Roy shrugs off virus threat as Ayew seals win
APPARENTLY, part of the Premier League’s coronavirus contingency plan involves them considering a ban on over-70s attending matches. How strange it would be to not see Roy Hodgson stood on the touchline.
It is a place Hodgson — 72 years young and the head coach of Palace — has called home since his first job in management with Swedish side Halmstad in 1976.
Hodgson is still winning, too. Here he celebrated the signing of a new one-year contract with a third consecutive victory, taking Palace closer to the top half.
They beat a Watford side who vanquished Liverpool at Vicarage Road last week. This brought the visitors crashing down to earth.
‘I’ll wait and see what happens,’ Hodgson said when quizzed on the coronavirus talks. ‘I presume they’re thinking of that to protect us. Whatever decisions are made we have to abide by. I’ll worry about it when the time comes, but I’ve never felt happier or healthier.
‘From 30 points to 39 in three games is a fantastic lift. I’ve such faith in this team. I can’t see us letting that go and catapulting down the league.’
This was a scrappy affair; very stop-start. It was notable for the sound of referee Anthony Taylor’s whistle, and eight players were shown yellow cards as tempers flared.
A fine finish from the in-form Jordan Ayew settled it. Watford, outside of the relegation zone only on goal difference, did not look at the races.
‘You’ve got to take your chances, that’s the bottom line,’ said manager Nigel Pearson.
‘In the entirety of the game we played with good intensity. But it is what it is. There is no point wasting energy now dwelling on this for too long.’
Troy Deeney, the Watford captain, took charge of the pre-match huddle and you wonder whether he had something to say on Wilfried Zaha, that Palace menace.
It was two years ago that Deeney, after a 2-1 win at Vicarage Road, revealed their game plan for Zaha: ‘You take it in turns kicking him.’
True to form, Kiko Femenia became the first name in the book after hacking the Palace winger down by the halfway line. The hosts scored after 28 minutes, with only their seventh first-half goal of 2019-20.
It started with Watford defender Christian Kabasele taking a whack to the face from Christian Benteke. He stayed down, but Taylor decided not to blow his whistle.
Benteke fed Zaha and the ball made its way to Ayew. He spied a gap between two blockers and beat keeper Ben Foster nicely in his corner.
Selhurst Park came to life. Sixteen of Palace’s 28 Premier
League games this season had been goalless at half-time, more than any other side. But not this one.
Before the break, Zaha was being told to calm down by his boss and team-mate James McArthur.
The winger had been cautioned for a foul on Etienne Capoue and was livid with Taylor. McArthur told him to refocus, so Zaha had a go at him too.
Pearson had a big half-time team talk ahead. If the Hornets want to remain a Premier League club these are the matches to win.
Pearson walked out of the tunnel for the second half looking calm and carrying a Bovril. On the pitch, however, things were getting heated and Watford were applying wind-up tactics. Zaha was fouled again and Palace’s players wanted a yellow card for the perpetrator. Capoue then pushed his head into the 27-year-old and Zaha reacted by pushing him in the face. The Palace man, remember, was already on a yellow so his reaction was risky. Taylor let him off.
The second half had been a scrappy affair and in the 56th minute Zaha knocked the ball past Craig Cathcart before directing a shot at Watford goalkeeper Foster.
Deeney tried his luck from 25 yards with a rising effort that required fingertips from Vicente Guaita to tip it over. The Palace goalkeeper then pushed a Doucoure header wide.
Palace saw it out, securing Hodgson the latest win of a coaching career spanning 44 years.