XISCO FIRED UP BY THRIFTY SHADES OF GRAY

Watford 2 Wycombe 0

LOCKDOWN chump Andre Gray set off down the road to redemption by firing Watford back into the automatic promotion picture.

One goal in his previous 33 appearances was never going to appease social media’s hanging judges.

But Gray (centre, left) – only in the line-up because top scorer Joao Pedro was banned – came up trumps with two goals to sink rock-bottom Wycombe.

After a minute’s applause in memory of ex-manager Glenn Roeder, who died aged 65 at the weekend, the Hornets served up a worthy tribute.

And after Saturday’s outbreak of handbags at Bournemouth, which earned Xisco Munoz’s side an invitation to the FA’s naughty step, the Hornets showed the right kind of fighting qualities.

When Gray met Kiko Femenia’s 14th-minute cross, he had finally scored as many goals this season as his two lockdown breaches.

Wycombe were fortunate to get away with skipper Joe Jacobson taking out Ismaila Sarr 12 minutes later, when referee Geoff Eltringham had second thoughts about – or bottled – awarding a penalty.

But the Chairboys could not escape Philip Zickernagel slipping in Gray to finish confidently again in the 57th minute. Wycombe’s only moment of hope was David Wheeler’s disallowed ‘goal’ just after the break, but they are now 12 points adrift on the seabed.

WATFORD: Bachmann 6, Femenia MOTM 8 (Ngakia, 74), Troost-Ekong 8, Sierralta 7, Masina 6, Cleverley 7 (Wilmot 86), Hughes 8, Sarr 8, Zinckernagel 7, Sema 6 (Hungbo, 84), Gray 7 (Perica 84) WYCOMBE: Stockdale 6, Grimmer 6, Stewart 6, Tafazolli 5, Jacobson 5, Wheeler 5, Gape 5 (Thompson 68), Knight 5 (Ofoborh 68), Horgan 5 (Kashket 80), Ikpeazu 6 (Akinfenwa 80), Onyedinma 5 (McCleary 68) REFEREE: Geoff Eltringham