.

After a shaky start to the second half, the Blues had got back on top with Lee Bowyer putting in a feisty display at the centre of the midfield.

Dickinson was booked for upending Andrews just outside the area in the 63rd minute and the Blues almost added to their lead from the freekick. Cresswell’s 20-yard strike was blocked by Loach but the ball came to Chopra too quickly for the striker to direct the ball goalwards.

Town had had more than enough opportunities to increase their lead but on 70 Watford got back on terms from the penalty spot. Sordell went down appearing to have been tripped by Sonko — the Town player protesting his innocence - as he broke into the area on the left, the striker taking the kick himself and beating Stockdale to his right.

Four minutes later, the visitors went in front. Stockdale superbly saved Kightly’s 30-yard strike and after the Blues failed to clear on the right, Yeates found Deeney inside the area and the sub beat the Town keeper, who made little secret of his anger at his defence.

The game had been completely turned on its head by the penalty with Town subsequently let down by their repeated failure to clear the danger after Kightly’s shot.

Ellington replaced Chopra for the final 13 minutes, then Scotland forced Loach into an impressive save to his left with a shot on the turn from the edge of the box.

Sordell, perhaps tellingly given the manner of the Hornets’ first goal, was booked for a dive inside the area in the 82nd minute, then after Ellington had been penalised for a foul on Loach, Andrews was booked for his protests.

Town looked certain to get level from a Cresswell freekick on the left on 83, Scotland having a header blocked, then Bowyer and Murphy also having efforts stopped.

Edwards shot over from the edge of the area in the final minute with Town continuing to push forward, then from a Martin corner Edwards saw another strike blocked inside the six-yard box. Cresswell sent a subsequent shot wide but sadly for the Blues the equaliser wasn’t to come.

The defeat was harsh on Town who had been the better side for much of the game but failed to take their chances when they were on top and gave away what may have been a harsh penalty and then a sloppy goal in quick succession.

Overall it was a much better performance from the Blues with the side applauded off at the end — even if there were a few boos — but the record books will show a seventh successive loss for Paul Jewell’s men and 14 matches without a win against Watford.

Town: Stockdale, Edwards, Collins, Sonko, Cresswell, Martin, Andrews (c), Bowyer, Murphy, Scotland, Chopra (Ellington 77). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Wabara, Bullard, Carson.

Watford: Loach, Hodson, Mariappa (c), Nosworthy, Dickinson, Yeates, Hogg, Buaben (Eustace 65), Kightly, Sordell (Beattie 89), Iwelumo (Deeney 65). Unused: Bond, Mirfin. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire). Att: 16,262 (Watford: 638).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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