Joao Pedro bags brace as Watford move third after seeing off lowly Huddersfield

Posted Sunday, December 18, 2022 by PA

Watford moved up to third in the Championship table as a second-half brace from Joao Pedro earned them a 2-0 win over bottom side Huddersfield at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Slaven Bilic’s side sat back in the opening period as Huddersfield dominated possession but rarely troubled the visitors’ goal.

Watford forward Keinan Davis was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty midway through the opening half after being hauled back in the area.

Watford should have taken the lead late in the first half but Pedro somehow failed to find the target from close range.

Pedro made up for his earlier miss as he scored from eight yards early in the second half and a late second from a corner with four minutes remaining sealed three points for his side.

Huddersfield had the first effort on goal four minutes in but Danny Ward shot across goal and well wide.

The home side were having the better of the early play with Ward seeing another shot deflected for a corner after 18 minutes.

A Sorba Thomas delivery found Josh Ruffels but he headed into the ground and the ball bounced over.

Watford felt they should have had a penalty after 26 minutes as Davis appeared to be pulled down in the area after turning inside Michal Helik but referee Leigh Doughty waved away the appeals.

Ismaila Sarr had the game’s first effort on target just after the half-hour mark but his effort from 25 yards was easy for Terriers goalkeeper Lee Nicholls to turn around the post for a corner.

Watford should have taken the lead seven minutes before half-time when Jeremy Ngakia crossed low from the right and the ball found Pedro but he could not steer it on target from close range.

Hassane Kamara saw his shot from a tight angle blocked by Nicholls as the visitors again pressed for the opener.

Watford broke from a Huddersfield attack and Davis showed great footwork to beat his defender then fluffed his finish.

Watford took the lead nine minutes into the second half as Tom Dele-Bashiru raced from his own half to feed Pedro on the right side of the box and this time he made no mistake, turning one way and then another before beating Nicholls from eight yards.

Watford had made the most of a Huddersfield mistake to break and score and they did the same on the hour only for Ken Sema’s low cross to be blocked by the sliding Helik.

Substitute Yaser Asprilla nearly played a part in a second goal for Watford when his run won a corner.

Sema’s inswinger was headed goalward by Sarr but Nicholls saved well before Jack Rudoni headed at Daniel Bachmann from a corner at the other end.

Pedro sealed the win after 86 minutes when he rose unmarked to head home a Sema corner.