Match ends, Watford 1, Everton 0.
WatfordWatford1EvertonEverton0
Troy Deeney's fine late finish lit up a dismal afternoon at Vicarage Road and gave Watford a win that moved them further clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
Captain Deeney smashed a shot into the roof of the net - his first goal from open play all season - to help the Hornets crawl six points above the bottom three.
It was the only moment of quality in an otherwise dreadful match as Everton offered next to nothing.
They have won once away from home in the Premier League under Sam Allardyce and are a point above the Hornets.
In fact, Everton have now won just one of their last 22 Premier League away games and have not kept a clean sheet since Boxing Day.
Their best chance came in stoppage time when goalkeeper Jordan Pickford went up for a corner and caused some chaos.
- What happened elsewhere in the Premier League on Saturday
- Rangers narrow gap to Celtic
- Ronaldo scores twice in Real win
Everton's woes continue
Former Watford manager Marco Silva was in the frame for the Everton job when these two sides last met back in November, but much has changed in a short space of time.
Silva has gone, but he didn't move to Goodison Park - instead, Everton brought in Allardyce to replace Ronald Koeman and steady the ship.
Has he improved the club's fortunes?
After picking up 10 points in his first four Premier League games as Everton boss, Allardyce has seen his side accrue just nine in the last 10.
The former England manager spoke of the positives of a warm-weather training camp in Dubai this week, but there was no sign of improvement as Everton mustered one tame Gylfi Sigurdsson shot on goal before Pickford's late intervention.
The Toffees are ninth in the table but just seven points above the bottom three.
"They had somebody who could finish, and we didn't," said Allardyce after the game. "It had 0-0 written all over it."
'It was a dire game'
Watford went for Javi Gracia to replace Silva, and the former Malaga manager deserves credit for making changes that swung the game in his favour.
Kiko Femenia and Stefano Okaka came off the bench and added a touch of spark, with Femenia drawing a good save from Pickford after the England keeper's poor clearance, and Okaka then teeing up the winner.
Everton's malaise was evident in the build-up, though, as Wayne Rooney let the ball bounce, waiting for a defender to come and clear, before Okaka took charge and found Deeney to smash into the roof of the net.
"It was two teams desperate not to to lose, with the way the table is," said Deeney.
"We don't want to lose a home game and Everton want to keep a gap from the bottom.
"I have to say our fans were fantastic. It was a dire game, but they stuck with us and deserve it."
'A team with no soul'
Your reaction on #bbcfootball:
Dave Edwards: Everton have really embraced Big Sam's footballing ideals - they're boring, less than the sum of their parts and play with an ambition to minimise damage.
John Kirwan: Big Sam should leave Everton and never manage again, his tactics are older than he is.
Steve Much: Everton are a team with no soul under Allardyce - he has got to go and quickly.
George Powell: We're not even second or third to the loose balls, let alone first. Another abject away day for Everton.
Man of the match - Abdoulaye Doucoure (Watford)
What's next?
Watford play bottom of the league West Brom at home next Saturday, 3 March (15:00 GMT), while Everton travel to Burnley for the lunchtime kick-off (12:30 GMT).
Line-ups
Watford
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 30Karnezis
- 2JanmaatBooked at 88mins
- 5Prödl
- 6Mariappa
- 25Holebas
- 16Doucouré
- 29CapoueBooked at 53mins
- 7DeulofeuSubstituted forCarrilloat 63'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 37PereyraSubstituted forOkakaat 56'minutes
- 11RicharlisonSubstituted forFemeníaat 56'minutes
- 9Deeney
Substitutes
- 1Gomes
- 3Britos
- 18Gray
- 21Femenía
- 22Zeegelaar
- 28Carrillo
- 33Okaka
Everton
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Pickford
- 43Kenny
- 5Williams
- 4Keane
- 15Martina
- 26Davies
- 17GueyeBooked at 64mins
- 10RooneySubstituted forCalvert-Lewinat 82'minutes
- 11Walcott
- 19NiasseSubstituted forTosunat 57'minutes
- 18G SigurdssonSubstituted forBolasieat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Schneiderlin
- 7Bolasie
- 14Tosun
- 29Calvert-Lewin
- 30Holgate
- 33Robles
- 36Garbutt
- Referee:
- Anthony Taylor
- Attendance:
- 20,430
Match Stats
Home TeamWatfordAway TeamEverton
- Possession
- Home54%
- Away46%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away2
- Corners
- Home6
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Watford 1, Everton 0.
Post update
Attempt saved. Cenk Tosun (Everton) header from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Yannick Bolasie.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jordan Pickford (Everton) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Theo Walcott with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Everton. Conceded by José Holebas.
Post update
Foul by Stefano Okaka (Watford).
Post update
Jonjoe Kenny (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
André Carrillo (Watford) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Ashley Williams.
Post update
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Jonjoe Kenny.
Post update
Attempt blocked. José Holebas (Watford) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Abdoulaye Doucouré.
Booking
Daryl Janmaat (Watford) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Etienne Capoue (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Troy Deeney.
Post update
Attempt saved. Stefano Okaka (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by José Holebas.
Post update
Foul by Stefano Okaka (Watford).
Post update
Idrissa Gueye (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Everton. Dominic Calvert-Lewin replaces Wayne Rooney.
Substitution
Substitution, Everton. Yannick Bolasie replaces Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Goal!
Goal! Watford 1, Everton 0. Troy Deeney (Watford) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Stefano Okaka.
Post update
Attempt saved. Daryl Janmaat (Watford) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Comments
Join the conversation
This sums him up, he sets out defensive then makes excuses' for his tactics and blames others. No one to finish?Erm Rooney? . Don't believe the BBC, and his own hype, he is terrible and he hasn't had a winning record at any club he has been at!!
2 wins in 11 games,and again no shots on goal says it all, you are out of your depth p--s of back to Bolton etc Evertonians don't want you
…said no one ever.
"Nil Satis Nisi Optimum"?
Surely it's time to accept it was a mistake bringing him in, and look for someone more positive???
Rooney and Davies ran out of legs and Niasse did nothing. I really want Tosun to succeed but I cant see a footballer there at all.
After Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool I need to stop wasting my money on away games.
If he remains he will ruin our club,please listen to the fans WE DO NOT WANT HIM he is a DINOSAUR, surely you can see this after tonights dreadful performance
I've been watching them for nearly fifty years
Complete and Utter Rubbish
That might sound desperate, but from 8th downwards, the teams are all in a relegation dogfight.