OWLS DENY WATFORD TITLE
Nuhiu’s late strike gifts top spot to Bournemouth
ALATE leveller from Atdhe Nuhiu ripped the Championship title from Watford’s grasp – but even that couldn’t stop the Premier League party at Vicarage Road.
Ahead through Matej Vydra’s 16th goal of the season, the promoted Hornets appeared to have one hand on the trophy as a lacklustre Wednesday side struggled to get out of second gear.
But with supporters poised and ready to invade, Marnick Vermijl’s half-cleared free-kick was lofted back into the box and Nuhiu’s miscued strike – the visitors’ only shot on target in the entire 90 minutes – bounced beyond a despairing Heurelho Gomes.
As the Owls supporters joyously celebrated their act of sabotage, the title was winging it’s way south to Charlton, where Bournemouth had completed a 3-0 victory.
But as the yellow flares streamed smoke into the skies above Vicarage Road and players paraded the pitch hand-in-hand with their kids, all disappointment was forgotten. For the first time in eight years, the Hornets are in the Premier League.
“Initially, there was that bit of frustration,” said Watford’s top-scorer Troy Deeney.“But then the realisation kicks in.Who cares if you finish first or second? You’re still going up.
“Fair play to Bournemouth and congratulations to them, but I’m not going to let anything take the gloss off what’s happened here this season. We’ve won more games than anyone else. We haven’t lost here. One result does not define our season.
“Now we’ll have a little celebration. We’ll have a bit of fun this weekend. Then we’ve got the awards do on Sunday and the open-top bus parade on Monday.
“Then we’ll hopefully get away on holidays and come back ready to take on the big boys.”
With the top two separated by a point ahead of kick-off, the Football League had sent one trophy to The Valley and another to Vicarage Road (without revealing which was bona fide), along with a couple of sets of medals.
And for a long time it looked as if the South London silverware would go unetched as Watford – promoted last weekend – ran riot. By the time Vydra nodded home after Deeney’s shot was saved by Chris
Kirkland, the Hornets had already had a decent penalty shout rejected and seen Almen Abdi blast a six-yard sitter over the crossbar.
And the chances kept coming - from Marco Motta, Deeney and Abdi again, the Swiss midfielder in uncharacteristically careless form. “We could have had six or seven,” said Deeney, and he wasn’t exaggerating.
But Wednesday are nothing if not resilient. Tackle by tackle, pass by pass, and aided by a suddenly hesitant Watford, the visitors inched their way into the game.
And though they never genuinely threatened, a foul by Matthew Connolly in the 91st-minute gave them the chance they’d waited for. Vermijl’s free-kick was cleared by Deeney, then nodded back in. Nuhiu did little more than swing a leg but, with Gomes already heading to earth, the ball bounced up and over the Watford keeper.
It was a goal that leaves Watford without a trophy since the Division Four title in 1978 and infuriated the terminally downbeat Slavisa Jokanovic, who said he was “100 per cent sure” that Nuhiu was offside.
Already the club’s fourth manager of the season when he signed a season-long deal in September, Jokanovic now hopes his work in steadying the ship will result in a longer contract.
“I want to stay, I am happy here and this is a great club who gave me my chance,” he said.
“I feel I have done a great job for them and now it is their turn to give me something back.”
After a season of solid progress, Wednesday boss Stuart Gray should also be around next season though, like Deeney, he was clearly keen to get off on his holidays. The 55-year-old made off through a rear exit without facing the press.