Watford 2, Oxford United 0 UNITED'S players ended a trying week by giving their all at Vicarage Road on Saturday, but they were well outclassed.

And had it not been for three high-quality saves by Phil Whitehead, and some unbelievable misses from Watford players in front of goal, the scoreline in this Division 1 game might have reached Sunderland proportions.

The teamwork and unity, which had held the U's together for the first 70 minutes, was eroded away and the visitors virtually caved in during a final 20 minutes that was frequently embarrassing to watch.

You had to feel sorry for Malcolm Shotton, who had to enter this match without two of his best three outfield players, and then chose not to play the other.

Dean Windass was suspended and Phil Gilchrist dropped out with illness.

The manager stuck with the five-man defence which had done well at Bolton and Bury, and that meant leaving Joey Beauchamp on the bench.

It meant United fielded one of their most inexperienced sides ever at this level, with Andrew Rose handed a league debut and Tony Wright given his first start away.

Instead of using Les Robinson as the spare man in the three central defenders, Shotton chose David Smith to act as sweeper - which he did very well.

Wearing Watford's blue away strip, because they had packed only the yellow home kit which clashed with Watford's, Oxford were under pressure from the start.

Nick Wright fired in a shot which Whitehead pushed away - and that was a taste of what was to come.

United's keeper made a superb point-blank save from Gifton Noel-Williams in the tenth minute and Rose made some timely interventions. A weak overhead kick effort from Nicky Banger was all Oxford had to show for their attacking efforts in the first half.

Watford went in front in the 25th minute when Peter Kennedy's corner from the right was flicked on by Johann Gudmundsson, flashed across the six-yard box and defender Steve Palmer prodded it in at the back post.

Les Robinson became one of four United players to be booked, and for the skipper it was his fifth of the season, which means a suspension.

Andy Thomson turned sharply to get in a cross which Matt Murphy just failed to meet, but at the other end, Noel-Williams was a lot closer with his turn and blast.

Whitehead came to his team's rescue again two minutes into the second half when Tony Wright was dispossessed in midfield and the ball was played through to Noel-Williams in space. The striker got all his power behind the shot but Whitehead stuck out an arm to divert it for a corner.

Nick Wright missed a great opportunity when he screwed a shot wide with only the keeper to beat as United were forced continually on to the back foot. Beauchamp and Jamie Cook came on as the visitors tried to hit back but, from that moment, as they switched to a flat back four, they looked alarmingly vulnerable in defence.

Whitehead made a brilliant save to push another Wright effort around a post.

And when United, who forced their first corner after 68 minutes, did get a rare sight of goal, with a free-kick awarded just outside the box, Beauchamp struck it very weakly.

With 14 minutes to go, it became game set and match as Noel-Williams played a glorious one-two with Gudmundsson to slice open Oxford's defence, and drilled his shot past a helpless Whitehead.

It would have been 3-0 moments later but Phil Whelan somehow raced back to clear off the line after Wright chipped the keeper.

United, now all at sea, were split open time and again, but Noel-Williams and Wright missed further good chances, and it summed up the United players' afternoon - and week for that matter - when in injury time, Paul Powell volleyed five yards over the bar.

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