Bachmann pulls out all the stops to deny Neil’s outfit
NEW signing Rey Manaj missed a golden chance to give Watford victory on his first start for the Hornets.
The 25-year-old former Albanian international was put through beautifully by Yaser Asprilla to face exposed Preston keeper Freddie Woodman in a one-on-one showdown.
But with the goal at his mercy, Manaj fluffed his lines to blast his effort high over the bar.
It was a cruel moment for the former Barcelona man – signed on a three-year deal at Vicarage Road – but Preston deserved their slice of luck to keep their unbeaten run going.
Only a brilliant display by Hornets keeper Daniel Bachmann saved his side from almost certain goal-bound efforts in the first half.
Watford boss Rob Edwards said: “I thought we could have won it but I’m well aware that our keeper made some great saves.
“I’m not sure how it ended up 0-0 with the chances both teams had.
“Preston is a hard place to come to and they are a good outfit who have kept five clean sheets in a row.
“It was a tight game and we have gained a valuable point away from home.”
North End boss Ryan Lowe said: “It got a bit risky as we tried to get that breakthrough goal, but I thought we were fantastic.
“We had eight shots and four of those on target, but came up against a top quality keeper who made some great saves.
“It’s magnificent to go five games without conceding but frustrating not to get more than one at the other end. But we were up against a side who were in the Premier League last season and it was never going to be easy.” The end-to-end game was full-blooded from the start. A neat passing move by Preston saw Daniel
Johnson and Robbie Brady combine, with Andrew Hughes teeing-up skipper Alan Browne.
His fierce drive brought a reaction palm over from Bachmann, the first of many blocks and saves by the Austrian international.
But Watford soon showed their class. Their Ivory
Coast star Vakoun Bayo twice got himself in the thick of action.
The big striker saw one close-range effort blocked and turned over for a corner. Then, the man known as ‘The Crow’ – for his aerial ability in his days at Celtic – took advantage of a lucky deflection, only to see his shot kept out by Woodman. At the other end Troy Parrott, on loan from Spurs, shot straight at Bachmann as Preston piled on the pressure.
Johnson found himself in acres of space but blasted his low drive wide.
For Watford, a Bayo header missed the target, and when he set up teammate Francisco Sierralta, the Chilean International saw his headed effort saved by Woodman. It may have been goalless but it had action galore.
PRESTON: Woodman 6; Storey 6, Lindsay 7, Hughes 6 (Cunningham
(18) 6); Potts 6, Whiteman 6, Ledson 6 (Mccann (74) 5), Brady 7; Johnson 7
(Riis (65) 6), Browne 7 (Woodburn (74) 5), Parrott 6
WATFORD: Bachmann 8; Kabasele 7, Sierralta 6, Cathcart 7; Kamara 6, Choudhury 6, Sema 6; Kayembe 6; Asprilla 7 (Gosling (80) 5), Manaj 6 (Hungbo (84) 5), Bayo 7
STAR MAN: Daniel Bachmann. Keeper showed his class with saves and blocks.
REF: Darren Bond 7