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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Watford v Middlesbrough: Championship – live! | Watford v Middlesbrough: Championship – live! |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.49pm BST12:49 | |
| 17 min: Middlesbrough win a free-kick wide on the left courtesy of a Gabriele Angelia tug on Patrick Bamford. Rather than swing the ball into the penalty area, they play it across the field to Lee Tomlin, whose delivery into the box is too weighty. The ball rolls wide. | |
| 12.47pm BST12:47 | |
| 15 min: Amorebieta concedes a free-kick for a shove on Ighalo, who was struggling to control a bullet-pass from Parades. | |
| 12.45pm BST12:45 | |
| 13 min: Boro win a free-kick about 40 yards from the Watford goal, well right of centre. Despite the distance, Grant Leadbitter decides he fancies his chances and does enough to get Heurelho Gomes scampering across his line to save his sterling effort, which looked like it was going to go wide of the left upright, but not by much. | |
| 12.43pm BST12:43 | |
| 11 min: From midfield, Troy Deeney sends a long ball down the inside left channel for Ighalo to chase. Goalkeeper Konstantopolous is quick off his line to win the ball and avert the danger. | |
| Updated at 12.45pm BST | |
| 12.42pm BST12:42 | |
| 9 min: Guidioura sends a cross into the Middlesbrough penalty area from the right flank, but Amorebieta heads it clear. The ball is returned to the penalty area from the left, courtesy of Ikechi Anya, and Troy Deeney attempts to head it goalwards. Over the bar. | |
| 12.39pm BST12:39 | |
| 8 min: Troy Deeney wins a bouncing ball halfway inside the Boro half and hares towards goal, but Jonathan Woodgate is quickly out to dispossess him. | |
| 12.38pm BST12:38 | |
| 6 min: It’s a lively, entertaining start. Watson plays a long ball forward for Watford striker Odion Ighalo to chase, but Albert Adomah closes him down. Middlesbrough are looking pretty comfortable on the ball thus far. | |
| 12.36pm BST12:36 | |
| 5 min: Adomah picks up the ball in the centre and runs up a blind alley, but wins a corner for Boro. Grant Leadbitter sends the ball towards the edge of the penalty area and Watford clear their lines. The ball finds its way back to Leadbitter, who is flagged for offside. | |
| 12.35pm BST12:35 | |
| 3 min: George Friend picks out Bamford in midfield as Middlesbrough play the ball out from the back. With play swtiched to the right, Adomah gets in behind Parades, who was ball-watching and darts towards goal. Ikechi Anya slides in to rob him off the ball and spare his left-back’s blushes. | |
| 12.33pm BST12:33 | |
| 2 min: From a Dimitrios Konstantopolous hoof out of the Middlesbrough penalty area, Bamford wins the header in midfield and sends the ball skidding towards the Watford penalty area. After some minor dithering in the defensive ranks, it’s cleared before Adam Reach can pounce. | |
| 12.31pm BST12:31 | |
| It's game on at Vicarage Road ... | |
| 1 min: Middlesbrough get the ball rolling on what could be one of the most significant days in the season of both teams. Patrick Bamford and Lee Tomlin do the honours, with the former rolling the ball back to George Friend, who lumps the ball forward. Craig Cathcart wins the header for Watford. | |
| 12.28pm BST12:28 | |
| Not long now: The sun is shining and Vicarage Road is rocking as Troy Deeney and Jonathan Woodgate lead their teams out to the theme tune of Z Cars. Kick-off is imminent. | |
| Updated at 12.29pm BST | |
| 12.23pm BST12:23 | |
| One to watch ... | |
| Watford have scored 44 goals at home this season, a feat that hasn’t been bettered by any team in the English league. Odion Ighalo has been responsible for many of them and is currently on a scoring streak of 15 in his past 13 league games. He starts alongside Troy Deeney in a two-pronged attack. | |
| 12.14pm BST12:14 | 12.14pm BST12:14 |
| Both Middlesbrough's new loan signings start | Both Middlesbrough's new loan signings start |
