Helguson hands victory to City

Watford 1 Manchester City

Kevin Keegan has said that his team are playing too many televised games this season. To back that claim up, his Manchester City side proceeded to put on a suitably camera-shy showing at Vicarage Road last night, especially in the second half, yet they still left Hertfordshire with all three points.

For that they had to thank the Watford substitute Heidar Helguson and an own goal that will grace many a football clangers compilation for seasons to come. With 80 minutes gone, and City seemingly happy with a point, the Icelandic striker received the ball in his own box and, under no pressure, directed a back-pass with unerring precision inside his own post.

That gift means City now lead Division One by three points, but was hard on Watford, who needed a win to give themselves any chance of getting back up the table and closer to the play-off places. As it is, Gianluca Vialli's first season in charge of the Hornets looks like ending in mid-table disappointment.

The same cannot be said of Keegan. Appointed as manager of City last summer, the kind of luck he enjoyed here, and which notably deserted him in his last matches in charge of England, looks like helping the light blue half of Manchester back to the Premiership at the first attempt.

Not that Keegan is taking anything for granted. He said later: "We've got a three-point lead at the top but that's not breathing space. We've got breathing space when we're four points ahead with a game to spare."

While Helguson was able to beat Alec Chamberlain, for long stretches the Watford goalkeeper kept City at bay almost single-handedly. And when Watford took the lead in the 26th minute later it looked like Vialli was going to emerge with their first victory of the year.

With their first meaningful attack on goal, Helguson, on for the injured Neil Cox, held the ball up long enough for Tommy Smith to join him, and the young striker swept the ball in.

City came straight back as Paolo Wanchope finished from Shaun Goater's knock-down. Then Helguson intervened again and Keegan said: "I'm glad Helguson then scored for us because we could have played another 45 minutes without scoring. Watford had a hard-luck story."

Yet Vialli was upbeat about his teams chances of still making the play-offs as he said: "With 17 games remaining we can still get 91 points and that will be enough for the play-offs at least."

Goals: Smith (26) 1-0; Wanchope (30) 1-1; Helguson (80, og) 1-2.

Watford (3-4-1-2): Chamberlain; Galli (Noble, 87), Vega, Cox (Helguson, 16); Glass (Noel-Williams, 90), Okon, Hyde, Doyley; Nielsen; Smith, Pennant. Substitutes not used: Baardsen, Hand.

Manchester City (3-5-2): Nash; Pearce, Dunne, Wiekens; Tiatto, Benarbia (Jensen, 82), Berkovic, Horlock, Wright-Phillips; Goater (Huckerby, 89), Wanchope. Substitutes not used: Weaver, Ritchie, Killen.

Booked: Watford: Glass; Manchester City: Horlock.

Referee: D Gallagher (Oxon).

Man of the Match: Wright-Phillips.

Attendance: 17,724