Burnley 3 - 1 Watford FT
By Turftalker
April 17 2005
The Clarets more or less guaranteed safety with a comfortable victory over Watford at Turf Moor. Goals from Dean Bowditch and James O'Connor in a top drawer first half performance, coupled with a third from Jean-Louis Valois after excellent work from Ade Akinbiyi, ended any hope of a Watford return
The clarets now move to 52 points and will be looking forward to facing West Ham at home on Tuesday evening.
Below we have a selection of match reports and manager reaction from the press:
Sporting Life
BURNLEY MOVE TOWARDS SAFETY
Burnley as good as guaranteed Coca-Cola Championship football for next season with a 3-1 win over troubled Watford at Turf Moor.
Goals from Dean Bowditch, James O'Connor and Jean-Louis Valois proved enough against a Watford side who only had a goal from substitute Dominic Blizzard to show for a spirited second half effort.
New Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd, at 34 the youngest in the country, remained fairly upbeat after a defeat which leaves his side just two points clear of the drop zone.
"I found it an enjoyable experience aside from the result," said Boothroyd.
"I'm a winner and therefore it is always disappointing when you lose but there were a lot of positives and plenty for me to be encouraged about.
"In the second half I felt we were terrific and with a bit of luck we might even have got back on level terms.
"I know our predicament but I'm more interested in looking up and not down."
Burnley boss Steve Cotterill said: "We have benefited from a couple of weeks' break but when you've been away you wonder what kinds of effects it will have when you get back in action.
"There was no need for me to worry for we played well in the first half and merited our two-goal lead.
"Watford had a right go at us in the second half but I still felt we were worthy winners."
On-loan Ipswich striker Bowditch gave Burnley an 18th-minute lead when he got on the end of a long clearance to fire a shot past Richard Lee.
Burnley had an effort from Mo Camara disallowed for offside before new signing O'Connor scored his first goal for the club on 42 minutes, a fierce, low shot from 20 yards.
Watford upped the tempo after the break and Ashley Young twice went close before a triple substitution paid dividends.
Two of the newcomers combined as Jermaine Darlington's corner was headed home at the near post by Blizzard.
But any hopes Watford had of a point were dashed when Burnley put the game out of reach in stoppage time.
Unselfish play by Ade Akinbiyi presented the simplest of scoring chances for Valois and the Frenchman made no mistake.
Planetfootball:
Watford remain in danger of relegation after Adrian Boothroyd's first match in charge ended with a 3-1 defeat at Burnley.
The Hornets have slipped into the battle for survival after five defeats in six games and Boothroyd, a 34-year-old coach with Leeds United, was brought in this week to ensure their Championship status after Ray Lewington was surprisingly sacked.
His reign, however, is off to an inauspicious start and he must lift his players after they moved to within two points of the bottom three.
Two defensive errors in the first half meant they were always chasing the game as goals by Dean Bowditch and James O'Connor gave Burnley a two-goal cushion by the break.
Bowditch, on loan from Ipswich and scorer of a hat-trick against Watford last season, was afforded acres of space to score the first, as he chased a hopeful long ball and beat Richard Lee with a fine finish.
O'Connor then went unchallenged as he beat Lee with a drive from the edge of the area two minutes before half time.
Boothroyd sent on three substitutes in an effort to turn the tide in the second half and two of them combined to bring Watford back into the game on 77 minutes, Dominic Blizzard heading in from Anthony McNamee's corner.
However, Burnley wrapped up the points in the dying seconds when Valois turned the ball past Lee from a tight angle.