Watford earn chaotic West Brom win as Hornets buzz back into play-off spots

20 February 2023 , 22:15

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Ken Sema scored a 78th-minute winner for Watford (Image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Slaven Bilic will spend Pancake Day thankful that Watford came out on top in a feast of crepe defending.

As the former West Brom manager put one over the club who sacked him in December 2020 in his first reunion with the Baggies, a madcap second half was settled by Ken Sema's fortuitous winner. Bilic will not give a pancake's toss that fortune smiled on him just enough to send the Hornets back into the play-off places in fifth.

But whether your topping of choice is maple syrup, lemon and sugar or caramelised banana, none of your favourite Shrove Tuesday dishes will be as exotic as this thrilling recipe of mistakes. With just 36 points from his first 23 games in charge, the Croatian needs lashings of tempo, verve and bravery to win a ticket to the £180million Championship play-offs lottery.

Conor Townsend equalised for West Brom for the first time in the 56th minute (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

And after 23 minutes of shadow boxing, Watford suddenly found the right mixture. When Darnell Furlong could only half-block a Keinan Davis shot on the turn from close range, Baggies keeper Josh Griffiths pushed it into Sema's path and the Swedish winger lifted his third goal of the season into the roof of the net.

If the home side's breakthrough scored low marks for artistic merit, Albion's contribution to it was a mess. Griffiths fared better with a sprawling save to deny Davis when the on-loan Aston Villa striker was clean through after more negligent defending.

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But apart from Brandon Thomas-Asante's stooping header wide at the near post, Albion offered little going forward and they were booed off at the break. Boss Carlos Corberan responded with a double change, hooking England one-cap wonder Nathaniel Chalobah, who struggled on his return to Vicarage Road, and his reshuffle worked a treat within 11 minutes.

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Slaven Bilic is under pressure but Watford's play-off hopes were boosted with victory over West Brom (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Daniel Bachmann made a fine save to deny John Swift, but within seconds Conor Townsend prodded the equaliser from close range after substitute Jason Molumby's mishit shot bounced kindly for him six yards out. Ismaila Sarr was inches away from restoring Watford's lead within a minutes, clipping the post after bursting into the box on his left foot.

The Senegal winger was on target 11 minutes later with a crisp finish from 12 yards, his ninth bullseye of the campaign, but the Hornets' joy didn't last. Bachmann's attempt to play out from the back was rumbled and Jed Wallace – who was offside – rolled home from 12 yards, seconds after Sema had been denied by a linesman's flag at the other end.

But providence was kinder to King Ken, as he is known in these parts, with 12 minutes left as his angled shot took a big deflection off Erik Pieters to make it 3-2.

Mike Walters