Championship
Watford
Oct 19, 2013 3.00pm
2
3
HT : 1 2
FT
Derby
  • Fernando Forestieri 12' goal
  • Simon Iriney 21' yellowcard
  • Essaid Belkalem 58' yellowcard
  • Lewis McGugan 68' goal
  • Joel Ekstrand 78' yellowcard
  • goal Jamie Ward 8'
  • goal Jamie Ward 45'
  • yellowcard John Eustace 61'
  • yellowcard Craig Forsyth 63'
  • yellowcard Adam Smith 77'
  • goal Conor Sammon 88'

Live Commentary: Watford 2-3 Derby County - as it happened

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Watford 2-3 Derby - as it happened
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The featured 3pm kickoff in the Championship saw Watford welcome Derby County to Vicarage Road.

The Hornets had previously not lost in front of their own fans but succumbed today to Steve McClaren's Derby County.

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

5.07pmThanks for joining Sports Mole for coverage today. We'll have analysis on site later this evening so look out for that. I'll leave you with the link for all of today's results and reports. Enjoy!
5.04pmThree points sees Derby climb to eighth in the table, one place and three points behind Watford.
5.02pmIt's a fourth win from six away games for Derby and another goalfest under McClaren. Since he was announced as Nigel Clough's replacement the Rams have scored 10 goals in three games.
4.59pmAll over at Vicarage Road as Derby end Watford's home record in 2013-14. It was a strange game where the momentum swung viciously from one team to another. Both sides could have had more goals and in all honesty you have to say that Derby deserve the points. Zola should be furious with his side though as defensively they were a shambles.
90+5 minFULL TIME: WATFORD 2-3 DERBY
90+2 minMartin wins Derby a corner and they'll be able to run down the clock a little.
90+1 minFull-time results coming in from up and down the country. Keep an eye on that red box to see the live scores switch to results.
90+1 minWatford are given FIVE extra minutes to try to snatch another leveller. Can they pull it off?
88 minSluggish defending again from Watford as Hughes picks out Sammon far too easily, with the Irishman prodding well beyond Almunia to make give Derby the lead for a third time.
88 minGOAL! WATFORD 2-3 DERBY (SAMMON)
84 minCHANCE! Derby almost snatch a third as Sammon goes through on goal but is denied by Almunia standing tall.
82 minAngella with a spectacular volley from a tight angle that zooms just over the crossbar.
78 minYELLOW! Unbelivably, I think Smith has just escaped a sending off for a second yellow. The PA feed says that he was indeed booked earlier but maybe he wasn't. I'm so confused!
76 minWATFORD SUB: The Hornets also make a change as the bright Fabbrini is replaced by Acuna.
75 minDERBY SUB: Third and final sub for Reading sees scorer of both goals Ward replaced by Sammon.
73 minThe former Forest man curls to the back post and it just needs a touch but it doesn't come and the ball flashes wide.
73 minAnother inviting free kick for Watford as Hughes clips the heels of Fabbrini. McGugan again wants this one. It's a little wider but worth a go.
71 minCassetti cuts back onto his left foot on the right wing and swings over an inviting cross that somehow doesn't get a meaningful touch in the middle. Derby were looking so assured but now Watford appear to be far more dangerous. Twenty minutes for a winner.
68 minOH YOU BEAUTY! McGugan has been wasteful with a couple of free kicks recently but he's just curled in a gem to equalise. He opened his body from 20 yards and picked out the top corner superbly. Fab goal.
68 minWATFORD 2-2 DERBY (MCGUGAN)
68 minToday's attendance at Vicarage Road is 16,180, with 1,550 visiting Rams.
66 minSHOT! Murray with a fierce shot from 20 yards that Grant has to get down low to his right to beat away.
64 minHe does but it's a case of deja vu as the ball gets over the wall but has nowhere near enough dip to get back down and trouble Grant.
64 minYELLOW! Smith was booked moments ago for that foul on Forestieri and another Ram goes in the book as Forsyth chops down Fabbrini. Another decent position for a Watford free kick. Will McGugan take again?
63 minIt doesn't get any better for McGugan as he's presented with a shooting opportunity from just inside the area but drags his shot tamely wide.
62 minPoor, poor effort from the number 10 as he curls it well over the bar.
61 minForestieri brought down by Smith about 20 yards out and Watford have a free kick in a great position. McGugan can be lethal from this sort of range.
60 minHere's a snap from Derby's Twitter of the tap-in by Ward that sees Derby lead:

