Club News

Albion v Watford match highlights

watford highlights

Watch free-to-view highlights from the Baggies' entertaining first home game of the campaign.

Albion played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Watford at The Hawthorns on Monday evening.

The sides exchanged blows in a brilliant first-half as Ismaila Sarr’s spectacular opener was cancelled out by Karlan Grant’s tidy equaliser.

David Button’s second-half penalty save helped the Baggies earn a share of the Sky Bet Championship points - the least they deserved from an encouraging showing.

Albion are next in action on Thursday night in the Carabao Cup against Sheffield United.

Steve Bruce made one change to the side which drew at Middlesbrough, opting to bring in Grady Diangana for Matt Phillips.

And his men made an electric start in B71 – unfortunately without opening the scoring. First Darnell Furlong had a powerful volley saved, and then Grant was denied at close range by goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.

They were made to pay for not taking those chances on the 12-minute mark, Sarr spotting Button off his line and sending the ball into the net from the Watford half.

Yet that didn’t deter the Baggies, who continued to dominate proceedings. Grant volleyed wide and saw another effort saved, Dara O’Shea headed just off-target from a Furlong long-throw and John Swift was also denied by Bachmann.

But the goal did come before half-time – Diangana superbly playing Grant through on goal, and the striker controlling and finishing brilliantly for a deserved equaliser.

Would there be more of the same drama after the interval? You bet. The Baggies came out searching for another, almost finding it instantly when Grant smashed over following a Wallace corner.

The atmosphere was rocking inside The Hawthorns and both teams were going for the next goal.

Though with 20 minutes to go it looked like Watford would grab the winner, Sarr earning the visitors a penalty when he tangled with the otherwise incredibly impressive Semi Ajayi.

The Senegalese striker dusted himself down and stepped up from 12-yards, but his low spot-kick was saved by Button – sparking goal-like celebrations from those in the Smethwick End and all around.

Fans in a raucous B71 were then treated to a second Albion debut for Turkish international Okay Yokuslu, who came on in place of skipper Jake Livermore with slightly more than 10 minutes to play.

Albion continued to push in hunt of what would've been a justified second given the balance of play throughout the clash, but couldn't grab it despite playing through a further five minutes of stoppage time.

Bruce's side therefore had to settle with a point despite putting in a display full of energy and vigour in front of more than 20,000 supporters.

Albion: Button; Furlong (Phillips 90), Ajayi, O’Shea, Townsend; Molumby, Livermore (Yokuslu 78); Wallace, Swift, Diangana (Reach 88); Grant.

Substitutes: Palmer, Bartley, Reach, Yokuslu, Mowatt, Phillips, Robinson.