Webber left Manchester United, which he had joined at the age of 10, of his own volition. Sir Alex Ferguson evidently did not stand in his way. “Danny always looks as if he is going to score,” said Ray Lewington, Watford’s manager. “He had problems last year but he is a class act.”
Plymouth Argyle, who have made such an impressive start to the season, found themselves a goal ahead through a former Premiership player of their own in Micky Evans. Watford equalised before the interval and it was in the second half that Webber scored twice.
The Plymouth-born Evans, who returned to his home club three years ago for the paltry fee of £35,000, was once a Saint. His goal on 13 minutes came courtesy of a more refined move than might have been anticipated from a team sometimes tagged long-ball country bumpkins — and one afforded less than maximum respect by Lewington beforehand. Evans put away a David Norris cross from the right with impressive aplomb.
Had Graham Coughlan not headed against the crossbar, Lee Hodges not grazed a post with an excellent left-footed shot and David Frio not had a swerving free-kick averted by Richard Lee, Plymouth would have been in a position of ascendancy by half-time.
As it was, Watford levelled after 33 minutes, when a cross from Paul Devlin was headed in with considerable strength by Neal Ardley. A minute after half-time, Ardley found Webber with an incisive through ball and the manner in which he drew Luke McCormick and scored would have satisfied any coach.
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Twelve minutes later, when the goalkeeper rashly came belting out of goal to try to dispossess Webber, he was calmly side-stepped and unable to prevent the ensuing shot into an unattended goal.
Watford, far more determined and purposeful than in the first half, should have had a fourth shortly before the end, when Heidar Helguson was just unable to slide a cross from James Chambers past McCormick. Helguson also headed over the bar in stoppage time, when he should, at least, have kept the ball down.
“You saw two sides of us today,” said Lewington. “For the first 20 minutes we were worse than poor, but we played some smashing football in the second half.”
STAR MAN: Danny Webber (Watford)
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Player ratings. Watford: Lee 7, Chambers 6, Cox 6, Dyche 6, Mayo 6, Ardley 6, Gunnarsson 6 (Young 90min, 6), Mahon 6, Devlin 7, Webber 9 (Dyer 85min, 6), Helguson 5
Plymouth Argyle: McCormick 5, Worrell 6, Hodges 6 (Makel 73min, 6), Frio 7, Coughlan 6, Norris 6, Crawford 6, Evans 7 (Keith 69min, 6), Capaldi 6 (Lasley 84min, 6), Wotton 6, Gilbert 6
Scorers: Watford: Ardley 33, Webber 46, 58
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Plymouth Argyle: M Evans 18
Referee: E Evans
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Attendance: 13,104