Vicarage Visits
Brighton & Hove Albion get their 2018/19 Premier League campaign underway against Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon, and here’s a look at some previous visits to the home of the Hornets. 11th September 2004: Watford 1-1 Albion After bouncing straight back into the Championship, the Seagulls travelled to Watford during the 2004/05 season, two years after narrowly losing 1-0 to the Hornets on their first return in ten years. Danny Webber opened the scoring for the hosts after the break, and the striker’s goal looked to have won the match as the minutes ran out for Mark McGhee’s team. But with just five minutes remaining, Adam Virgo - who was sent forward as a makeshift forward - fired the equalising goal for the Seagulls to claim a point at Vicarage Road. 29th January 2011: Watford 0-1 Albion The Seagulls were drawn against Watford in the fourth round of the FA Cup after beating Woking, FC United of Manchester and Portsmouth in the previous rounds of the competition. Albion were faring well in League One under then manager Gus Poyet, and strike trio Glenn Murray, Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood led the line for the Seagulls against the Hornets that day. Will Buckley - who signed for the Seagulls the following season - lined up for the hosts at Vicarage Road, but it was a 16th-minute strike from Barnes that sealed a 1-0 victory and progress to the fifth round. 18th September 2012: Watford 0-1 Albion After sealing a second season in the Championship, Albion travelled to Vicarage Road during the 2012/13 campaign, and a few new faces arrived at the home of the Hornet’s after Poyet’s team lost 1-0 the previous season. Andrea Orlandi came into the side to make his first Albion start, while Wayne Bridge and Dean Hammond also featured for the Seagulls after signing during the summer transfer window. Albion went into the game at Vicarage Road after winning three consecutive league games, and Craig Mackail-Smith’s 50th-minute penalty extended that streak to four matches, as the Seagulls showed promising early-season form. 26th August 2017 - Watford 0-0 Albion Albion’s trip to Vicarage Road came after back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Leicester City, but a goalless draw for Chris Hughton’s secured a first-ever Premier League point for the Seagulls. Miguel Britos received a red card for the hosts in the first half, after lunging in on Anthony Knockaert, and the Frenchman almost broke the deadlock for the Seagulls early on. Knockaert’s curling effort cannoned back off the upright, and despite Jose Izquierdo firing just wide in the closing stages, on his Albion debut, the Seagulls had to settle for a point against Marco Silva’s side.