Friday 12 August 2005 Championship Cardiff City 1-3 Watford A Marlon King double helped Watford to an easy win over Coca-Cola Championship rivals Cardiff at Ninian Park.  | | Euan Duncan reports. |
Watford's first Championship win of the season proved a lot easier than might have been expected as an uninspired Cardiff side appeared to go through the motions. Striker Marlon King struck a low drive inside a post to give the Hornets and eighth minute lead which was doubled early in the second half when strike partner Darius Henderson headed in a Paul Devlin cross. That belatedly prompted Cardiff to shake up their front line, but Watford continued to dominate and Marlon King fired in his second, this time with his left foot shortly after the hour. The Bluebirds netted a consolation ten minutes from the end with Cameron Jerome rounding Watford keeper Ben Foster before slotting home. The victory temporarily lifts the Hornets into third place, but they'll need plenty more performances like this to remain in the upper half of the table. Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd was delighted to chalk up the first win of the season. "I'm very pleased" he said. "Particularly after the one point at Home Park. I'm delighted to win here, which should be a difficult place to come for a lot of teams. "It was going to be difficult but we made sure we scored an early goal and really we never looked back" he continued. "I always thought we were in control of the game. The only problem that we did have is that we might shoot ourselves in the foot, and we did for one goal but we kept it going and managed to get all three points." Cardiff City Goals: Jerome 80 Watford Goals: King 7, Henderson 52, King 67 Attendance: 9,256. Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire) Saturday 13 August 2005 Championship Luton Town 0-0 Leeds United Luton are top of the Championship table after a goalless draw at home to Leeds. The Hatters are level on points with QPR and Wolves, but head the table on goals scored.  | | Simon Oxley reports. |
Seven points out of nine, and although the 100 per cent record went, the unbeaten record remains, and Luton once again showed they can be a match for anyone in this division. Mike Newell agreed afterwards that Leeds were the most streetwise team they had faced, and Kevin Nicholls at last met his match in Erik Bakke, whilst Steve Howard found Sean Gregan and Paul Butler tough nuts to crack. But Curtis Davies and Markus Heikkinen coped equally well with Leeds expensively assembled strikers Healy, Ricketts and Blake, and Dean Brill was again assured in goal. Howard hit the post in the first half, whilst Kevin Foley went close late on, whilst Ricketts wasted Leeds' best chance just before half-time. A draw was about right, and who'd have backed them to be top after these three games when the fixtures came out?! Luton manager Mike Newell told Simon Oxley they were disappointed not to have maintained their 100 per cent record, even though their unbeaten start continues. "I think at the end of the day we're a little bit disappointed that we didn't create more or win the game" he said. "We had enough of the game and played enough decent football although I think just in the final third our passing and our crossing just let us down a little bit." Attendance: 10,102 Referee: A Leake (Lancashire) League One Bradford City 2-0 Milton Keynes Dons Two goals from Dean Windass gave Bradford the win against 10-man MK Dons.  | | Luke Ashmead reports |
It was a disappointing away day for the Dons. Bradford were the better side throughout but were afforded the luxury of playing against 10 men for 65 minutes, with Ben Chorley seeing red for a challenge on Dean Windass in the box. It was from the resulting penalty that Bradford opened the scoring, with Windass beating Matt Baker comfortably. Bradford could have been three up before half time, with Baker keeping the Dons in the game with two outstanding saves. The home side effectively won it seven minutes into the second half. A Dean Muirhead cross was met by Windass for his, and Bradford's second, and it was pretty much game over from then. Windass had chances to grab his hat trick and Dons' striker McLeod had a good effort saved late on. After the game, manager Danny Wilson wasn't happy with the decision to send off Chorley. "I thought that the amount of time the referee had to assess the situation, and then still to come up with a red card, was a very poor decision" he said. "The ball flashed across the box and Ben's gone in with a very genuine challenge. The ball was flying across the turf, and both players have gone in. I don't think there was any intention at all to bring him down, it was a genuine attempt for the ball. "I would have accepted a yellow card but to show a straight red was a very poor decision" he added. Bradford City Goals: Windass 27 pen, 52 Milton Keynes Dons Sent Off: Chorley (26) Attendance: 7,315 Referee: J P Robinson (E Yorkshire) League Two Oxford United 2-2 Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe maintained their unbeaten start with a draw at the Kassam Stadium with Oxford super-sub Danny Morgan heading home a dramatic late equaliser. This spirited local derby was eagerly anticipated but it took 70 minutes to live up to expectations, eventually delivering. Wycombe were poor in the first half with the midfield surprisingly being their weakest point. They went in 1-0 down at half time thanks to a breakaway goal from midfielder Chris Hackett. The second half saw changes in every sense of the word. Stefan Oakes and Ian Stonebridge came on, and the match turned on its head. Nathan Tyson scored on 68 minutes for his first of the season and it was Tyson again who bagged his second after Wycombe's best move of the match, culminating in a right wing cross from Kevin Betsy, for last season's top scorer to finish from eight yards. But there was still something left as Oxford scored their deserved equaliser with three minutes to go. The 1,500 travelling fans would have taken a point at half time, but naturally, Wycombe boss John Gorman was disappointed to concede that late leveller. "The lads are very upset after the game because three points was there for the taking" he said. "We worked so hard to get it and it's disappointing that we lost a goal with three minutes to go from a set play." Oxford Utd Goals: Hackett 17, Morgan 87 Wycombe Wanderers Goals: Tyson 70, 85 Attendance: 6,364 Referee: M Russell (Hertfordshire) Conference Stevenage Borough 3-0 Altrincham Stevenage Borough started the Conference season with a 3-0 win at home to Altrincham, giving the Conference newcomers plenty to think about. Anthony Elding gave the hosts a 15th-minute lead, heading home Michael Warner's cross from just inside the six-yard box. Boro midfielder George Boyd saw his drilled 20-yard free-kick well saved by Stuart Coburn before the home side doubled their advantage eight minutes before half-time. Elding was the provider this time, the winger crossing from the left for striker Darryn Stamp to crash home right-footed. Stevenage made the game safe in the 73rd minute when they added a third from the penalty spot. Altrincham midfielder Val Owen was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area and Dino Maamria gleefully slotted the ball home from 12 yards. Elding had a chance to grab his second in stoppage time, but his spot-kick was saved by Stuart Coburn. Manager Graham Westley was pleased to make a winning start. "They played some good football out there this afternoon" he said. "There was a disappointing period in the second half where we took our foot off the pedal and they had a chance or two which we didn't need to let them have. But it was a convincing performance over 90." Stevenage Borough Goals: Elding 15, Stamp 37, Maamria 73 pen. Altrincham Attendance: 2,008. Referee: F Graham (Essex)
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