Watford vs Birmingham City. Sky Bet Championship.
Vicarage RoadAttendance18,403.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford and Birmingham at Vicarage Road as Chris Wilder claimed his first win on his home debut as Hornets boss on Tuesday night.
Tuesday 14 March 2023 22:42, UK
Chris Wilder's first home game as Watford's new manager ended in a straightforward 3-0 victory over Birmingham.
Imran Louza and Keinan Davis scored within the first 16 minutes of a painful evening for Blues manager John Eustace - a former Hornets captain as a player.
Birmingham improved in the second half but could not prevent substitute Britt Assombalonga from adding a third.
Wilder's first game as Slaven Bilic's successor had been a disappointing defeat at QPR on Saturday, but this result revived hopes of making the play-offs and left Birmingham still too near the relegation places for their liking.
The home fans gave Wilder, Watford's third manager of the season, some polite applause moments before kick-off but had a goal to cheer within six minutes.
Davis picked out Ken Sema in space on the left and Louza got in front of Harlee Dean to thump the ball home from seven yards.
Birmingham were caught on the break in the 16th minute and allowed Aston Villa loanee Davis to double the lead.
Louza supplied the pass for Davis to power into the box on the left and, having got the better of defender Kevin Long, smashed a rising drive past goalkeeper John Ruddy.
Defender Jeremy Ngakia almost made it 3-0 with an long-range strike that pinged off a post.
Birmingham looked shellshocked and were relieved once again when Ismael Kone fired narrowly wide after Sema's clever backheel had sent Joao Pedro into space.
Craig Cathcart headed inches past the back post as Blues continued to live dangerously, while offering nothing at the other end.
It was a different story after the break, though, and Scott Hogan, one of two half-time substitutes for the visitors, poked a great chance wide within two minutes of the restart.
Krystian Bielik had put Hogan through - and the defender forced Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann into a near-post save shortly afterwards.
Davis was booked for a late tackle on Auston Trusty, who then volleyed a great chance to reduce the arrears over the crossbar from Jordan Graham's delivery to the back post.
Graham's fine pass set up Hogan again and this time the Austrian could only parry. Lukas Jutkiewicz seized on the loose ball but only after nudging over Wesley Hoedt - and his shot hit the Watford man anyway.
Blues' hopes of a comeback were extinguished in the 73rd minute when substitute Assombalonga bundled the ball past Ruddy from close range from Kone's cross from the right.
It was the January signing's first goal for the Hornets in his second spell, having begun his career at Vicarage Road as a teenager.
Bachmann pulled off a stoppage-time save to deny substitute Jordan James a long-range consolation.
Watford's Chris Wilder:
"I'm delighted for the supporters because it has been difficult for them but I sensed they enjoyed it. The first goal is key in these games. It settled us down and the players showed they can mix it with the best in this division. At times we were hard to hold back and that's what I'm looking for.
"It was a front-foot performance. There was a 10-minute spell just after half-time when we were on the back foot but the game should have been done and dusted at half-time. It felt like a 3-0 at half-time but it wasn't, so we have to be humble."
Birmingham's John Eustace:
"It was a really disappointing first 20 minutes - we were far too passive. The attitude of the boys in the second half was better and much more like us. There were a couple of chances we really should have been taking.
"It has been a problem all season - we need to be more clinical in the final third - but the most pleasing thing is that we never give up. If we had taken some of those chances the result might have been different. The changes were very positive and from a defensive point of view we looked much better. Watford have fantastic Premier League players and have underachieved this season, so the important thing for me was that second half."
