Watford and Fulham share six-goal thriller
The Watford fans were left to cheer a point gained after Young's late equliser
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Monday, 02, Oct 2006 10:26
Three goals in the final seven minutes of a pulsating Premiership game between Watford and Fulham left both sides with a point from tonight's match at Vicarage Road.
A brace from Ashley Young, including a goal just 15 seconds into the second half and a last-minute volley, and one from strike partner Marlon King, plus goals from Fulham's Brian McBride and Heidar Helguson, and an own goal by Damien Francis left honours even.
The game started in scrappy fashion with nether side looking particularly dangerous, until King bagged his second goal of the Premiership campaign with a neat finish after springing the Cottagers' offside trap.
Fulham tried to hit back for the remainder of the first half, but continued to get caught on the break as they pushed forward looking for goals.
The half-time whistle was greeted by a warm ovation from the home fans, but almost from the first whistle of the second half there was even more reason to cheer.
Young latched on to Hameur Bouazza's cross to double the Hornets' lead virtually straight from kick-off, but the Premiership new boys could not hold on to that hard-earned advantage.
First McBride volleyed in to give the Londoners hope, then former Watford man Helguson headed in against his old club to level things up with just seven minutes left.
It seemed that both sides might be content with the point at this stage, although the home fans were clearly unhappy about surrendering a two-goal lead.
Then it got worse for the yellow-clad faithful - a goalmouth scramble highlighted the Hornets' nervousness when defending their penalty box, as Francis could only toe-poke the ball into his own net while under pressure.
But just when it seemed the Premiership new boys had ruined any chance of taking anything from a game they had controlled, Young popped up to place a precision volley beyond Antti Niemi and salvage a point for the home side.