Championship
Watford
Oct 4, 2014 3.00pm
1
1
HT : 0 0
FT
Brighton
  • Lloyd Doyley 30' yellowcard
  • Daniel Tozser 53' goal
  • Matej Vydra 58' yellowcard
  • Juan Carlos Paredes 65' yellowcard
  • Gianni Munari 71' yellowcard
  • yellowcard Gary Gardner 51'
  • yellowcard Bruno 52'
  • goal Lewis Dunk 77'

Live Commentary: Watford 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion - as it happened

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Watford 1-1 Brighton - as it happened
© Getty Images

New Watford head coach Billy McKinlay took charge of his second game with the Hornets earlier on Saturday as out-of-form Brighton & Hove Albion visited Vicarage Road.

Sami Hyypia's Seagulls were without a win in six and that's now seven after they fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against high-flying Watford.

Read how it all unfolded in our minute-by-minute updates below.

5.08pmAnyway, it's time for us to say goodbye and thank you for joining us this afternoon. Have a click around to find match reports for all of today's Championship games and much, much more on SM. See you again soon.

5.06pmBrighton stay 19th and are still after their third win of the season.

5.04pmWatford climb a place up to second and keep pace with Norwich, who were also held to a 1-1 draw at home by Rotherham. Still-unbeaten Forest will go above both of them if they end Ipswich's own five-game unbeaten run tomorrow.

5.02pmClick here to see how the table looks with just Forest and Ipswich left to play in gameweek 11.

4.59pmAs for Watford, McKinlay is now unbeaten in his two games in charge. However, he will have definitely fancied winning another game at home after the midweek win over Brentford.

4.56pmOne apiece it finishes then and Brighton's winless streak is extended to seven. However, Hyypia will be much happier with how his side played today and it's a good way to go into the two-week international break.

90+7 minFULL-TIME: WATFORD 1-1 BRIGHTON

90+3 minMoments later it's McCourt who dances up to the Watford area before firing over with his left foot. Brighton are well on top in added time!

90+2 minCHANCE! What a difference LuaLua has made! Again his trickery and pace is too much for the Watford defence and his latest cross somehow goes all the way across goal without getting a telling touch.

90+1 minFIVE minutes added on at the end of the 90. Will we see a winner?

90 minCHANCE! Brighton have the chance to win it as the impressive LuaLua, who has surely earned a start in Brighton's next game after the international break, beats Paredes down the left wing before his cross into the middle is missed by Gardner.

88 minSAVE! A chance for Vydra to win it as he runs onto McGugan's through-ball before firing across goal with his left foot. It's a good strike from the Czech, but Stockdale is equal to it and parries away.

85 minMcKinlay still has a change to make and must surely be thinking about bringing on striker Ighalo.

82 minLuaLua lines it up and rifles it into the wall.

81 minMunari needs to be careful! He's already been booked and just tripped up Bennett on the edge of the box. Great chance for the Seagulls to complete a quick turnaround...

77 minAnd conceding that corner comes back to cost Watford! The Seagulls' first set piece was met by O'Grady and his header took a nick off a Watford player for another corner. From the second one the visitors equalise through centre-back Dunk, whose near-post flick flies into the net. That's four now this season for the defender!

77 minGOAL! WATFORD 1-1 BRIGHTON (DUNK)

76 minExtremely suspect defending from Munari as he needlessly concedes a corner from LuaLua's hooked cross. Gomes was out of position so maybe he just thought 'safety first'.

75 minWATFORD SUB: McKinlay makes his second change as Sean Murray comes on for Dyer.

74 min

72 minBRIGHTON SUB: Crofts is down injured and still receiving treatment as Paddy McCourt comes on to replace him. Worrying signs for the Seagulls.

72 minBOOKING! Another second-half booking, this time for Watford's Munari. Watford 4-2 Brighton reads the yellow-card count.

71 min

70 minCLOSE! Much better from Brighton and LuaLua has certainly made an impact since coming on. He beats his man with a step-over before his low cross is almost turned into his own net by Ekstrand.

69 minThis afternoon's attendance at Vicarage Road is 16,531, with 1,886 making the trip North from Brighton.

68 minMcGugan is well known for his shooting ability from range but this time he pulls his 25-yard strike a yard or so wide of the far post.

65 minBOOKING! A fourth booking of the second half as Paredes barges over LuaLua.

64 minAmbitious effort from range by LuaLua that swerves a good few yards wide of the target. Brighton have still managed just one shot on target.

