Watford 1-2 Sheffield United: Andre Brooks steers Blades to victory

A superb Andre Brooks curler reignited Sheffield United's automatic promotion challenge with a 2-1 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road.

Having stuttered over the festive period, picking up just one point from their previous three games, the visitors were grateful to Brooks for their 52nd-minute winner.

There seemed to be little danger as the ball broke to the striker 20 yards from goal, but with one touch to push the ball in front of him, he then curled a shot around Watford keeper Daniel Bachmann and into the far bottom corner.

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The defeat was a third in succession for Watford who slipped further away from the play-off places.

The visitors might have taken the lead within the first 20 seconds. Brooks' cross was perfect for Ryan One, but the 18-year-old, making just his second Championship start, could not find a finish.

Gustavo Hamer then slipped in Brooks only for Bachmann to smother his shot.

Sheffield United's greater potency was rewarded in the 13th minute. Referee David Webb made a significant contribution, playing advantage in spite of a possible foul in midfield.

That allowed Callum O'Hare to sprint into space and feed a pass into Hamer who clipped his shot wide of the advancing Bachmann.

Watford's equaliser arrived seven minutes later through Jeremy Ngakia's first goal for the club. Kwadwo Baah was the instigator with a clever and perfectly played pass through two defenders for Ryan Andrews to pull the ball back into Ngakia's path for a tap-in.

The home side almost went behind just after the half-hour when Bachmann received a back pass, attempted a Cruyff turn under pressure from O'Hare and was extremely fortunate to see the United player's tackle roll inches wide of his post.

Brooks restored the visitors' lead with his smart finish, before the game drifted into a lull caused by a number of stoppages.

It suddenly burst back into life after 66 minutes. In the space of 90 hectic seconds, Watford's Giorgi Chakvetadze was denied by a falling block by United central defender Anel Ahmedhodzic just in front of the goal-line, before both goalkeepers beat away shots in turn.

Firstly, Bachmann denied O'Hare on the angle before Michael Cooper maintained United's advantage with a similar parry of a Rocco Vata shot.

Watford supporters were convinced their side should have been awarded a penalty in stoppage-time when Imran Louza's clipped cross connected with the outstretched arm of Jack Robinson.

Their appeals proved in vain as United manager Chris Wilder tasted victory on his return to the club he managed for 11 games two seasons ago.

The managers

Watford's Tom Cleverley:

"On the balance of the second half, we were more than good value for a point, so it is disappointing, but Sheffield United have a rich core of players who know how to get the job done and that's what Chris Wilder does with his teams.

"One team knows how to win and the other team are a bit new to it. You couldn't see much between the teams except that one has a winning habit and the other one doesn't.

"I told the players as we approached the month of December that this is the month that really finds us out. Unfortunately for us, it has found us out.

"My job is to knuckle down and really get this group of players really back together because we've shown our fragilities in the last couple of weeks.

"It's a big task, probably the biggest challenge that I've ever faced in this industry and I include all the injuries I went through and playing for the biggest club in the world (Manchester United).

"I have enough love for the club and passion to improve these players that I will roll my sleeves up and be back in my office at 6am on Monday morning to try and improve our results."

Sheffield United's Chris Wilder:

"It was a pretty special win and quite emotional at the end to see the players do what they've done today.

"We had a fabulous start to the season, but it's not gone for us over the last three games. The fixture list wasn't kind, the injury situation was even more cruel and we lost Kieffer Moore today. He was too ill to travel down.

"There were players who should never have been on the pitch today. We were running a massive risk with playing Gus Hamer, Tom Davies, Callum O'Hare and three or four others, but needs must.

"The medical guys are absolutely doing their nut on me about Gus, and on Tom as well. I had to overrule them a little bit because there's no way that Tom really should have been on the pitch today.

"I couldn't expose the really young boys we had on the bench to Championship football, especially at a difficult place to come like this.

"We have young players learning on the job at the top end of the Championship as it is. We are asking boys to do men's jobs and to be fair, they are doing men's jobs."

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