January 17 2004

A Brace for AJ

Andy Johnson netted a brace as Palace ran riot at Vicarage Road, thrashing 10-man Watford 5-1.

Iain Dowie was forced to make a number of changes for the trip - Mark Hudson on loan from Fulham made his debut, played alongside Danny Granville in the centre of defence.

Palace took the lead against the run of play when on nine minutes, Andy Johnson scored from a header resulting from a good Palace move.

Julian Gray crossed to Ben Watson, who flicked the ball up to Neil Shipperley and he nodded on to Johnson, who headed in from close range.

Watford pressed for an equaliser and missed a number of glit-edged chances. Paul Devlin, Neil Cox and Scott Fitzgerald all fluffed good opportunities to score.

On 37 minutes, Palace were denied a second goal, when Lenny Pidgeley pulled out a great one-handed save from Aki Riihilahti's diving header.

Two minutes later, Wayne Routledge doubled the lead from the edge of the box when Jack Smith didn't get enough power on his clearance.

Gavin Mahon and Cox missed further chances for the Hornets before Cox was sent off on the stroke of half-time.

He was show the red card after hauling down Johnson in the penalty area when the Palace hit-man was through on goal. Johnson dusted himself down and converted the spot-kick for his 17th of the season.

Heidur Helguson pulled one back for the Hornets on 58 minutes, converting a penalty of his own, after Fitzgerald was brought down in the box by Hudson.

However Watford's efforts of a comeback were blown apart by Julian Gray, when he waltzed past substitute Lloyd Doyley in the 73rd minute, and blasted the ball home to make it 4-1.

Dougie Freedman replaced Johnson towards the end, and was soon on the scoring sheet himself. In the last minute, he scored Palace's fifth of the afternoon, when he beat the offside trap and cheekily rounded Pidgeley to score.

It was the first time Palace had won at Vicarage Road for 11 years.

Watford: Pidgeley, Ardley, Cox, Gayle, Smith, Devlin, Mahon, Hand, Cook, Helguson, Fitzgerald.

Subs: Chamberlain, Dyer, Hyde, Brown, Doyley.

Crystal Palace: Myhre, Butterfield, Hudson, Borrowdale, Granville, Routledge, Riihilahti, Watson, Gray, Shipperley, Johnson.

Subs: Freedman, Derry, Berthelin, Black, Soares.

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