Byfield exposes the frailties

Watford 2 Sunderland

An equaliser four minutes from the end saved Sunderland's embarrassmentagainst a struggling Watford who had every reason to expect defeat but warranted victory in a vivid match.

This was the second time in seven days that Watford had confronted a club well placed for promotion to the Premiership. Their 3-1 defeat by West Bromwich Albion had left them only a point clear of the bottom three and things got worse in the week when it became known that Danny Webber, the striker they got from Manchester United, would be out for a month with a shoulder injury and Marcus Gayle had suffered a hamstring pull in training.

Those problems Watford soon put to one side when, after seven minutes of largely promising pressure from Sunderland, Scott Fitzgerald comfortably eased his way through their defence, turned the ball square across the penalty area and Gavin Mahon swept in an encouraging goal. Although Sunderland continued to build their attacks withimagination, penetrating Watford's midfield without difficulty, Watford's counter-attacking grew in quality if not frequency.

The former Watford player Tommy Smith was particularly industrious for Sunderland and occasionally crossed the path of his younger brother, Jack, who was on the left side of the Watford defence and usually doing well to contain the experienced Jason McAteer.

But for the quick reactions of Mart Poom in the Sunderland goal the lead would have been extended,and shortly before half-time, their defence again lost the plot when Watford's captain, Neil Cox, was offered an unopposed header which he sent wide.

The confusion in their guard got to the point when Poom was colliding and bringing down his own colleagues, and having to rush out of the penalty area to head away long balls out of the Watford midfield. From one such header, Fitzgerald gained possession and hit a dropping shot over the bar of an open goal.

Sunderland paid for their failures when, after 67 minutes, Helguson was travelling at speed into the penalty area but still wide. Phil Babb slid into him with what seemed to be a legitimate tackle outside the area but the linesman, who had a good view, indicated a penalty, which Cox smashed in. Sunderland's manager Mick McCarthy said: "I didn't think it was a penalty but it made us angry and perhaps that gave us the spark."

Certainly his team's receding hopes lifted when a late corner from McAteer was flicked up by Stephen Wright at the near post and substitute Marcus Stewart headed in. Suddenly Watford looked frail. They allowed another Sunderland substitute, Darren Byfield, two stabs at a shot and the second cut through. Watford really felt the pain, but survived a last-minute strike on their post by McAteer when, as their manager Ray Lewington said, "the fear factor had come in".

Watford 2
Mahon 7, Cox pen 68

Sunderland 2
Stewart 76, Byfield 86

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 16,798