Ashley Young, who scored Watford’s first, was outstanding as the Hornets registered their sixth successive victory of the year and took their goal tally to 15 in their past four games.
With Sheffield United drawing, the win took Watford to within nine points of second, a gap that manager Adrian Boothroyd believes can be closed.
“We can catch anyone,” Boothroyd said. “There is no doubt in our dressing-room until someone tells us it is mathematically impossible. We just get on and do it.”
But Boothroyd is urging his players to keep their feet on the ground. “I don’t want anyone getting excited,” he said. “We have done OK until now and we are getting better.”
Coventry had gone into this game on the back of three straight wins and for half an hour they had the better of the possession. In fact, the first clear chance fell to the visiting team after 17 minutes, when a loose ball fell to Gary McSheffrey, but Ben Foster in the Watford goal made a fine point-blank save.
Advertisement
Watford’s wide men caused Coventry problems all afternoon and it was unsurprising that the opening goal came from a break down the left wing. Matthew Spring got to the byline and his cross was met beautifully at the near post by Young, who flicked the ball past Marton Fulop with the outside of his right boot.
The goal transformed the game. Watford went close twice more before the interval, when Spring hit a powerful left-foot volley over the bar and Marlon King sent in a dangerous cross that Fulop did well to hold low down.
After 59 minutes Young curled in a corner from the right and King rose to head powerfully past Fulop from 10 yards. It was the striker’s 16th goal of an increasingly fruitful season.
Young might have put Watford farther ahead two minutes later when he broke into the Coventry penalty area with only Fulop to beat. But the Hungarian keeper saved with an outstretched right foot.
Coventry counter-attacked and after 67 minutes McSheffrey fed a long ball to Marcus Hall, who stole in from the left but blazed high and wide. After 76 minutes Coventry substitute Kevin Thornton had an even better opportunity to get them back into the game, when he twisted clear in the Watford penalty area. But Foster, the goalkeeper on loan from Manchester United, saved brilliantly.
Advertisement
Almost immediately Watford made Coventry pay for the miss with a third goal. Bouazza was brought down on the edge of the area and Young swung in a free kick that Darius Henderson met perfectly to head past Fulop. Ten minutes from the end Jay DeMerit completed the rout. Bouazza had a shot from the right blocked and the ball popped up for the centre-back to head home from six yards.
King almost added a fifth four minutes from the end when he had two stabs at the ball only to see Adrian Williams clear on the line.
Coventry manager Micky Adams was frustrated by his team’s capitulation. “It is very disappointing, especially to concede goals from set-pieces. But I am not going to throw myself off a bridge. We have done well of late. But in the second half Watford put us to the sword.”
While Young inevitably caught the eye, Boothroyd also had praise for his goalkeeper. “Ben Foster was terrific today,” he said. “The scoreline said 4-0 but it wasn’t easy and Ben had to make a couple of great saves to keep us in the game.”
Advertisement
STAR MAN: Ashley Young (Watford)
Player ratings. Watford: Foster 7; Doyley 7, DeMerit 7, Mackay 6, Stewart 6; Young 9, Spring 7, Mahon 7 (Chambers 60min, 6), McNamee 6 (Bouazza 45min, 7); King 8, Henderson 7 (Eagles 79min, 6)
Coventry: Fulop 6; Page 6, Williams 5, Shaw 5 (Jorgensen 63min, 6); Whing 7, Doyle 6, Hutchison 7 (Morrell 58min, 6), Wise 7 (Thornton 63min, 7), Hall 6; Adebola 6, McSheffrey 7
Scorers: Watford: Young 32, King 59, Henderson 78, DeMerit 82
Referee: T Kettle
Advertisement
Attendance: 19,842