Watford 0-1 Cardiff City: Josh Bowler scores as Bluebirds beat Hornets
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford and Cardiff City at Vicarage Road on Saturday | Josh Bowler scores only goal of the game as Bluebirds seal narrow victory over the Hornets.
A stunning Josh Bowler strike two minutes before half-time gave Cardiff a 1-0 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road.
Bowler held off one Watford player, cut inside another and sent a delightful curler beyond the outstretched hand of Ben Hamer and into the far corner.
The result means that in the past 14 meetings between these teams, only two have been won by the home side.
While Erol Bulut’s Cardiff looked assured throughout, Watford are beginning to look like a team lacking the attacking flair to force their way into the Championship play-off positions.
The match gathered momentum as the first half progressed. After a quiet opening 20 minutes, 19-year-old full-back Ryan Andrews almost sliced the perfect pass through the Cardiff defence only for Vakoun Bayo to be squeezed out of room.
At the other end, Bowler thudded a shot into the advertising hoardings in what was effectively a sighter for his fine strike later in the half.
Andrews then brought a full-length save out of Cardiff goalkeeper Jak Alnwick before Watford’s patient approach almost earned its reward in the 27th minute.
