MATCH STATS WATFORD: Foster, Chambers, Mackay, Carlisle, Stewart, Devlin, Blizzard, Spring, McNamee, Young, King. Subs: Chamberlain, DeMerit, Doyley (for Devlin, 63), Bangura (for Blizzard, 63), Bouazza (for McNamee, 80). NORWICH CITY : Green, Drury, Shackell, Fleming, Colin, Marney, Brennan, Safri, Hughes, Lisbie, Ashton. Subs: Gallacher, Jarrett, Davenport (for Shackell, 45), McVeigh (for Brennan, 45), Doherty (for Colin, 81). SCORERS: Watford: King (13), Young (25) Norwich: Lisbie (62) TOP CANARY: EDP: Dean Marney PinkUn Poll: Davenport (54%) ATTENDANCE: 13,502 REFEREE: Paul Armstrong (Berkshire) YELLOW CARDS: Watford: Bangura (89, unsporting conduct) Norwich: Ashton (82, foul on Carlisle), Lisbie (89, unsporting conduct). RED CARDS: None SHOTS ON TARGET: Watford 2, Norwich 6 SHOTS OFF TARGET: Watford 7, Norwich 7 CORNERS: Watford 4, Norwich 5 FOULS:  Watford 14, Norwich 22 OFFSIDES:  Watford 4, Norwich 7

Tuesday September 13, 2005
CHRIS WISE

Norwich City were punished for an inept first-half performance as they slipped to yet another depressing away defeat.

The Canaries went into the clash at Vicarage Road in good heart after recording their opening victory of the season against Plymouth at the weekend.

But they simply weren’t at the races during the opening period and an in-form Watford side punished them to the full, with well-taken goals from Marlon King and Ashley Young giving the hosts a fully deserved 2-0 lead.

Nigel Worthington’s side improved significantly after the break, with new loan signing Calum Davenport coming on to make an assured debut, and fellow loan signing Kevin Lisbie managed to pull one back on 62 minutes.

But despite piling on almost non-stop pressure, City could not find a second goal and will now go into Sunday’s derby clash at Ipswich under some pressure after taking just six points from a possible 24 so far this season.

Worthington decided to change a winning side at Vicarage Road with lone striker Lisbie coming in for Paul McVeigh, but the ploy was hardly an instant success with the visitors struggling to impose themselves on the game in the early stages.

Watford, looking for a third straight win, were also struggling to get their passing game together as a greasy surface proved troublesome for both teams.

But when they did finally get an effort on target it was well worth waiting for as far as the home fans were concerned.

With 13 minutes on the clock defender Clarke Carlisle had time in the centre circle to pick out King with a superb raking pass through the inside-left channel.

The Watford striker still had plenty to do as he picked up the ball 10 yards outside the Norwich box but he made it look ridiculously easy as he shrugged off the challenge of Craig Fleming in imperious fashion before blasting an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

It was an excellent strike from a player who already had five goals to his name and with the Norwich defence looking strangely ill at ease you always had the impression another goal could soon follow.

So it proved, with Young scoring an spectacular second on the 25 minute mark.

This time King was the provider, bringing down a long clearance with a brilliant first touch and then dwelling on the ball for a few seconds before spreading it wide to his strike partner.

Young didn’t appear to have too much of the goal to aim for as he let fly from just outside the box, but moments later the ball was in the back of the net again as his rising drive somehow found its way past Robert Green and into the top corner.

It was a well-struck shot from the Hornets youngster, but having got his hands to it you would have expected the England keeper to have made the save.

It had been a nightmare 12 minute spell for the City rearguard, and things weren’t going too well at the other end of the pitch either.

Andy Hughes sent a header from a Jim Brennan free-kick just over the bar, while Dean Ashton managed to hit the target after a run from deep.
But it was pretty aimless stuff from the Canaries for the most part and the lively hosts almost stretched their lead a couple of minutes before the break.

Jason Shackell made a terrible hash from a high ball into the Norwich box to gift King a one-on-one with Green and when he flicked the ball past the keeper you feared the worst.

But, fortunately for Norwich, the ball came back off an upright and bounced straight back into the keeper’s arms.

City then went straight back up the other end and almost pulled one back, with Hughes latching on to Lisbie’s excellent pass only to scuff his shot when he really should have done better. But it had still been a bitterly disappointing opening 45 minutes from Worthington’s side.

Half-time: Watford 2, Norwich City 0

Not surprisingly the City boss decided to make changes at the interval, bringing on McVeigh for Brennan and also giving Davenport his debut, with the struggling Shackell stepping down.

With McVeigh taking up a position just behind the front two Norwich immediately looked a more threatening outfit and it wasn’t long before the home side were being pinned back in their own half for longer periods.

At last an away goal looks on the cards and it duly arrived on 62 minutes with Lisbie marking his full debut with a well taken finish.

Dean Marney provided the opening by trying his luck from all of 30 yards and when keeper Ben Foster could only parry his swerving effort Lisbie was on hand to put away the loose ball in some style to reduce the arrears.

That was just the boost City needed, and with Watford not being allowed to settle on the ball, it was the visitors who were now in the ascendancy.

But try as they might the Canaries struggled to make an impact in the opposition box and they had to wait until the 88th minute for their next chance, with Foster producing a smart stop to keep out Ashton’s downward header from a Marney corner.

The fact that referee Paul Armstrong then awarded a free kick for pushing just about summed up Norwich’s night.

Marney saw a late snapshot fly just wide of the target, while Foster tipped a Marney header over the bar in the fourth minute of injury time, but in the end Watford’s defence, superbly marshalled by Malky Mackay stood firm.

It had been a vastly improved second-half display from Norwich, but the first-half performance simply hadn’t been good enough and in the end the pre-season favourites for promotion got exactly what they deserved.

Result: Watford 2, Norwich City 1