HEARTBREAK FOR HOLEBAS AFTER RED CARD

BAD day for Watford. A heartbreaking one for their defender Jose Holebas. As errors of judgments go, his decision to place a hand on Michail Antonio’s shoulder as the West Ham forward raced towards goal was as bad as they come. Antonio hit the deck and Holebas was shown a straight red card, wrecking his hopes of playing in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester City. The agony was etched all over the Hornets defender’s face. ‘I can’t believe a player can miss the final for that play, in my opinion it wasn’t a foul,’ said manager Javi Gracia. ‘I can’t think about not being without him for the final, it’s difficult to accept.’ It isn’t the only quandary Gracia has to contend with this week. Since his side’s unforgettable semi-final win over Wolves, Watford have won just once in six, against already relegated Huddersfield. As for West Ham, their 10thplaced finish represents a relative success given the dreadful start they made to the season in which they lost their first four league games. The scoreline flattered Manuel Pellegrini’s side. But the Hammers, who have won their final three games of the season under the Chilean, appear to be heading in the right direction. ‘Finishing 10th, considering some of things that happened, is a good way to finish. But next season we can improve,’ said Pellegrini (right). Despite dominating the first 45 minutes, Watford were 2-0 down at half-time courtesy of Mark Noble’s well-taken goal and Manuel Lanzini’s header into an empty net after Antonio’s effort hit the bar. Gerard Deulofeu gave Watford hope inside 15 seconds of the restart, but Holebas’s dismissal was a set-back that could not be overcome. Marko Arnautovic’s 71st-minute goal and Noble’s second, from the spot, his 50th in the Premier League, completed the rout.