62 minWATFORD SUB: A moment later and it's time for McKinlay's first substitution. He brings on Lewis McGugan for Abdi in the centre of midfield.

61 minBRIGHTON SUB: Another change from the visitors as Danny Holla replaces Ince, who will surely get a roasting from Hyypia for the way he broke away from the wall for Watford's goal.

58 minBOOKING! Vydra goes into the book for a rash tackle on LuaLua.

54 minBRIGHTON SUB: Shortly after the goal, Hyypia makes his first change and as I predicted its LuaLua who comes on for Colunga. The latter had a very ineffectual game and was outshone by Teixeira and O'Grady in the Brighton attack.

53 minAbdi messed up his free-kick chance in the first half so it's Tozser who takes this one and he scores! Terrible from the Brighton wall, which broke formation to allow Tozser's low curler through and into the corner. I think Ince was the man guilty of creating the gap. Unacceptable from the Seagulls midfielder.

53 minGOAL! WATFORD 1-0 BRIGHTON (TOZSER)

52 minBOOKING! Bruno is booked soon after but Watford are furious that the whistle was blown as Abdi had the ball in the box and might have been able to get off a shot. He should have played advantage really. Anyway, Watford now with a free kick in a great position about 23 yards out and just left of centre.

51 minBOOKING! The first Brighton player to be cautioned is Aston Villa loanee Gardner, who cynically tripped up Anya after the Scot had pipped him to the ball.

49 minSome of the Watford fans behind the goal scream "PENALTY!" as the ball hits Dunk and bobbles out for a corner. Referee Hooper rightly signals to the corner flag as it hit the Brighton defender on the chest.

47 minWithout Craig Mackail-Smith in the squad today, Brighton have fewer attacking options in their squad. Kazenga LuaLua might be the best option off the bench. For Watford, Ighalo is likely to be the first to come on if they need a goal.

46 minKICKOFF! Home side Watford get us back underway in the sunshine.

4.04pmThe two teams are back out for the second half and there's been no changes from either manager.

4.02pmThe half-time stats back up the fact that it was a pretty even half. Both sides had just one shot on target, with Brighton impressively having more possession (53%) away from home.

3.59pmAs you can see, although Watford are set to climb two places with a point, Brighton are actually falling down to 20th with the current scores.

3.58pmEven though Watford aren't winning here, as things stand the Hornets will be going top of the table! Norwich are losing at home to Rotherham and with Forest not playing Ipswich until tomorrow, this is a real chance for Watford to go clear at the top. Click here to see the full table as it stands.

3.54pmHALF-TIME SCORES! Here's the Championship latest after 45 minutes:

Blackburn 0-0 Huddersfield Bolton 0-0 Bournemouth Brentford 2-0 Reading Charlton 1-0 Birmingham Derby 0-0 Millwall Middlesbrough 0-0 Fulham Norwich 0-1 Rotherham Wolves 1-2 Wigan

3.50pmA bit of a nothing half there. Brighton started really well but tailed off towards the end as Watford began to assert themselves.

45+2 minHALF-TIME: WATFORD 0-0 BRIGHTON

45+1 minJust one minute added on at the end of the first half.

44 min"WHEY!" jeer the visiting fans as Toszer kicks at nothing but air when trying to hammer the ball across goal. Watford ending the half on the front foot.

41 minCHANCE! Watford storm forward on the counter-attack after clearing a Brighton corner. Vydra sets Paredes away down the right before Ecuadorian finds the Czech with a return cross. Vydra has his back to goal and shoots left-footed on the turn and skies it well over the bar.

37 minNice link-up play between Teixeira and O'Grady, with the latter firing his shot into the near side-netting from a narrow angle right of the goal.

35 minCHANCE! Watford have a free kick left of centre about 30 yards out and Toszer's outswinger is into the perfect area between goalkeeper and defence. Hoban arrives at the back post but can't quite reach it to prod home.

30 minBOOKING! The first yellow card of the game is shown to Doyley for a blatant handball as Brighton were looking to streak down the other end.

28 minCareless play from Brighton on the edge of their own area. Watford win it back and Toszer slips in Anya down the inside-left channel. The Scot's low cross is hoofed clear by Dunk.

25 minSAVE! Munari does really well to control a header from a fizzed-in corner from the left. The ball was definitely looping under the crossbar but there was Stockdale to clutch the ball to his chest.

24 minFantastic cross from the right by Bruno after a quick one-two with O'Grady. Unfortunately for Brighton, there was not a single red-and-black shirt in the box to challenge for it.

