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WATFORD RESERVES beat their Crystal Palace counterparts 2-1 with a vibrant performance from a predominately youthful side - and the watching new Hornets' manager Adrian Boothroyd would surely have liked what he saw.


The young Hornets, under Nigel Gibbs' stewardship, made light of the persistent rain and the heavy Vicarage Road playing surface to dominate proceedings and confirmed their superiority with goals from on-off loan striker Jason Norville and Academy second-year Ryan Gilligan - Lewis Grabban's consolation two minutes from time the only minus from a very positive performance.

Toumani Diagouraga capped a lively start for the Hornets, reacting quickest to Omari Coleman's knock-down with a 20-yard half-volley that seared only narrowly wide of Palace keeper Rikki Banks' goal - that after just eight minutes.

Moments later, Andy Ferrell might have done better, picking up the loose change from Norville's surging burst forward. With the goalie committed but at a tight angle, the Geordie midfielder stood the ball up too high with a chipped cross which would have seen a simple headed goal for Coleman had the cross been better executed.

Palace enjoyed their first strike at goal some 90 seconds later, but a well-struck shot from Lewis Grabban nestled into Alec Chamberlain's midriff.

Coleman's 13th-minute virtual withdrawal from a challenge with Banks, having been put through by lively Academy central midfielder Al Bangura, was as perplexing as it was disappointing. The ex-Dulwich striker was favourite to reach the ball and a toe-end round the keeper would have resulted in a simple finish but the forward went in tamely and the Palace stopper was able to fashion a clearance.

But, as the weather worsened, so did the quality of the football on the difficult surface. Not for a lack of effort were Watford sucked away from Banks' goal but, to their credit, they picked up the thread five minutes from half-time when Norville could only stick out a leg to Coleman's fine far-post delivery.

Bangura, revelling in his first start for the Reserves, was quick on the draw with a loose ball , forcing Banks to drop smartly to his left with a rasping drive from all of 25 yards.

Just before the break, Adrian Mariappa - featuring alongside Jay DeMerit in the centre of defence - did very well to block a close-range effort from Tyrone Berry who was following up on a deflection from Ryan Hall's low centre.

With a spring in their step after the break, right-back Junior Osborne impressed with a marauding rampage down the flank. Trading passes with Coleman, his low cross found Norville who saw his goal-bound shot blocked.

On 52 minutes, Coleman again was in the right place at the right time but simple numbers got the better of him as Bangura, teed up by Ferrell, hammered a ball through a forest of Palace defensive legs - in a flash, it fizzed past the striker and out of play over the Rous Stand touchline.

Paul Mayo tried his luck from a free-kick just outside the area then the save of the night to that point came from Banks in unorthodox circumstances. Bangura's speculative shot hit Ferrell as he looked to close in on a possible rebound, almost bowling him over like a skittle. The deflected effort was heading inside Banks' left-hand post until the Eagles' keeper got across exceptionally well to fingertip the ball behind.

Much the dominant force after the interval, the Golden Boys finally made their pressure pay with a 62nd-minute opening goal. Ryan Gilligan was the architect, rounding the keeper on the break before firing towards goal. First to try and ensure the ball crossed the line was Norville - sliding in, he made a three-yard finish look difficult but did guide the ball into the unguarded net.

And 11 minutes later, it was 2-0 when Gilligan made most of Coleman's neat lay-off to bury a shot out of Banks' reach with an angled 15-yard drive which gave the keeper no chance.

Norville's 75th-minute effort was all of his own making, receiving possession in the outside-right channel, before turning inside his marker to curl a great-looking left-footed shot narrowly over the bedraggled Banks' crossbar.

Without carving out any more clear-cut chances, Gibbs' side continued to press home their authority and, if Boothroyd is looking for the type of player to play a part in Watford's future, he had plenty of food for thought leaving a rain-soaked Vicarage Road.

There was just time for Grabban to take the shine off the final scoreline with a close-range 88th-minute goal. After Chamberlain had helped over a long-range Hall strike, Grabban stabbed home from a corner but, in truth, it was one goal more than Palace deserved.

Teams:
Watford: Chamberlain; Mayo, Mariappa, DeMerit, Osborne; Ferrell, Diagouraga, Bangura, Gilligan (Frost 83); Coleman (Grant 76), Norville. Subs not used: Kirk (GK), Matthews, Homand.

Palace: Banks, Wiggins, Hudson (Starkey HT), El-Salahi, Wilson; Spence (Lyons 72), Berry (Dayton 81), Danze, Hall; Welch, Grabban. Subs not used: Wilkinson (GK), Fish.