59 minYELLOW! Belkalem goes into the book for leading with the arm when challenging for a header with Ward.
58 minThe Watford fans scream for a penalty as Forestieri is crowded out in the area by three Derby shirts. Definitely not a pen and rightly a shake of the head from the ref.
55 minWATFORD SUB: Zola makes his first change of the afternoon and it's an understandable one as erratic Iriney is taken off for Murray.
52 minCHANCE! Watford have been tipped for promotion this season but there's no way they'll be going up if they keep defending like this. This time it's Ward who beats his man and fires at Almunia. If he had squared it to Dawkins it would have been 3-1.
50 minWatford are short in numbers at the back again and Derby should take advantage but don't as Hughes awfully overhits a pass out to Martin.
48 minBryson wants a free kick on the edge of the Watford area but it's not given and the home side break with Fabbrini. He looks for Forestieri and it's a great pass but the Italian is denied at the last moment by a fine challenge from Buxton.
47 minJUST WIDE! Almost a two-goal lead for Derby as AGAIN Watford cheaply give the ball away. They present Dawkins with the ball and his first contribution is to tee up Bryson who fizzes a low shot inches wide of the post. Good hit.
46 minKICKOFF! Derby get the second half underway. Can they hold on to this advantage and end Watford's unbeaten home record this season?
4.07pmWe're a bit behind schedule in Hertfordshire but the two sides are now back out on the pitch. Derby are making a second change and it's a debut for Simon Dawkins, who takes the place of Mason Bennett. Dawkins joined the Rams this week on an emergency three-month loan from Spurs.
4.04pmRemember, Derby have already had to make one change in defence because of Whitbread's injury, with Buxton coming on in his place.
4.02pmWithout Deeney, Watford don't have an obvious attacking change to make. Sean Murray has been in the goals this season and could add a bit more firepower in midfield.
4pmThe stats from the first half show that Watford had more shots (six) to Derby's four but the Rams got two on target, Watford just one. The hosts edged the possession with 55% of the ball.
3.57pmAs things stand in the Championship, Derby will be climbing two places to eighth in the table, with Watford dropping a spot to eighth.
3.54pmThe visitors took the lead when Ward rose up to brilliantly head in Bryson's cross. Watford levelled almost instantly through Forestieri before Ward restored Derby's advantage with a tap-in after some calamitous defending from the Hornets.
3.52pmAn action-packed half comes to an end with Watford behind. Remember, they haven't lost at Vicarage Road all season.
45+2 minHALF TIME: WATFORD 1-2 DERBY
45+1 minWatford are always threatening going forward but they've just shot themselves in the foot by giving the ball away again in defence. Derby worked it well to Martin who pulled it across for Ward to tap home his second from a couple of yards. It may have been offside but that wasn't given so Derby lead!
45+1 minGOAL! WATFORD 1-2 DERBY (WARD)
45 minWard flashes across a dangerous centre that no Derby player anticipates so it bobbles wide.
41 minWatford yell PENALTY as Cassetti tumbles in the box as McGugan's corner came in. Replays show that there was contact but it's one of those that is never given as there's always pushing and shoving in the box.
3.42pmUPDATE! Forest take the lead at home to Bournemouth while it's now 2-1 to Reading at home to Doncaster. Leicester are two up on Huddersfield as well, with Barnsley leading Middlesbrough in a lowly clash.
39 minFabbrini has been Watford's brightest spark going forward and he almost spectacularly gives the hosts a lead but drills a shot just wide of the near post.
36 minCHANCE! We've had a few minutes without a chance but that ends as Cassetti's deep cross is met by Pudil who heads over.
35 minEven though Watford are considered one of the most exciting teams in the league, they are susceptible to teams who break quickly. There's been a few occasions already today when Derby could have had a good chance if the right ball had been played.
33 minDERBY SUB: Buxton comes on in place of the injured Whitbread. He's a more than capable replacement as he's played in every league game this season.
32 minThere's a break in play at the moment as Whitbread stays down injured. It doesn't look good for the Leicester loanee.
29 minAlmost an opening for Derby as Bennett just nips the ball away from Angella to Hughes. The youngster looks for Ward unmarked on the right but plays it behind the number 10 and the chance is gone.
28 minDerby started the game really well but it's been Watford who have looked more threatening in the last quarter of an hour or so.
3.28pmUPDATE: Wednesday level against Bolton while joint-leaders QPR are now one up at Millwall. Harry Redknapp's men haven't conceded in their last EIGHT games prior to today!
24 minWatford work the ball well to McGugan who is a long-range specialist but gets this one wrong as it flashes well over.
22 minYELLOW! First man in the book is Iriney for a clear handball. The summer signing loves to bicker and won't have it. Keep quiet, lad!
22 minFabbrini's a tricky player and he bursts through a couple of challenges in midfield before picking out Pudil on the left wing who sends over a dangerous cross that is well cleared by Keogh.
20 minAgain it's slack defending from Watford that presents Bennett with the ball. He's one on one with Angella who stands up well to dismiss the number 20. Very open game so far.
19 minBelkalem's poor clearance falls straight to teenager Bennett who runs at the defence before just losing out. He almost managed to prod it to the unmarked Martin for a shot.
16 minCHANCE! Watford catch Derby out with a clever short corner that Fabbrini pulls back for a yellow. It goes past everyone before Pudil pulls his shot from the edge of the area well wide.
3.17pmUPDATE: There's been plenty of goals elsewhere as Bolton, Leicester and Reading go ahead.
11 minDerby weren't ahead for long as Forestieri times his run to perfection before deftly lifting the ball over Grant and into the net. Lovely pass from McGugan to present the Italian with the chance.
11 minGOAL! WATFORD 1-1 DERBY (FORESTIERI)
10 minCHANCE! Whitbread scored on his Derby debut a couple of games ago and he almost has another as he gets the slightest of touches on Ward's free kick that flashes wide.
8 minExcellent goal from the visitors! Bryson gets in behind the defence down the left and sends over a cross that's superbly met by the diminutive Ward, who gave Almunia no chance by picking out the top corner.
8 minGOAL! WATFORD 0-1 DERBY (WARD)
7 minWard does well to hold off a pair of yellow shirts and win Derby's first corner that comes to nothing.
3.08pmUPDATE: First goal of the day in the second tier comes at Blackburn as Charlton take a surprise lead through Simon Church.
5 minCHANCE! McGugan bursts forward like he loves to do and wins a corner as Keogh keeps up well. McGugan takes the corner himself and it's powerfully met by Belkalem who heads wide.
3 minLittle to speak of in the early stages at Vicarage Road. There's yet to be a goal in any of the other Championship games thus far. See that red box to the right of this commentary, that's your live scores box which you should keep an eye on.
1 minKICKOFF! We're underway at Vicarage Road where there's an odd backdrop with the far stand all demolished and empty apart from the makeshift press box.
3pmMcClaren has oddly taken a seat at the top of the press box to get a better view of proceedings. He won't be able to issue instructions himself from up there!
2.57pmIn the early kickoff today it was Blackpool who saw off Wigan to move up to fourth place in the table. Match report here.
2.56pmBoth sides begin the day in the top half of the table, with Watford sixth and Derby 10th. Click here to see the full table ahead of this afternoon's 10 three o'clock kickoffs.
2.53pmWhen these two sides last met in February it was Watford who came through 2-1.
2.50pmPREDICTION! Ten minutes separates us from kick off in Hertfordshire so I best get my pre-match prediction in. Although Derby have a great record on their travels, I'm going to side with Watford and fancy the Hornets to score at least three.
2.47pmPlenty of building work below the press box at Vicarage Road:

