Watford and Troy Deeney hold their nerve in turnaround win over Newcastle United

Watford looked doomed at half-time. They had been second best to a Newcastle United as bright as their orange shirts, who, after 45 glittering minutes, trudged back to the sanctuary of the dressing room disappointed to only be ahead only by Dwight Gayle’s tap-in. “At that stage, the only way they were ever going to beat us was by set pieces,” argued Steve Bruce, the Newcastle head coach. So it proved.

Watford’s post-lockdown form had offered scant reassurance that they will sit at the top table next season. Tuesday’s stumble to victory over Norwich City followed a draw and three successive defeats and yesterday’s first 45 minutes were merely an extension of long-term misery. How things would change. Two penalties by Troy Deeney, as ever oscillating wildly between heart-on-sleeve passion and ice-cold composure, ensured a turnaround, three points and, probably Watford’s Premier League status.

“It’s the second game in a row we’ve come back from a goal down, so we’ve had a reasonable week,” downplayed Nigel Pearson, the Watford head coach. “But there’s still a lot of work to be done and we’re still in trouble. Credit where credit’s due: these players have been around the bottom four all season and they’ve coped very well with the mental pressures that’s brought.”

With Newcastle looking assured, as is sometimes the way of the desperate Watford found something from somewhere. Captain Deeney secured victory, by walloping home his spot-kicks with the sure knowledge that the immediate careers of himself and his team mates depended upon them.

Newcastle’s season is ending like Newcastle’s seasons tend to end: safe, but unsatisfying.  As Bruce noted, they were excellent in the first period. With fit-again Allan Saint-Maximin and gambolling down the right with foal-like gusto, they were in carefree mood and when Fabian Schar – more comfortable as a holding midfielder than he ever was at centre back – headed over Jonjo Shelvey’s sixth minute free kick, a marker had been posted.

They went closer still, four minutes later when Shelvey’s corner was met by Miguel Almiron first time at the back post. Ben Foster made himself big, blocked with his chest and Watford had rather more to ponder than they might have anticipated.

Against the run of play, Watford almost eased themselves ahead in the 16th minute with their only moment of first half threat when Kiko Femenia crossed from the right, Danny Welbeck met it first time, Martin Dubravka made a hash of it and, after the ball hit the woodwork, Jamaal Lascelles hooked off the line. Soon, though, Welbeck was helping out at the other end, heading over his own bar from Matt Ritchie’s cross after the latest in a succession of pinpoint Shelvey passes.  The subsequent corner rendered Welbeck’s heroics pointless.

Ritchie took it and he took it viciously. Federico Fernandez headed in and Gayle rolled his second goal since the restart into the empty goal. Soon, only Foster’s outstretched leg foiled the onrushing Saint-Maximin and the real surprise was that Newcastle were not further ahead at the break.

After the break, though, Watford were a different and superior side entirely. “What I said at half-time isn’t important, it’s just a question of giving them encouragement to help them find a way.”

Although Watford would not score from open play, there were green shoots of quality. A galvanised Will Hughes and Abdoulaye Doucoure, all spider’s legs and eternal engine, began to both cut Newcastle’s supply line and establish one of their own. Ismaila Sarr began to look keen and Newcastle were overrun as Deeney – his head coach’s on-field benign dictator – cajoled, bereted and urged on his team mates.

Premier league 2019/20 latest standings (bottom six)

Nobody needs luck more than the downtrodden and Watford had their stroke of it five minutes after the re-start when Femenia hurtled into the penalty area, only to be felled by Ritchie. Deeney blasted home the cathartic penalty with net-busting power. Now Watford were galvanised and Deeney should have had a second when Will Hughes charged down a snoozing Fernandez after a Shelvey throw. Hughes squared for Deeney, who shot straight at Dubravka. Welbeck had a header deflected onto the roof of the net by Danny Rose and much as Watford refused to accept parity, time seemed to slipping away.

Then, Femenia took a throw on the right, Sarr collected only to be grappled to the ground by Javier Manquillo and Craig Pawson had no real decision to make. Like his first, Deeney’s second spot kick was an unstoppable cannonball.

“You could say we were naïve,” mused Bruce, “but they were two really, really soft penalties, especially the first. The referee needs to look at the monitor.”

With only fellow strugglers West Ham United, plus a resurgent Manchester City and Arsenal, to come, survival lays in Watford’s own hands. Deeney’s penalties lifted them six points clear of 18th place AFC Bournemouth. It should be enough, but it’s been much too close.