7.69 SECONDS
Long nets quickest ever Premier League goal ...then Watford strike back in the 90th minute!
ON A NIGHT when Watford were filming for former chairman Sir Elton John’s forthcoming biopic Rocketman, Andre Gray provided the dramatic closing scene the directors would have wanted.
For a long time this was an occasion that was not going according to the script for Watford or the filmmakers. From 7.69 seconds in to the game, to be precise.
That was when Shane Long kicked off an eventful and, at times, bizarre night by scoring the fastest goal in Premier League history.
However, a game that had a stunning beginning had an ending to match when Gray struck with seconds remaining of normal time, earning Watford a point they ultimately deserved for their secondhalf response and taking the gloss off Long’s historic moment.
It was a shattering late blow for Southampton, who were excellent in the first half and minutes away from taking a giant step towards survival.
Instead the gap between themselvesves and the bottomm three is six pointss instead of eight, leaving them still a little concerned with what’s going on behind them.
Watford, meanwhile, returned to seventh spot withh a point, maintaining nursible their dual pursuit of two possible routes in to Europepe — via their league positionon and the FA Cup final, where they face Manchester City next month.
Hornets boss Javi Gracia said: ‘My players always are doing this, showing a lot of heart, very good spirit and playing this way.
‘We are getting goals at the end of games, good results because they don’t want to lose the games. It’s the only way we can compete the way we’re doing.’
As Watford celebrated Sir Elton and recorded scenes for Rocketman, a banner bearing that name was unfurled in the Rookery End at kick- off and club legend John Barnes led an Elton- themed singing competition at half-time.
Rather than Z Cars, the teams also walked out to the sounds of I’m Still Standing. Seconds in to the game, the same could not be said for Ledley King’s record for the fastest ever Premier League goal — 10 seconds against Bradford in 2000 — when Long charged down Craig Cathcart’s clearance anda burst through to scorescore. Long’sLon finish was justjus the seventh touchto of the game, a sumptuous chip over the onrushing Ben Foster. When Long was in the midst of his extraordinaryn 34- game goalg drought that fifinally ended last January,Ja it was hard to imagine him being so calm in front of goal. That is a distant memory now, though, and this was the Irishman’s third goal in four games. Long said: ‘ It’s nice to have records like that but it would have been nicer if it was a winning goal. But little things like that are nice records to have.’ Watford might have levelled, had Gray or Gerard Deulofeu shown the same composure as Long. Equally Southampton might have been out of sight as Long and Nathan Redmond, both went close twice in a frantic first half.
Watford were the dominant side after the break but it looked like being Southampton’s night.
Their defenders bravely repelled everything Watford hurled at them, while Angus Gunn denied Roberto Pereyra with a heroic late block.
But Southampton’s resistance was broken on 90 minutes when they failed to clear their lines and Gray’s effort found the top corner after taking a nick off an unlucky Maya Yoshida.
‘Now we have 37 points,’ said Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.
‘Before we have 40, we won’t speak about being safe. Now we have a home game against Bournemouth. I can’t imagine something more beautiful than taking the last step in front of our crowd.’
2 SOUTHAMPTON players now hold the record for the fastest Premier League goal and the fastest PL hat-trick (Sadio Mane v Aston Villa in 2015 — 2min 56sec between first and third goal).