2.45pmREFEREE WATCH! The man with the whistle today is James Linington.
2.42pmZola has made a number of changes to his Watford side. There's no Troy Deeney in the squad at all today so Diego Fabbrini starts alongside Fernando Forestieri up front. Elsewhere, Iriney, Marco Cassetti and Essaid Belkalem come in for Sean Murray, Marco Faraoni and Lloyd Doyley.
2.40pmHere's a video from Derby on their team news:

2.38pmIt's one change for Derby as McClaren is forced to alter his front three as Johnny Russell is out with a broken fibula. Promising youngster Mason Bennett comes in in the Scot's place.
2.35pmSUBS! And the two substitute benches this afternoon:

Watford: Bond, Brown, Battocchio, Doyley, Acuna, Murray, Smith
Derby: Morch, Buxton, Sammon, Lowe, Freeman, Jacobs, Dawkins
2.34pmDERBY XI: Grant; Smith, Keogh, Whitbread, Forsyth; Eustace, Bryson, Hughes; Bennett, Martin, Ward
2.33pmWATFORD XI: Almunia; Belkalem, Angella, Ekstrand; Cassetti, McEachran, Iriney, McGugan, Pudil; Fabbrini, Forestieri
2.31pmAfternoon folks! The feature match in the Championship today sees Watford host Derby in what should be a cracking encounter. No time to waste, let's get to the teams...
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