Watford 1 - 0 LeedsWatford enjoy Scott Wootton’s blunder and leave Leeds to their woe
Home team scorers
Scott Wootton 53 o.g.
Leeds’ Scott Wootton, centre, reacts after scoring an own goal in the FA Cup match against Watford at Vicarage Road.
Leeds United have produced some memorable Cup shocks in recent years but this was not to be one of them. Instead, Watford edged a dour game that had only one moment of note, Scott Wootton’s ghastly own goal in the second half that practically ends Leeds’ season.
There was never really a sniff of an upset here, despite Leeds’ toil and determination in defence. Watford were quiet themselves and barely registered an effort on target, but it is Quique Sánchez Flores’s side who advance to the quarter‑finals after Wootton’s howler.
The Leeds right-back was under little pressure when he turned a Ben Watson cross into his own net in the 53rd minute and that was all it needed. Leeds, down to 17th in the Championship, now have little to play for this season while Watford’s campaign continues to thrive.
These are two clubs under Italian ownership yet while Watford have flourished with the Pozzo family, Leeds have gone backwards under Massimo Cellino. Supporters protested before the home game against Middlesbrough on Monday by beaming a series of images on to a stand at Elland Road, and there were further chants against him late on here.
Despite the result, at the end of the first half an air of frustration had crept into Vicarage Road, as Flores’s side struggled to break down Leeds. Watford had made six changes and, with Odion Ighalo on the bench, their only real opportunities early on came from corners.
Troy Deeney, starting behind Nordin Amrabat, headed wide in the second minute before the Uruguayan defender Miguel Britos did the same from Watson’s corner when he was given time in the Leeds penalty area. Other than those half-chances and a deflected shot from Étienne Capoue, Marco Silvestri went untested.
Yet while Leeds looked relatively stable, they were lacking a real threat of their own. Steve Evans’ side are one of the lowest scorers in the Championship this season – with 29 goals from 31 matches – and with Chris Wood still out with a hamstring injury, Souleymane Doukara and Mirco Antenucci started up front.
Both had moments that impressed but, while Stuart Dallas twice found space to shoot on the edge of the opposition area, Costel Pantilimon was not called upon during the first half. Indeed, a grey and wet afternoon in Hertfordshire would have been even more lifeless were it not for the volume from the travelling Leeds supporters.
They fell silent, though, eight minutes into the second half. Watford were beginning to press but, when the goal came, it was an awful one. Wootton looked liked he wanted the ground to open up and for good reason, the right-back somehow making an almighty hash of a simple clearance at the far post to turn a looping Watson cross into his own net.
Suddenly Watford were in control. Almen Abdi drove through midfield before shooting over Silvestri’s crossbar, before Capoue had a goal disallowed because Deeney had pushed a defender in the six-yard box.
Leeds tried to make life uncomfortable for the Premier League side in the closing stages but, despite a Doukara shot that flew over late on, they never looked like responding. Cue chants of “Time to go, Massimo”.
Guardian
