Post by Tangerine Sherlock on Apr 6, 2012 19:32:00 GMT 1
Setanta Sports
Stephen Dobbie's double cemented Blackpool's place in the npower Championship play-off spots and halted Watford's recent surge up the table.
The striker took his tally to four goals in two starts since rejoining Blackpool on loan from Swansea with a fine individual strike and a penalty.
There seemed little danger when Dobbie picked up the ball midway through the first half but he opened the scoring with a superb, jinking run into the penalty area and a neat finish.
And in the second half Dobbie, who scored twice in last week's 3-0 win over Southampton, sealed Blackpool's victory from the spot after Thomas Ince was brought down by Tomasz Kuszczak.
The defeat brought an end to Watford's seven-match unbeaten run which had raised hopes of gatecrashing the play-offs at Vicarage Road.
Holloways thoughts from sportinglife
Holloway said: "The run they're (Watford) on, best form in our division, it was the toughest call ever really and you could tell they've got a spring in their stride.
"They were pretty immense at the start of the game and it was like Watford of old, they used to put you under that sort of pressure when Graham Taylor was here.
"We had to stand up and be counted and I'm absolutely delighted we managed to do that. Every one of us, even me on the line, had to say what we felt because you can't be intimidated. But it was the pace of how they did things which was totally different to last week [against Southampton] and I'm totally delighted with my players.
"Obviously Dobbie's finish was quite sublime, the skill and what have you and sometimes little bits and pieces like that make the difference , so I'm glad he's on our side."
On his match-winner, Holloway continued: "Some of those little jinky bits that David Silva does, we have got a few in our country wearing an England shirt who can do that.
"Not knocking them but his stature and who he plays is very sort of continental and we embrace that and it suits us. If we can get him the ball and manage to find him in a little pocket, he tantalised them and stuck it in the bottom corner."
Watford Observer
Watford manager Sean Dyche believes not enough of his players “wanted to make a difference” during the 2-0 defeat to Blackpool.
The Hornets were unbeaten in seven matches going into the contest but they were poor against a Blackpool side that were also far from their best.
Dyche said: “I am disappointed in our performance. We have gone very well lately. We had a couple of hiccups since Christmas but got over that swiftly and went on a good run, so I am disappointed.
“The performance wasn’t good enough by our standards and we didn’t have enough people who really wanted to make a difference today, and it is important we focus on that because we have done that well this season.
“I must make it clear; they were the better side, particularly in the first half. Second half it became a little bit more even but I don’t want to start taking anything away from their performance.”
Both of Blackpool’s goals were avoidable, as Stephen Dobbie was allowed to dribble into the area under little pressure from three or four defenders for the opener and then Nyron Nosworthy tried to play the offside trap prior to Tomas Kuszczak giving away a penalty, which Dobbie converted.
Dyche said: “We have been tighter and tighter as the year has gone on, cut out mistakes and silly goals, but they were both today.
Stephen Dobbie's double cemented Blackpool's place in the npower Championship play-off spots and halted Watford's recent surge up the table.
The striker took his tally to four goals in two starts since rejoining Blackpool on loan from Swansea with a fine individual strike and a penalty.
There seemed little danger when Dobbie picked up the ball midway through the first half but he opened the scoring with a superb, jinking run into the penalty area and a neat finish.
And in the second half Dobbie, who scored twice in last week's 3-0 win over Southampton, sealed Blackpool's victory from the spot after Thomas Ince was brought down by Tomasz Kuszczak.
The defeat brought an end to Watford's seven-match unbeaten run which had raised hopes of gatecrashing the play-offs at Vicarage Road.
Holloways thoughts from sportinglife
Holloway said: "The run they're (Watford) on, best form in our division, it was the toughest call ever really and you could tell they've got a spring in their stride.
"They were pretty immense at the start of the game and it was like Watford of old, they used to put you under that sort of pressure when Graham Taylor was here.
"We had to stand up and be counted and I'm absolutely delighted we managed to do that. Every one of us, even me on the line, had to say what we felt because you can't be intimidated. But it was the pace of how they did things which was totally different to last week [against Southampton] and I'm totally delighted with my players.
"Obviously Dobbie's finish was quite sublime, the skill and what have you and sometimes little bits and pieces like that make the difference , so I'm glad he's on our side."
On his match-winner, Holloway continued: "Some of those little jinky bits that David Silva does, we have got a few in our country wearing an England shirt who can do that.
"Not knocking them but his stature and who he plays is very sort of continental and we embrace that and it suits us. If we can get him the ball and manage to find him in a little pocket, he tantalised them and stuck it in the bottom corner."
Watford Observer
Watford manager Sean Dyche believes not enough of his players “wanted to make a difference” during the 2-0 defeat to Blackpool.
The Hornets were unbeaten in seven matches going into the contest but they were poor against a Blackpool side that were also far from their best.
Dyche said: “I am disappointed in our performance. We have gone very well lately. We had a couple of hiccups since Christmas but got over that swiftly and went on a good run, so I am disappointed.
“The performance wasn’t good enough by our standards and we didn’t have enough people who really wanted to make a difference today, and it is important we focus on that because we have done that well this season.
“I must make it clear; they were the better side, particularly in the first half. Second half it became a little bit more even but I don’t want to start taking anything away from their performance.”
Both of Blackpool’s goals were avoidable, as Stephen Dobbie was allowed to dribble into the area under little pressure from three or four defenders for the opener and then Nyron Nosworthy tried to play the offside trap prior to Tomas Kuszczak giving away a penalty, which Dobbie converted.
Dyche said: “We have been tighter and tighter as the year has gone on, cut out mistakes and silly goals, but they were both today.