Boothroyd: Hornets win vital before cup clash
Boothroyd’s side claimed only their fourth Premiership victory of the campaign thanks to a double strike from Hameur Bouazza and goals from Gavin Mahon and Tamas Priskin.
Pompey — who overcame league leaders Manchester United two days ago — had taken a 16th-minute lead through Matthew Taylor, but faced an uphill struggle after Bouazza equalised from the spot 12 minutes later and substitute Arnold Mvuemba’s goal in the 81st minute was a mere consolation.
“Is it important to win before a big game like the Manchester United one? I think it is,” Boothroyd said.
“But the semi-final is a huge game, against a team who can destroy anyone on their day. We had an awful performance at Boro (losing 4-1), but the players gave an excellent response today.
“Sometimes, when you have a bad performance, you go to the other end of the spectrum in your next game, and perhaps the opposite happened to Portsmouth.”
Bouazza, in particular, sparkled in what was surely Watford’s best attacking display of the campaign, but it almost certainly came too late to avoid an immediate return to the Coca-Cola Championship.
Boothroyd was keen to stress the importance of maintaining this form during the closing weeks of the season.
He added: “There is no point playing like that one week, and being useless the next. After Middlesbrough, people looked at us and wondered whether we had put up the white flag, and I would be devastated if I thought the players had done that.
“We need to play at our best or near our best in every game if we are to succeed.”
Pompey manager Harry Redknapp refused to use Saturday’s win over United as an excuse for his side’s below-par showing. The defeat dented their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Cup and Redknapp admitted Watford were the worst possible opponents.
He said: “After 20 minutes we were 1-0 up and I couldn’t see us having any problems until Watford scored the penalty.
“In the second half we lost our discipline and became ragged. We were all over the place. People might say it has damaged our European hopes, but at the start of the year I would never have thought about a European place.
“On the back of the United result, an away game against Watford is probably the last game I would have chosen. You have that nasty feeling, and we all saw what happened. They work hard and give it a real go, but they would need a miracle to avoid relegation.”
Foster, Mariappa, DeMerit, Carlisle (Doyley 90), Stewart, Smith, Francis, Mahon (Bangura 84), Bouazza (Chambers 90), Priskin, Kabba.
James, Pamarot, Primus, Stefanovic, Traore (Kranjcar 60), Hughes, O’Neil, Davis (Mvuemba 79), Taylor, LuaLua (Douala 60), Kanu.
L Mason (Lancashire).
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