Two more for Graham as Hornets sting lacklustre Ipswich

Above: The 500 Watford fans who will have enjoyed the reasonably short journey to Portman Road

Confirmation that the Paul Jewell honeymoon period had finished arrived on Tuesday evening in a defeat that will leave Ipswich fans pondering whether it is their players – rather than their manager – who are to blame for their disappointing season.

Two goals from in-form hit man Danny Graham helped Watford on their way to a victory that will leave their supporters firmly believing they can make the play-offs, whilst leaving Ipswich fans – and Paul Jewell – resigned to the fact that there is major improvement needed.

The East Anglian club has struggled to find a ‘fox in the box’ striker since the club sold Darren Bent off the back of their failed promotion attempt in 2005, hence the lack of a play-off push over the last 5 years. Although the threat of relegation is minimal for Town fans, this type of performance has been something they’ve been all too familiar with over the last couple of years during the Roy Keane era.

Watford, however, most definitely do have that sought-after striker with the Midas touch in the form of Danny Graham. Oozing with confidence, the striker scored two contrasting goals to ensure the Hornets remain unbeaten against their counterparts from Suffolk in 12 games.

Although the score line suggests it was a stroll for the North London club, the Blues had their moments and were extremely unlucky not to profit from a towering Gareth McAuley header that struck the post and was cleared to safety. A handful of other half-chances arrived for the home side but their lack of ability in front of goal is a gaping problem. The club’s top scorer, Jason Scotland, has only 9 goals to his name.

Watford manager Mackay will have been delighted by the grafting and determination his side showed. Their work rate made it difficult for Ipswich to settle in the game and they showed the qualities of a side with a superb team ethic. The Hornets’ front two of Graham and Troy Deeney were clearly advocates of the ‘attack is the first line of defence’ theory. Their efforts led to an array of mis-placed passes from the Ipswich backline, much to the frustration of the home fans who left in their droves way before Don Cowie’s superb strike in the 91^st minute.

The 500 Watford fans will have been in buoyant mood on their journey back down the A12 to London – playoffs are a real possibility if they can carry on winning games in this manner. For Ipswich fans, their only end of season excitement would be a failed attempt at promotion by their rivals from Norfolk. The two sides meet on April 21^st.