Herts Senior Cup, 22/2/99
London Colney 0(0)
Watford Res 1(0)
Team: Day 3, Boyce 3, Perpetuini 4, Langston 4, Panayi 3, Pluck 4, Grieves 3, Lee Johnson 2, Ougham 2, Cornock 2, Gudmundsson 2
Subs: Farley (for Boyce) 3, Maynard (for Grieves) 3
Scorers: Cornock (pen)
 
Reserves encourage health warning!
Report by Pete Fincham

The reserves struggled to a win against London Colney in last night's tedious annual effort against fellow Hertfordshire opposition.

On a pitch resembling a ploughed field, Watford controlled the game throughout, but lacked the killer touch in a game crying out for a bit of composure in midfield and in front of goal. However the freezing conditions and strong wind meant that for most of the ninety minutes the three hundred strong crowd stood in dread of extra time and penalties, hoping for a goal from either side just to end the tedium.

Playing Jamie Ougham and Grant Cornock up front, Watford certainly had the beating of the pedestrian Colney defence, but the Colney keeper played out of his skin to keep the half time score at 0-0. Ougham, Cornock, Gudmundsson and Perpetuini all forced good saves, and with the wind against Watford in the second half, it was felt that Colney could have made more of the natural advantage they had in the second half. However with Pluck, Panyai and new protege Langston standing firm at the back, Day in goal was rarely troubled. Indeed only defensive over-confidence and the wind caused him to have any real involvement in the game.

By the hour mark many of the crowd started to drift away as the cold had got the better of some. I managed to position my car just behind the Colney goal in time to see Cornock up-ended on 73 minutes and he casually tapped in the resulting penalty.

Both sides played out the final minutes at a near pedestrian pace, such was the intense cold, as Watford now 'look forward' to the final against either Borehamwood or Potters Bar sometime before June!

Playing a generally young side (only Pluck, Day and Guddy had made first team appearances excluding the Auto Windscreen). However I do question the wisdom of playing these games at this time of year when the pitches and the cold do nothing to encourage good football or decent crowds.

Bit like the League Cup really! Should be all finished by October!