Watford 4-1 Leeds: Fernando Forestieri steals the show at Vicarage Road as Leeds end the match with nine men
Mail 23/8/14By ADAM SHERGOLD
After a testing week in which his managerial methods were scrutinised and his Watford ‘family’ looked close to a break-up, this was a satisfying afternoon for Beppe Sannino.
Finding himself on the receiving end of a volley of abuse when Lloyd Dyer scored at Rotherham in midweek, the Italian was forced to admit that as ‘father’ to a squad of ’24 brothers’, he couldn’t possibly keep everyone happy with enough game time.
It led to rumours of a widening rift within the squad but, with Dyer dropped and unity restored on the pitch at least, it was very much a happy home at Vicarage Road on Saturday as woeful Leeds United were comfortably beaten.
Two wonderful goals from Fernando Forestieri, a free-kick from Daniel Tozser and a Troy Deeney penalty after debutant Giuseppe Bellusci had been dismissed brought back the Hornets’ harmony and, as Leeds hover above the Championship relegation places, turned up the pressure on Dave Hockaday.
Watford’s opener was a thing of beauty. From Tozser’s inswinging corner, Deeney and Gianni Munari whisked the ball between statuesque Leeds defenders to free Forestieri.
He saw his initial low shot blocked by Marco Silvestri but the ball popped up obligingly for Italian-Argentine to head home.
But after such a moment of such quick minds and swift feet came a lapse in concentration and a clumsy boot that gifted Leeds an equaliser.
Billy Sharp found space to cross low from the right and, though the ball was heading for nobody in particular, it was diverted beyond Heurelho Gomes by Tamas’s outstretched leg.
It was pretty much all Leeds created. Sharp was lively, as was Michael Tonge, but debutant striker Mirco Antenucci, signed from Serie B outfit Ternana in the week, struggled to keep pace.
The other new boy Bellusci, the centre-back known as ‘The Warrior’ by fans at his previous club Catania, wasn’t exactly heroic when he allowed Tommie Hoban a free header from Almen Abdi’s corner. Luckily for Leeds, he put it over the bar.
But that was just the beginning of Bellusci’s problems. Shortly before the hour, Forestieri burst into the Leeds box and the Italian hacked him down. Referee James Linington had little choice but to show a red card.
Deeney had impressed most for Watford. His vivid orange boots acted as a beacon for pretty much every attack. Always willing, always running, he was adept at holding the ball up and sparking his team into life.
He proved reliable at penalty taking too, sending the ball straight down the middle to restore Watford’s lead.
From then on, it was one-way traffic and the livewire Forestieri, collecting the ball on the left-hand side of the box, skipped past challenge after challenge before seeing his shot trickle in off the inside of the post for his third of the season.
Surely it couldn't get any worse for Leeds? It certainly did. Tozser fired home a lovely free-kick in injury time, before Sam Byram saw red for a senseless head-butt on Daniel Pudil.