Ryan Andrews' goal gave Watford victory over Sunderland in the Hornets' first match since Tom Cleverley was installed as manager on a permanent basis.

A dull end-of-season affair between two mid-table sides was settled by a moment of quality midway through the second half.

Ismaël Koné played a perfect pass in behind the Sunderland defence and youngster Andrews coolly slotted past keeper Anthony Patterson.

The breakthrough came after Jack Clarke missed a great chance for Sunderland when he fired wide.

Watford's win was their second in their nine matches under Cleverley, who was placed in interim charge after Valerien Ismael was sacked in March. Five of those games were drawn.

Three of the Hornets' previous four matches ended in goalless draws and another clean sheet demonstrated that they are tough to beat under Cleverley.

Sunderland had plenty of possession after Andrews' goal but were unable to find an equaliser.

Abdoullah Ba had an effort saved by keeper Daniel Bachmann after being set up by Patrick Roberts.

And in the final stages, Bachmann denied Callum Styles following good work on the right by Luís Semedo.

The result saw Watford move up a place in the Championship table, to 14th, leapfrogging Sunderland.

Watford manager Tom Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"I would have taken that before the game - a bang average performance but a 1-0 win. It's possibly our poorest performance since I've been in charge, and football has a funny way of working out.

"Our defence was very good but we were sloppy in possession. Sunderland created a lot of problems in the second half and we showed a bit of grit to see it out.

"Unfortunately it wasn't a stellar performance, but the result was huge for us. I wasn't pleased with the performance. There's a lot of scope for improvement."

Sunderland interim head coach Mike Dodds told BBC Radio Newcastle:

"I'm really upset. I'm not upset in terms of the performance - I felt we looked a lot more threatening in the top area of the pitch - but we've got to take our chances.

"I thought we were the better team. I'm upset for the fans. That's a game we should not be losing.

"I'm disappointed with the goal. They breached our back line far too easily and this group must realise that one lapse in concentration can get punished.

"It feels like I'm running an uphill battle at the moment in terms of the inconsistency. Some weeks I look at the group and really like what I see and some weeks I don't.

"Today I can't criticise them for that. To come away losing 1-0 is upsetting for everyone at the club."

Tom Cleverley spoke to the media after the Hornets earned a win in his first game as permanent Head Coach with a 1-0 victory over Sunderland at Vicarage Road.

Ryan Andrews' second-half strike was the game's only goal as the Golden Boys recorded their first home league win in almost five months.

Read what Cleverley had to say below...

On celebrating his appointment with an elusive home win:

I would have taken that before the game - a real bang-average performance, but a 1-0 win. I will always be honest with the media and the players, it’s possibly our poorest performance since I’ve been in charge, and football has got a funny way of working out.

We played excellent second half against West Brom, excellent second half against Southampton, and only came away with one point, so maybe we have got a little bit of payback here today.

On the reasons behind the poor performance:

I think we started the game well in the first 20 minutes, and then gave away a few cheap fouls that spoiled the rhythm. Then we gave away a couple of chances, and Sunderland had a real foothold in the game. I thought we made too many technical mistakes today and were sloppy in possession, especially in the top third of the pitch.

On other days we might not be as good at the back, and our front three will create magic to get us out, but the result today was the other way round. Our defence was very good, and we were sloppy in possession.

Maybe it is just my high demands of us as a team. I see on a daily basis how technically good we are, playing in small spaces, combining around the box, and today we just couldn’t get it going, we would have two passes, but then with the third it would break down, or someone would try a flick.

In this league you need consistency and we didn’t have any of that in possession today, so we will work at it, and I won’t stop demanding until we have the complete performance.

Sunderland did a really good job at breaking the tempo. They slowed the game down well, knocking us out of our rhythm, a bit like Preston did, and we struggled to deal with that, and they took control of the game for large parts.

When you are desperate to put three or four passes together to get your rhythm out of the game, you fall down too many times. I'm a little bit disappointed with that, because I know technically these players are better than they showed today.

On seeing the game out:

Pleasing after we couldn’t manage it against Leeds and West Brom. Sunderland caused us a lot of problems second half, tactically, and technically they are a very, very good side. Good, quick combinations in and around our box, and we showed a bit of grit to see it out, and make it five clean sheets out of eight.

On the goal:

It was a nice move, [Ismaël] Koné and [Vakoun] Bayo combining. I thought Koné was excellent today, and Ryan Andrews finished it off really, really well. One Academy product starting [Jack Grieves], replaced by another who scored the winning goal. I have been really pleased with Ryan’s reaction to starting on the bench today.

