Barnsley 1-0 Watford: Alex Mowatt stunner gives Tykes victory
- Published
Skipper Alex Mowatt joined Barnsley from Leeds United in 2017
Barnsley ended Watford's four-match unbeaten run in the Championship as a spectacular early goal by Alex Mowatt gave them victory at Oakwell.
The midfielder ran at the Hornets defence from just inside their half before unleashing a 25-yard shot which flew in off the post.
And it was enough to make it two wins out of two for new head coach Valerien Ismael, who took over following last Saturday's draw at Millwall, when Mowatt was also on target.
Watford were 5-1 winners on their previous league visit to Barnsley in 2013, but this time failed to produce a shot on target in the first half and Ben Wilmot's header, which bounced just over the bar, was as close as they came to an equaliser.
They are looking for an immediate return to the Premier League following last season's relegation, and remain sixth in the table despite the defeat, with Barnsley climbing to 15th.
The home side went into the game without striker Cauley Woodrow because of a hamstring injury and his replacement Patrick Schmidt - making only his third start in 35 league appearances for the club - had a quiet game before being replaced in the second half.
Watford carried a greater threat after the break without seriously discomfiting home keeper Jack Walton, but boss Vladimir lvic chose to keep £18.5m striker Andre Gray on the bench until the 76th minute.
Gray though, was held in check by the home defence and Watford will now have to regroup before back-to-back home matches against Stoke and Coventry.
Barnsley head coach Valerien Ismael:
"The first half was perfect; we made the perfect start and did exactly what we wanted. We pressed high, won the ball in the opponent's half and got towards their goal quickly.
"The second half was a big fight, but we needed such a game to show we can adapt to the Championship and it's a good feeling today.
"We don't have the possibilities like Watford - when you see their roster, it is very wide. In every game we have to invest a lot of energy and today showed when we do that, we can beat anyone. This win will give us a lot of confidence and belief."
Watford head coach Vladimir Ivic:
"We only started to play after the goal we conceded. We had more mobility maybe than in some previous games, but it still wasn't enough.
"We created the opportunities to score, but we couldn't get the shots on target and because of that we are disappointed. We made a mistake and the guy from Barnsley scored a fantastic goal. We know that if we make mistakes then they will punish you.
"It's a game that didn't give us what we want but we need to rest now and think about the next game because it's on Wednesday and it will be tough."