Deulofeu’s slalom-run solo effort sets Watford on path to victory
Gerard Deulofeu has not had the smoothest of career paths, with seven changes of club in the past seven years, but the 24-year-old forward showed why he is so highly rated with a sparkling display and a spectacular goal in Watford’s 3-2 win over Cardiff.
The one-time wonderkid from Barcelona has had a hit-and-miss start to his career at Watford, having signed in the summer following a loan move last January but lit up a grim afternoon yesterday and set his team on their way to a first win since October with a sensational solo goal in the 16th minute.
On a slippery pitch and near-freezing conditions, Deulofeu looked like he was on a slalom run as he waltzed past three defenders into the penalty area and calmly slotted past goalkeeper Neil Etheridge to open the scoring.
He then teed up Jose Holebas for the goal that doubled Watford’s lead early in the second-half, and when Portuguese teenager Domingo Quina made it 3-0 in the 68th minute, the Hornets looked home and hosed.
However, two goals in two minutes from Cardiff in the closing stages set up a frantic finale, and Javi Gracia was as relieved as he was happy with his side’s first victory in seven games.
“We deserved to win because of the way we played for 70 minutes but were in danger of losing in the final part of the game. We need to defend better,” he said. The manager was delighted with Deulofeu’s display but challenged the Spaniard to maintain these high standards. “He has to show this level day by day. If we want to keep our level up as a team, we have to keep that level as individuals. That applies to Gerard as well.”
Deulofeu gave Holebas two good chances either side of half-time. On the first, the left-back put his shot too close to Etheridge, who saved. Seven minutes into the second half, he made no mistake, running on to Deulofeu’s cutback and curling in to the far corner.
It looked like the game was effectively over as a contest 15 minutes later when Quino curled a beauty past Etheridge from the edge of the penalty area to make it 3-0, but Neil Warnock’s side rallied, although too little, too late. Watford keeper Ben Foster was finally beaten 10 minutes from the end when Junior Hoilett shot past him from 25 yards and substitute Bobby Reid poked the ball past him two minutes later, but Watford held on to send Cardiff to their seventh defeat in eight away games.
Warnock fired a parting shot at inexperienced referee Andrew Madley. “I was sitting next to Andre Marriner, one of our best refs, on the sidelines, while they have this young ref on the pitch. Maybe they thought ‘it’s only Cardiff, let’s experiment’.”
Watford (4-3-3) Foster 6; Femenia 6, Cathcart 6, Kabasele 6, Holebas 7; Sema 6 (Success 76), Doucoure 7, Quina 7; Deulofeu 9 (Cleverley 86), Deeney 6 (Okaka 81), Pereyra 6. Subs Gomes (g), Mariappa, Masina, Chalobah. Cardiff (4-5-1) Etheridge 8; Ecuele Maga 6, Bamba 7, Morrison 6, Bennett 6 (Peltier 59); Hoilett 6, Camarasa 6, Gunnarsson 6 (Reid 76), Arter 7, Murphy 6 (Mendez-Laing 46); Paterson 6. Subs Peltier, Ralls, Zohore, Smithies (g), Harris. Referee Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire).