Oxford boss Gary Rowett was relieved to finally get back on the winning trail after Siriki Dembele’s goal gave them a 1-0 win over Watford at the Kassam Stadium.
Dembele got his first goal for the club with a right-footed finish from 10 yards eight minutes from time – three minutes after Watford had James Abankwah sent off for a second yellow card when he fouled Przemy Placheta.
It ended a run of nine games without a win for Oxford.
Rowett said: “That was a very welcome three points after a difficult game.
“The opposition were difficult and there was a swirling wind, so it felt hard to settle on the ball.
“We never built any real momentum but it showed we were competitive and perhaps I was just pleased that we found a way to win the game and it was a great strike by Dems.
“I was about to take him off just before the red card, so what do I know?
“But he came up with the goods, and I had spoken to him about this recently – about adding goals and being more selfish in that final third.
“It looked like today it might be just one moment that would settle it.
“As soon as we scored, I didn’t want to take any risk, it was just about making sure we didn’t concede against 10 men, like we did against Bristol City – and see the game out.”
Watford boss Tom Cleverley felt his side should have got something from the game.
Cleverley said: “I’m a little bit fed up with being disappointed, to be honest, when I don’t feel my team are playing as poorly as the results showed.
“Why are we not winning the games we are in full control of? Oxford, Stoke…. It’s a conundrum I need to solve – how do we turn all this control and good play into wins. Because no-one wants to see a team that is playing great football but not winning, especially at this stage of the season.
“I thought we handled the conditions really well. It wasn’t a pitch that you can play the football we normally do, but we saw out the first 20 minutes and the wind affecting the play, and I thought we were in absolute complete control.
“If I can aim any criticism at the lads today it’s that we weren’t clinical enough – 16 shots and none on target in the second half. That’s why we’ve not won the game, we’ve not been clinical enough in key moments.”
On Abankwah’s sending-off for a second bookable offence, Cleverley said: “In that area of the pitch I was surprised to see a red card, but it’s something James will learn from.
“I’m just gutted for him that it’s cost us the result today.
“I thought the second yellow was soft.”
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