Vicarage Road clash abandoned
Watford's clash with Wigan was abandoned with the score locked at
1-1 after heavy rain at Vicarage Road made the pitch impossible to
play on. With players unable to keep their balance or judge their
passes, referee Steve Tanner sent them to the dressing rooms in the
56th minute, and the match was officially abandoned at
4:32pm.
During the play that was possible, Emile Heskey had given Wigan the
lead in the 23rd minute, with Tamas Priskin heading the equaliser -
his first goal for the Hornets - a minute before half-time.
But those statistics are almost certain to be erased as the clubs
seek a new date for the fixture in 2007.
The outcome does little to aid Watford's fight against relegation,
as they began the day nine points adrift of safety in the
Premiership.
The rain, which had persisted throughout the first half, began to
fall considerably harder at the start of the second half, making it
extremely difficult for the players to keep their balance or judge
their passes.
The conditions made sliding tackles almost impossible to time
correctly, as Mahon discovered in the 50th minute when he felled
Cotterill 25 yards from goal, but Baines fired wide.
Wigan manager Jewell and Watford boss Boothroyd both spoke to
fourth official Graham Poll early in the second half - with Jewell
also remonstrating with Tanner - as the pitch slowly turned into a
mud bath. It was not the weather for back-passes as Sh.ittu almost
discovered in the 55th minute when he forced his goalkeeper Foster
into a hurried clearance as Todorov bore down on the loose
ball.
In the 56th minute, Tanner decided enough was enough and sent the
players to the dressing rooms for an initial 10 minutes, with the
match eventually called off shortly afterwards.
The stadium announcer sent the fans home by revealing the match had
been called off because of "the state of the pitch and concerns for
the players' safety".
