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Che Adams earns Southampton a rare away win at Watford

Watford 0-1 Southampton: A vital victory for Saints after Adams’ winner

Sonia Twigg
Saturday 30 October 2021 17:11 BST
Che Adams scored the only goal of the game (Tess Derry/PA)
Che Adams scored the only goal of the game (Tess Derry/PA) (PA Wire)

Che Adams scored the only goal of the game as Southampton snatched a 1-0 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road.

Adams collected the ball on the edge of the area and turned before chipping the ball into the top corner and out of reach of the goalkeeper in the 19th minute.

Southampton had 12 shots but just one was on target as they secured a first away Premier League win since March.

It was a less eventful game for Claudio Ranieri after his Watford side shipped five goals against Liverpool only to score five themselves in his second game against Everton last weekend.

The Hornets remain without a home win since the opening day of the season, and despite their emphatic 5-2 win at Goodison Park are slipping closer towards the bottom three, with the gap now just three points.

There was an early scare for the home side as less than a minute had gone when the ball was played into the box by Nathan Redmond and deflected goalwards by Craig Cathcart, but Ben Foster was able to keep it out.

Shortly after Adam Armstrong had sent a header over the crossbar, the visitors took the lead when Adams got away from Cathcart in the middle of the pitch and was in the right place to capitalise on a loose ball.

He turned on the edge of the box and curled the ball into the roof of the net.

Watford came close to levelling after a swift counter-attack. Joshua King found Ismaila Sarr at the back post but his shot was cleared off the line after hitting a post and then Kyle Walker-Peters’ backside.

Adams spurned an opportunity to double Southampton’s advantage shortly before the break.

Watford looked to get on the front foot at the start of the second half and King picked out Juraj Kucka but he fired over.

Kucka had another opportunity from range shortly afterwards but again it was wide of the target, while Adam Masina’s deep cross into the area was just ahead of King at the far post.

Armstrong weaved his way into the Watford box moments later and managed to get a shot off but the ball deflected narrowly wide of the target.

Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy made an instinctive diving save to deny King a fourth goal in two games as the visitors held on.

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