Watford 2-2 Southampton: Match recap

After another lead was wasted by Saints, the game at Vicarage Road ended 2-2 after a brace from Ward-Prowse in the first half seemed to be enough but frustratingly wasn’t in the end.

Both sides saw a relatively equal amount of the ball in the first 10/15 minutes but clear chances weren’t really created until Southampton took the lead after good work from Shane Long led to James Ward-Prowse putting away his second goal in as many games.

After taking the lead, Saints improved and created more chances which has been a bit of a rarity of late when leads have been taken. Long’s header was saved by Gomes and the Irishman would’ve had a tap-in if it wasn’t for a brilliant challenge by Zeegelaar to deny the visitors a second.

Southampton’s eventually managed to find a more comfortable advantage as a fantastic run from Shane Long on the left led to Dusan Tadic having the ball in lots of space who found Ward-Prowse who tucked away his second of the afternoon.

A brilliant first half performance was unfortunately non-existent in the second as  Steven Davis lost the ball too easily, leading to McCarthy making a great save from Richarlison only for the ball to rebound off of the bar into the path of Andre Gray who made sure that Watford’s deficit was halved.

Saints fans welcomed the introduction of Mario Lemina in place of Steven Davis and the Gabanese midfielder improved a side who were beginning to capitualte.

However, more substitutions were necessary if Saints were to old onto a precious lead as players were beginning to tire and so very few chances were created.

These substitutions didn’t come until into added time and having a tired team led to what had been coming for the majority of the second half: Watford’s equaliser.

What will rub salt in the Southampton wounds, however, was the fact that the ball was slapped into the back of the net via the hand of Doucoure in the 90th minute; how an official didn’t realise is beyond me.

After the draw, Southampton go up to 16th but will drop back down to 17th if Bournemouth get an unlikely result against Arsenal. How we were so different in both halves is beyond me but sitting on leads and then losing them really needs to end now.

Debate all you want about the handball goal, the goal was coming nonetheless and so it just hurts a bit more now that it was illegal. We have to stick with the players though as most of them did show today that they actually care about the situation.