WATFORD 1 Dawson (og, 83) HULL CITY 0
A LATE own- goal by Hull captain Michael Dawson handed Watford victory over the Tigers in a largely uninspiring afternoon at Vicarage Road.
Mike Phelan’s visitors have now lost six Premier League games in succession, but this 1-0 defeat was nothing like the recent routs they suffered on the road at the hands of Liverpool and Bournemouth.
Hull headed into the game on a five-game losing streak with an aggregate scoreline of 19-3, but they were resolute here until Dawson inadvertently directed Nordin Am ra bat’ s shot past David Marshall with just seven minutes remaining.
Watford were not at their best, despite manager Walter Mazzarri declaring any potential English Football League sanctions for the alleged falsifying of a financial document would not affect his players on the pitch.
Unsurprisingly, it was the in-form Hornets who started the game on top, as Younes Kaboul rattled the crossbar with a powerful header inside five minutes.
Phelan’s side slowly grew into the contest and Ryan Mason forced Heurelho Gomes into his first meaningful save with an effort from just outside the box.
Watford’s Sebastian Prodl could then only head wide when picked out inside the box by Amrabat.
Amrabat almost accidentally created the opening goal shortly afterwards, his wayward shot was headed into the ground by Troy Deeney but the ball bounced up and over the bar from two yards out.
Watford were again the faster starters after the interval but Roberto Pereyra curled well wide when picked out on the
edge of the Hull box. Abel Hernandez then latched on to Will Keane’s header to break through one-onone with Gomes but could only hit a tame shot which the Watford keeper saved with ease.
The visitors’ back three stood up well to the physical threat of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo, who headed over a halfchance with 20 minutes remaining. But the Hull back line was finally breached in the cruellest of fashions as Amrabat – man- of- the- match on a dour afternoon of football – hammered in a shot which ricocheted off Dawson and past Marshall.
The win keeps Watford in the top half of the Premier League table and means Hull remain inside the bottom three, having not taken a point since a 1- 1 draw at Burnley on September 10.