Wow! Town managed to pull off an unlikely 1-0 victory in a tight game against Watford that was decided by an exceptional moment in injury time. Tom Ince slotted home from close range after Zanka produced a wonderful square pass with the outside of his boot.
Here are a few of my thoughts about the match…
Not a classic game, but a good performance from Town
Before Ince popped up with the winner the game seemed destined to for a 0-0 draw. Town put in a spirited performance but we had the same old problem of struggling to convert decent football into clear chances.
Watford looked low on confidence and our pressing game forced them into making poor mistakes when attacking Town in the final third. We seemed the more aggressive and positive of the two teams but we didn’t manage a shot on goal until Ince’s moment of magic in injury time.
I think Town deserved to win on the balance of play. It was tense and the opportunities were limited for both sides but Town kept plugging away and managed to find the opening we needed in the dying moments.
Zanka’s best game in a Town shirt
Zanka will be remembered for his excellent assist for our winning goal, but his all-round performance had been excellent until that point too. He completely snuffed out Troy Deeney’s physical presence up front and dominated him in the air.
It was pleasing to see him beat Deeney at his own game, when the big Watford man whined at the referee for having his shirt ripped in an altercation with Zanka at a corner. It was clearly a frustrating afternoon for Deeney and this was mostly due to Zanka’s solid defensive work.
I’d also like to give the Danish international some credit for his distribution against Watford. He’s drawn criticism at times for wasteful long balls and poor passing, but he played a few sublime long balls to set attacks off, with Quaner and Hadergjonaj often latching on to his well-placed lofted balls forward.
Ince gets his moment to shine
Tom Ince has had a tough first season at Town. He’s had more shots on goal than any other Town player but prior to yesterday had only scored one Premier League goal. In his defence, he’s had to play out of position in the number 10 role which he’s not suited to. And he’s shown character during his poor spells by keeping on getting into the right positions even when the ball hasn’t been going in the net for him.
Obviously the goal against Watford didn’t take a great deal of skill to finish, but Ince’s drive and determination meant his run brought him to the right place at the right time to have that easy chance. Prior to the goa,l Ince had made a difference since coming on as a sub, driving the team forward and working hard to put pressure on Watford when we didn’t have the ball.
One goal doesn’t change the story of Ince’s season, but his goal could be the difference between survival and relegation for Town. If that proves to be the case then Ince has more than repaid his £8m transfer fee.
Unbelievable celebrations
The relief and elation inside the John Smith’s Stadium was incredible when Ince scored. This last two years have produced some amazing moments, but I’d place the celebrations after yesterday’s goal as my third favourite moment of the Wagner era, with only the playoff semi at Hillsborough and final at Wembley producing a more enjoyable celebration.
The fact the goal came so late on, added to Southampton losing earlier in the day, Ince being the scorer, and the fact Watford looked fairly comfortable until the goal all made it something special. Seeing the players, coaches, subs, and fans all going crazy was one of those moments I’ll never forget.
I’ve been a Town fan for over twenty years but this last two years have provided at least seven of my top-ten favourite moments. It feels almost unfair that following Town recently has meant enjoying so many amazing achievements, after so many years of relative obscurity and disappointment.
Are Town safe yet?
No. But the injury-time goal yesterday was the difference between Town being odds-on to go down and being outsiders. So we’re now in a commanding position and if other results go our way we may have enough points already. If not then a couple of draws or a solitary win from our last four games should be enough.
I’m trying not to spend too much time agonising over the remaining Premier League fixtures of the bottom teams. Having said that, it looks like Southampton have to win two and draw one of their last five to catch us, and Stoke need to win three out of five. Given both teams are currently experiencing miserable winless runs it would be a surprise if they suddenly start winning.
A win against Everton in Town’s next game will mean that fans can stop endlessly predicting the final league table and feel comfortable that we’ll retain our Premier League status. Otherwise we may have to hope we can get something from our three final games against top-six opposition or pray for other results to go our way.
Excellent article. Always enjoy reading your blog.
Another great blog.
Loved it. Thanks. Intrigued to hear what the other three favourite moments might be.
Great article. I read everything about Town 6 times a day.
Steve Bates Australia