Match ends, Watford 1, Everton 0.
Watford 1-0 Everton
- From the section Premier League
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."
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'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'
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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
- 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
- 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
Full Time
Second Half ends, Watford 1, Everton 0.
Attempt saved. Cenk Tosun (Everton) header from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Yannick Bolasie.
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.
Corner, Everton. Conceded by José Holebas.
Foul by Stefano Okaka (Watford).
Jonjoe Kenny (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
André Carrillo (Watford) is shown the yellow card.
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Ashley Williams.
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Jonjoe Kenny.
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.
Attempt blocked. Etienne Capoue (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Troy Deeney.
Attempt saved. Stefano Okaka (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by José Holebas.
Foul by Stefano Okaka (Watford).
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.
Attempt saved. Daryl Janmaat (Watford) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Kiko Femenía (Watford) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Troy Deeney.
Attempt missed. Etienne Capoue (Watford) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Foul by Stefano Okaka (Watford).
Idrissa Gueye (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Abdoulaye Doucouré (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Cenk Tosun (Everton).
Attempt missed. Wayne Rooney (Everton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left.
Booking
Idrissa Gueye (Everton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Stefano Okaka (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Idrissa Gueye (Everton).
Foul by Stefano Okaka (Watford).
Idrissa Gueye (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Watford. André Carrillo replaces Gerard Deulofeu because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Gerard Deulofeu (Watford) because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Gerard Deulofeu (Watford) because of an injury.
Foul by Sebastian Prödl (Watford).
Cenk Tosun (Everton) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner, Watford. Conceded by Idrissa Gueye.