22 minAnya and Abdi are both close to reaching Tozser's through-ball, but there's just a bit too much on it and Stockdale is able to collect.

21 minShaky goalkeeping by Stockdale, who balloons his kick up but not away and straight to Abdi. He could shoot, but instead looks for Vydra on the right and the Czech tries to return the ball first-time but overhits his pass.

17 minA half-chance for the visitors, who continue to impress at Vicarage Road. Teixeira gets up to meet a cross from the left but it's slightly behind him and he can't generate enough power to direct his effort goalwards.

14 minYou have to say that Brighton have done better than expected in the early stages. They've had more possession (57%) and three shots to Watford's one. Hyypia will be desperate for a goal soon though.

11 minGood play from the visitors as Bruno is picked out with acres of space on the right. He then slides the ball through to Teixeira, whose low cross is just behind O'Grady in the middle.

7 minHooper blows up for a Brighton handball and that gives Watford a free kick about 27-28 yards out in a central position. Abdi steps up to take it and can only curl it way over the top.

5 minCHANCE! First real opening of the match falls to Brighton striker O'Grady, who burst into the box from the left wing and opted to shoot from a tight angle. There was options in the middle, but he went for goal and hit it too close to Gomes.

3.05pmThe first goal of the afternoon in the Premier League is scored by Connor Wickham for Sunderland. Make sure you keep your eyes on the red live scores box on the right for the latest.

2 minBennett with a rash tackle on Vydra and he gets away with a booking as it's so early in the game.

0 minKICKOFF! It will be Brighton to get us underway in Hertfordshire. Can they cause a shock and end Watford's unbeaten home run at the start of the season?

2.58pmHere come the two sides out of the tunnel. As mentioned below, Brighton are in their red-and-black away kit. Watford in their home colours of yellow shirts, black shorts and yellow socks.

2.56pmPREDICTION TIME! Just a few minutes until kickoff now so I best make my prediction on the match. I can't see Brighton ending their winless run here and fancy Watford to win 2-1. Check out our video below as I preview the match:

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2.53pmClick here to see all of today's fixtures in the Championship and more. There's already been two games in gameweek 11, with Blackpool finally earning their first win of the season against Cardiff City last night before Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday played out a 1-1 draw in this lunchtime's Yorkshire derby.

2.51pmREFEREE WATCH! Today's ref is Simon Hooper. Here he is sending off Norwich's Martin Olsson on the first day of the season.

© Getty Images

2.49pmWatford are unbeaten in three games against Brighton, winning their last meeting 2-0 at Vicarage Road.

2.46pmThese two sides certainly come into this game in contrasting form. Watford are level on points with Norwich City and Nottingham Forest at the top of the table and are unbeaten in four games. Brighton haven't won in six league games and sit just three points above the drop zone in 19th place.

2.44pmInigo Calderon is also still suspended for Brighton and serves the third of his three-match ban today.

2.42pmAs for the visitors, Sami Hyypia also makes four changes to his lineup from the 1-1 draw with Cardiff on Tuesday. Jake Forster-Caskey picked up his fifth yellow card of the season so has to sit this one out. Rohan Ince replaces him in midfield while elsewhere

2.40pmSurprising to see Ighalo dropped to the bench after he scored in the 2-1 win over Brentford in midweek. Pudil is suspended after being sent off against the Bees.

2.39pmOkey doke, it's four changes for Watford in Billy McKinlay's second game in charge. Out go Craig Cathcart, Daniel Pudil, Diego Fabbrini and Odion Ighalo, in come Lloyd Doyley, Scott Hoban, Ikechi Anya and Almen Abdi.

2.36pmNot sure why, given that blue-and-white stripes doesn't clash at all with yellow, but Brighton are in their away kit of red and black this afternoon.

2.35pmBRIGHTON XI: Stockdale; Bruno, Greer, Dunk, Bennett; Ince, Crofts, Gardner; Teixeira, O'Grady, Colunga
Subs: Walton, Chicksen, Hughes, Toko, Holla, McCourt, LuaLua

2.33pmWATFORD XI: Gomes; Paredes, Ekstrand, Doyley, Hoban; Tozser, Munari; Anya, Abdi, Dyer; Vydra
Subs: Bond, McGugan, Murray, Fabbrini, Ighalo, Mensah, Doherty

2.31pmGood afternoon folks! Our feature 3pm kickoff in the Championship on gameweek 11 sees the Hornets take on the Seagulls at Vicarage Road. Team news coming right up...
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