Wanderers 2 Watford 1

A SCINTILLATING second half performance kept Wanderers in the thick of the promotion race.

It was tale of two halves for Sam Allardyce's men who looked disjointed for the first 45 minutes and devastating for the second.

Nerves got the better of Wanderers after Paul Warhurst's short back pass after just four minutes gifted Tommy Smith the opener.

They were never allowed to get into their stride by Watford's uncompromising tactics although Hornets keeper Espen Baardsen had to produce two super saves to deny Ricardo Gardner and Bo Hansen.

Wanderers looked a different team after the break with Ian Marshall replacing top scorer Michael Ricketts and immediately causing the Watford defence all kinds of problems.

Baardsen continued to keep his side in front with a flashing save from Gareth Farrelly and a sharp one-handed stop from Gudni Bergsson's powerful header on the line but it seemed only a matter of time before the pressure would tell.

Wanderers finally made the breakthrough 20 minutes from time when Farrelly brilliantly kept the ball in play and set up Gardner to slot home the equaliser.

And with seven minutes left Franck Passi's persistence won the all, Hansen darted into the box, his shot was parried into the path of Marshall who slid the ball into an unguarded net.

ACTION TIME

4 mins: GOAL - Disaster as Paul Warhurst plays his attempted back pass short and Tommy Smith accepts the gift, rounding Jussi Jaaskelainen and slotting home.

20 mins: Ricardo Gardner has the Reebok on its feet, cutting inside and unleashing a ferocious 20-yard rising drive which Espen Baardsen saved spectacularly.

44 mins: Wanderers survive strong penalty appeals after Nordin Wooter is felled under a challenge from Gardner and Bo Hansen immediately races half the length of the field in a blistering run only for his rasping low drive to be superbly held b Baardsen.

H/T: 0-1.

55 mins: Gareth Farrelly launched a rocket of a free kick from 25-yards which Baardsen was more than happy to punch over under the crossbar.

61 mins: Another super save from Baardsen, this time getting down sharply to claw the ball off the line after Gudni Berggson's 16-yard header had crept through packed goalmouth.

70 mins: GOAL - Farrelly keeps the ball in play brilliantly and tees up Gardner to slot into an unguarded net.

77 mins: GOAL - Passi won the ball, gave it to Hansen whose shot was parried by Baardsen into the path on Ian Marshall who had the simplest of tasks.

F/T: 2-1.