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Watford hold on to beat Southampton and Burnley snatch late draw with West Ham

Watford hold on to beat Southampton and Burnley snatch a very late draw with West Ham in the Championship on Sunday afternoon.

The earlier kick off saw the Saints not get off to the best start, goals from Nabizada and Bravo put Watford in control, then Larin got what ended up being a consolation goal. Harwood-Bellis missed a huge chance in stoppage time to level the scoreline for Southampton..

It may be a game in, but Southampton are now seven points off the top after having begun the season with a four-point deduction due to the Spygate scandal.

Watford meanwhile are 8th, new boss Dionisi winning in his first league game in charge.

Watford boss Alessio Dionisi told Sky Sports:

“I’m very happy, but very tired. Today was important because it was our first official match.

“There were a lot of positive moments, but at the end of the second half it was difficult for us without the ball.

“I liked every moment. I saw the players inside the pitch working together with and without the ball as well as the ball. One team, one mentality.

“It is important for everyone to stay inside the team every match with the same positive mentality.

“The second half was important to work well out of possession. With the many very talented teams in this division, it won’t be easy for us. We played so-so with the ball in the second half.”

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert said to Sky Sports: “We came here to take a result, so we are very disappointed. Two errors in possession cost us against a very good transition team. That’s the reality. We gave the ball away two times too many.

“We didn’t have to change the way we were playing in the second half. We had to be a little bit cleaner on the ball. We kept pushing, and I think that we deserved more in the end.

“It’s always easier to say things after you win a game of football, but there is no doubt about the dedication of the players. The boys are as close as they have ever been and completely united as a group.

“Obviously, communications are going on between the club and the FA in the background, but once you step onto the grass either for a training session or the sidelines, it is what it is, all of that disappears.”

Meanwhile at Turf Moor, West Ham threw away a two-goal lead to draw on their return to the second tier, Zian Flemming scoring twice to make sure Hayen didn’t lose on his first Championship game in charge.

The Hammers had been 2-0 up up until the 83rd minute, thanks to goals from Kilman and Solomon.

Zian Flemming said to Sky Sports: “I think we were quite good for the entire game to be fair and we obviously conceded two goals which maybe shouldn’t happen but I think overall we probably deserved even more than a point.

“If you’ve seen the chances we had, the chances I had, think some myself and the lads have to do better and some are just, you have to be a little bit lucky or at least not unlucky. But I think we showed great persistence to keep going and keep going and kept the belief even though we were 2-0 down that we could score and get back in the game.”

Interviewer: “Yeah, you came close so many times. You hit the post, you had one cleared off the line, you just got to keep believing that it’s going to turn.”

Zian: “Yeah, to be fair, I’d rather miss a chance and be close and not get any chance at all, you know what I mean? Because it gives the whole team like a signal that we were doing well and in the end if you keep going you can get your reward.”

Interviewer: “Kyle, what did you make of the way that he kept going and your teammates today to get that point?”

Kyle Walker said: “No, think that’s what he’s done the whole throughout the last season, you when he was playing, he always puts 100 % effort in and he gets his reward with the goals. The first one’s a penalty and the second one’s obviously a ricochet, but you take them as strikers and that’s what we need in this league.”

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo told Sky Sports:

“Yeah, unfortunately today Pablo felt something in the calf. We need more options in the offensive part of the team, of course.”

On the draw: “It was a tough one to take. First half, we did things quite well. We controlled, we played good, we created a lot of situations.

“Second half, Burnley reacted, had a couple of chances, but after we scored the second time it was about trying to keep the result, having more of the ball. We were not able to do as much as we should.

“We should have kept the ball more and tried to exploit a little bit more of the space that we had. But overall, the result, the chances of Burnley, ourselves, we have to be fair.”

Burnley boss Nicky Hayen speaking to Sky Sports:

“I’m really pleased with the way we showed resilience and came back in a game that we actually didn’t deserve to lose.

“The team showed character today, and that’s the most important. They were really clinical, and we weren’t.

“At the end, we level up, and it gives a feeling that you won the game, even if we have one point.

“But the way we came back was really good, and I’m really pleased for everyone.

“When you draw against one of the biggest favourites for the title, you can be happy.”

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