Daily Mail - 28.08.2019

QQQ Daily Mail, Wednesday, August 28, 2019

70

Jack up and running

for Hammers at last

Javi Gracia earned

himself some breathing

space as Watford finally

ended their losing streak,

with £30million club record

signing ismaila Sarr scoring

his first goal for the club.

Watford had lost seven

games in succession and not

kept a clean sheet in 18 out-

ings but were able to see off

League One coventry city.

The Premier League is

ultimately where Gra-

cia will be judged but it

was important that

Watford rediscovered

that winning feeling

before facing Newcastle

United away on

Saturday.

Gracia,

who admitted that he was

feeling the pressure, said

after this carabao cup win:

‘it was good for our confi-

dence. The clean sheet

was something we

needed. We need to

keep doing things the

same way in the next

games.’

it was a tidy

finish from Sarr

(left) in the 37th

minute that

set up the win. He ran on to

a lovely through ball by

isaac Success to score in

the bottom corner.

Danny Welbeck made his

first start up front for Wat-

ford, one of 11 changes made

by Gracia, and skied his best

chance over from 18 yards.

a goal from the former

arsenal striker was all that

was missing from this win.

Watford doubled their lead

before the hour mark with

Daryl Janmaat dispatching

a deflected strike. The best

was then saved for last,

with adalberto Penaranda

scoring in the 69th minute.

He let fly from 30 yards and

found the top corner for his

first goal for the club.

Sarr lifts Watford gloom

WATFORD 3

COVENTRY 0

KIERAN GILL

at Vicarage Road

J

acK WiLSHere was

a fresh-faced 16-year-

old the last time he

scored in the League

cup, for arsenal

against Sheffield United

back in September 2008.

an awful lot has happened —

positive and negative — in the

midfielder’s career in the 10 years

and 338 days since but West Ham

were exceedingly grateful for his

craft and composure as they

negotiated this tricky assignment

in the same competition.

it was Wilshere who made the

difference in a frantic tie which

saw League Two Newport county

make a mockery of the 59-place

gap between the two sides for

long spells.

He started and finished the move

for West Ham’s breakthrough goal

shortly before half-time, the first

time he had found the net since

January last year before a serious

ankle injury.

But a much-changed Hammers

side were still left sweating on a

number of occasions at a raucous

rodney Parade before Wilshere

sparked the move that led to Pablo

Fornals confirming their progress.

‘You cannot expect him to be the

top player with so few minutes

played last season but he is

demonstrating the good player

that he is,’ said West Ham boss

Manuel Pellegrini of Wilshere.

Newport had claimed the Fa cup

scalps of such luminaries as Leeds,

Leicester and Middlesbrough here

in recent seasons and they had

a West Ham side featuring 10

changes from the weekend rattled

early on.

West Ham’s cause wasn’t helped

when Michail antonio pulled up

with a hamstring injury while

chasing an early through ball —

the fourth hamstring setback of

his career.

Fornals struck the post but West

Ham should have trailed when

Padraig amond fired straight at

the feet of their keeper roberto

from just six yards out.

it meant that when West Ham’s

breakthrough arrived two minutes

before half-time there was a sense

of relief over jubilation.

Wilshere was the architect,

breaking through the middle and

trying to thread a pass into albian

ajeti. instead he picked out

defender Kyle Howkins, who

miscontrolled and gifted the ball

back to Wilshere. He swept a shot

into the bottom corner to register

his first goal for West Ham.

The lead was almost doubled in

first-half stoppage time, only for

Fornals to shoot straight at Nick

Townsend in the Newport goal.

The hosts continued to threaten

after the break, with Tristan abra-

ham inches away from turning

home robbie Willmott’s cross.

But West Ham settled it when

Wilshere’s pass sent Felipe ander-

son clear down the left and he teed

up Fornals for a tap-in.

‘a lot of times in this kind of

game you start thinking it will be

an easy game and you lose,’ added

Pellegrini. ‘The attitude of all the

players was very good.’

Newport boss Michael Flynn

rued missed chances: ‘We had two

sitters and if we score first it’s a

different game. We couldn’t afford

to miss the chances we did but

there were so many positives.’

JUST 15 miles separate

Nottingham Forest and Derby

but the gulf in quality was so

vast here that this Carabao Cup

tie was over within 35 minutes.

On a stifling evening, Albert

Adomah and Joe Lolley

combined twice for the hosts

before Joao Carvalho (below)

added a third late on to book

their place in the third round.

Phillip Cocu’s side were blown

away and he was immediately

forced to defend his team

selection. ‘We have to look at

the bigger picture,’ said Cocu.

‘We have some injuries and must

adapt. I realise everyone is

looking in the

short term but

with less

players

available it will

become more

difficult.’

Both managers

made changes,

eight for

Forest and 10 for the Rams, but it

is clear Sabri Lamouchi’s side

are the ones with the depth for

a promotion push.

After a slow Forest start,

Adomah struck on 25 minutes.

Derby’s defending has been poor

all season and the winger was

allowed to tap in Lolley’s corner

at the back post unmarked.

The pair swapped roles for

Forest’s second 10 minutes later.

Adomah’s superb cross from the

left was met by Lolley with a

thumping header at the far post.

Derby’s woes were compounded

when substitute Carvalho added

a third in the 79th minute.

Forest manager Lamouchi said:

‘I told the players, “We are lucky

to have this night”. Derby is

always a difficult game to play

and the first 10 minutes were not

perfect but then we controlled

the game.’

Murray saves Brighton’s blushes

BRISTOL ROV 1

BRIGHTON 2

MATT BARLOW

at the Memorial Stadium

Carvalho

caps Forest

romp over

bitter rivals

ADAM

SHERGOLD

at Rodney Parade

NEWPORT 0

WEST HAM 2

NOTT’M FOREST 3

DERBY 0

MAX WINTERS

at the City Ground

Back with a

bang: Wilshere

scores the

opener and

celebrates

(left) REX/GETTY

TEENAGE striker Aaron

Connolly marked his first

Brighton start with a goal,

but it was veteran Glenn

Murray who spared

Graham Potter the stress

of a penalty shootout.

Murray popped up to

score the winner in the

first minute of stoppage

time, converting a cross

from Steven Alzate,

another youngster given

an opportunity by

manager Potter.

‘It was a tough game as

we expected but the

application and effort was

pleasing,’ said the

Brighton boss. ‘Sometimes

when it’s a team playing

together for the first time

it can lack cohesion, but I

was happy for these

players to get time on

the pitch.’

Potter made 11 changes to

the side which started the

home loss to Southampton

on Saturday.

Murray was denied by an

offside flag in the first half

before Connolly fired

Brighton ahead after the

interval.

‘He’s got that knack of

scoring,’ said Potter, who

wants the 19-year-old

Irishman to stay with him

for the season rather than

go out on loan.

Tom Nichols equalised

with a splendid volley and

Rovers were within

seconds of a penalty

shootout before

Murray, 35, settled the tie.

‘That’s what he does,’

sighed Rovers manager

Graham Coughlan. ‘That’s

why he’s Premier League.

He’s done brilliantly in his

career.’