Watford 1 Middlesbrough 0 - Boro lose to ‘Sunday League goal’ says Neil Warnock

Watford began life back in the Sky Bet Championship with a victory as Craig Cathcart’s early header saw off Middlesbrough to give head coach Vladimir Ivic a winning start.
Watford's Jeremy Ngakia (left) and Middlesbrough's Marcus Tavernier battle for the ball.Watford's Jeremy Ngakia (left) and Middlesbrough's Marcus Tavernier battle for the ball.
Watford's Jeremy Ngakia (left) and Middlesbrough's Marcus Tavernier battle for the ball.

The Hornets saw a five-year stint in the Premier League end with relegation in July, but their push to earn an immediate return to the top flight got under way with a 1-0 win over Neil Warnock’s side at Vicarage Road.

Cathcart’s powerful header was enough to seal the points as Ivic had to make do without the likes of Troy Deeney, Danny Welbeck, Will Hughes, Ismaila Sarr and Craig Dawson.

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The visitors created a few decent chances, most of which fell to captain Britt Assombalonga, who could not find a way past Ben Foster in the Watford goal.

The only goal of the contest came with 11 minutes on the clock, as Boro were not alert to a short Watford corner and Ken Sema – back at the club following a season on loan at Udinese – swung in a cross which Cathcart headed home past debutant Marcus Bettinelli.

Assombalonga’s first sniff of goal came at the midway point of the first half, as he fired in a strike from an acute angle which Foster did well to turn behind with his feet.

Ivic handed a first league start to January signing Joao Pedro and the 18-year-old Brazilian forward looked at home at this level, sending a header wide as he looked to mark the occasion with a goal.

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Middlesbrough enjoyed more of the ball in a second half which did not contain too many chances for either side.

Assombalonga’s turn and shot was brilliantly tipped behind by Foster, with Ivic turning to loan signing Glenn Murray in an attempt to have more of a presence at the top end of the pitch.

Warnock’s men would continue to push on, Assombalonga heading a Marcus Tavernier free-kick wide when the striker should have done better.

Despite a quiet second half for Bettinelli, Watford toasted their first Championship game since 2015 with three points.

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Asked about Cathcart’s effort, Warnock replied: “Sunday League goal, what can you say?

“I don’t expect to concede them at any stage of the season, you can’t say we don’t practice enough. It is just elementary tonight - we have got to try and get away from that really.

“That is football, isn’t it? I don’t think our goalie had a shot to save but it is all about putting the ball in the back of the net so you have got to give them credit.

“I don’t think they had a clue how to break us down, I think the goalkeeper played centre-half in the second half so I can’t be happier with that, but which dressing room would I rather be in tonight? The winning one.”

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Warnock admitted it would have been “nice” to have more attacking options on the bench as he works to bring more players in ahead of the deadline - although he confirmed a move for former Arsenal striker Yaya Sanogo was now dead in the water.

Watford: Foster, Ngakia, Cathcart, Kabasele, Wilmot, Femenia (Navarro 75), Quina (Philips 90), Cleverley, Chalobah, Sema (Murray 66), Joao Pedro. Unused substitutes: Sinclair, Sierralta, Pussetto, Bachmann.

Middlesbrough: Bettinelli, Dijksteel, Hall, McNair, Spence, Howson, Saville (Wing 78), Tavernier, Johnson, Fletcher, Assombalonga. Unused substitutes: Fry, Browne, Wood-Gordon, Bola, Coulson, Pears.

Referee: K Stroud (Hampshire).

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