| Dwight Tiendalli and Fernando Amorebieta start at right back and centre-back respectively for Middlesbrough this afternoon, in what one could argue might constitute a gamble for Aitor Karanka at this stage of the seasons. Amorebieta will play alongside Jonathan Woodgate, who makes back-to-back starts after returning from a toe injury. | Dwight Tiendalli and Fernando Amorebieta start at right back and centre-back respectively for Middlesbrough this afternoon, in what one could argue might constitute a gamble for Aitor Karanka at this stage of the seasons. Amorebieta will play alongside Jonathan Woodgate, who makes back-to-back starts after returning from a toe injury. |
| 11.58am BST11:58 | 11.58am BST11:58 |
| Watford v Middlesbrough line-ups | Watford v Middlesbrough line-ups |
| Watford:Gomes, Cathcart, Angella. Hoban, Paredes, Tozser, Watson, Guedioura, Anya, Deeney, Ighalo. | Watford:Gomes, Cathcart, Angella. Hoban, Paredes, Tozser, Watson, Guedioura, Anya, Deeney, Ighalo. |
| Subs: Connolly, Munari, Layun, Pudil, Vydra, Abdi, Bond. | Subs: Connolly, Munari, Layun, Pudil, Vydra, Abdi, Bond. |
| Middlesbrough:Konstantopoulos, Tiendalli, Amorebieta, Woodgate, Friend, Leadbitter, Clayton, Adomah, Tomlin, Reach, Bamford. | Middlesbrough:Konstantopoulos, Tiendalli, Amorebieta, Woodgate, Friend, Leadbitter, Clayton, Adomah, Tomlin, Reach, Bamford. |
| Subs: Gibson, Garcia, Ripley, Whitehead, Vossen, Kalas, Forshaw. | Subs: Gibson, Garcia, Ripley, Whitehead, Vossen, Kalas, Forshaw. |
| Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire) | Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire) |
| Updated at 12.00pm BST | Updated at 12.00pm BST |
| 11.50am BST11:50 | 11.50am BST11:50 |
| Match preview | Match preview |
| Things could scarcely be tighter at the summit of the Championship table, where the top four sides are separated by just two points and the gap between Middlesbrough in first place and Wolves in eighth is just seven. | Things could scarcely be tighter at the summit of the Championship table, where the top four sides are separated by just two points and the gap between Middlesbrough in first place and Wolves in eighth is just seven. |
| With just six games each left, Fourth place Watford entertain Middlesbrough today and a home win would catapult the Hornets to the top of the table for a couple of hours at least ahead of this afternoon’s fixtures. | With just six games each left, Fourth place Watford entertain Middlesbrough today and a home win would catapult the Hornets to the top of the table for a couple of hours at least ahead of this afternoon’s fixtures. |
| Watford’s medical staff will assess the fitness of three players before manager Slavisa Jokanovic names his team, with midfielder Almen Abdi and strikers Fernando Forestieri and Matej Vydra all hoping to be fit to face Boro. Defender Marco Motta will definitely miss out, having been sent off during Watford’s 2-2 draw with Derby County on a bad Good Friday for him. | Watford’s medical staff will assess the fitness of three players before manager Slavisa Jokanovic names his team, with midfielder Almen Abdi and strikers Fernando Forestieri and Matej Vydra all hoping to be fit to face Boro. Defender Marco Motta will definitely miss out, having been sent off during Watford’s 2-2 draw with Derby County on a bad Good Friday for him. |
| Having steered his side to the top of the table courtesy of their win over Wigan at the weekend, Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka will have to make do without defenders Ryan Fredericks and Daniel Ayala, who are bother recovering from injury, but the rotation-happy manager could play one or both of his new signings, central defender Fernando Amorebiata and full-back Dwight Tiendalli, who have come in on loan from Fulham and Swansea City respectively. Kick-off is 12.30pm (BST), but we’ll have team news and build-up from noon. | Having steered his side to the top of the table courtesy of their win over Wigan at the weekend, Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka will have to make do without defenders Ryan Fredericks and Daniel Ayala, who are bother recovering from injury, but the rotation-happy manager could play one or both of his new signings, central defender Fernando Amorebiata and full-back Dwight Tiendalli, who have come in on loan from Fulham and Swansea City respectively. Kick-off is 12.30pm (BST), but we’ll have team news and build-up from noon. |