On Jack Grieves:

He has been training fantastically well since I’ve been in. He’s training with a real intensity, and I just felt like we could go with two more attacking wing-backs, a bit more attacking balance that we showed so well in the last 20 minutes of last week, so we went with Grieves to start.

We just couldn’t get any rhythm, he looked like someone who needed to learn the position a little bit, but he was completely at the level. It’s been a real good experience for him, then Ryan came on and responded well to being left out today, and showed a lot of character to perform like he did.

On Ryan Andrews:

The responsibility is his, but I feel massively responsible to be a part of his development. He knows how demanding I am of him, and I continue to be so. The reason I got into coaching is to help young players, and I am excited to work with him.

On Wesley Hoedt:

He has been fantastic, not only on the playing field, but on the training pitch for us as well. A massive leader amongst the squad, he is someone who has huge experience and he has been a big part of why our defensive record has been so good since we’ve come.

The [Player of the Season award] is thoroughly deserved, take your pick from goal of the season, from Yáser’s wonder strikes plus Wes’s, but I don’t think anyone can have any complaints from Wes winning Player of the Season.

On making Vicarage Road a fortress:

It is right up there, top of the list of priorities. I know personally, 19 out of 23 when we got promoted last time, your home form is key to this league. You try and pick up as many points on the road as you can, but, ultimately, it is your defensive record, and your home form, that will see you through this league.

I feel like we have reconnected with the fans through spirited performances, desire and heart, so we are starting to form those connections with our supporters again, and now it is up to all of us to make this a fortress again.

The way we want to play, being a team on the front foot and in control of the game in possession, but with possession with a purpose, is easier to implement at home because you naturally get on the front foot.

It should be a match made in heaven for our results to improve at home next season, but consistency is the key, and that’s what I’m not too pleased about today, we didn’t show much consistency throughout the game.

On the importance of getting the home win out of the way this season:

If we went into the off-season, then pre-season, then at the first game in August you are looking at nine months since our last win at home, and that doesn’t sound great, for a club of our size in this league.

We have managed to clear that one off today, so we are really, really pleased that we’ve managed to send our supporters away for the summer with a little bit of something to celebrate.

“It’s An AMAZING Feeling On My 50th Appearance!” | Ryan Andrews On Scoring Sunderland Winner

Crystal Palace Women are heavy favourites to win the Championship title and seal promotion to the top-flight for the first time, needing just a point against Sunderland this Sunday (28th April, 14:00 BST) in front of a record crowd at Selhurst Park.

It all amounts to what promises to be a special day in club history and, with over 5,567 tickets sold, a record crowd is due to be there to watch the game, and potential trophy lift, in SE25.

Following Palace's 2-0 win over Lewes on Sunday, they sit three points ahead of Charlton at the top of the table – and with a 22-goal lead in terms of goal difference.

One point on the final day, therefore, will be enough for guarantee a trophy lift in SE25 – and even that may not be required for the Eagles to make history.

Tickets for the match are still on sale here, with prices below.

Read on below to find out for a full guide to the day at Selhurst Park – and, if you're not coming, how you can watch live and free.

Book tickets

If you are unable to attend Selhurst Park, you can still watch the game LIVE and FREE (kick-off: 14:00 BST).

The match will be broadcast for fans to enjoy on the FA Player, for which you will need to register for an account to watch.

The best of the day's content will also take centre-stage on cpfc.co.uk, and our dedicated Palace Women's X and Instagram accounts.

We can't wait to welcome you to Selhurst Park for what should be an incredible finale to the season.

Supporters can expect plenty more family-friendly fun for all ages at Selhurst Park, as well as the chance to see a moment of club history.

Before arriving

If you have purchased 3 or more tickets, please print these before arrival to ensure efficient entry into the stadium.

Although we are expecting no travel disruption, please aim to arrive early to make the most of the day and avoid any queues getting into the stadium just before kick-off.

Please remember that it is an offence to enter the pitch at any time. Please remain seated after the final whistle for the players' lap of appreciation.

From 11:00

Our Selhurst Park club shop opens – so take advantage of our current sale, with up to 70% off selected products!

From 11:30

Our Fanzone – located just outside the Main Stand – gets going, chock full of games, entertainment, face-painting and family-friendly vibes, with a main stage show hosted by DJ Rob Thornton.

Our star striker, Elise Hughes – who could finish the day as Championship top scorer – will also be interviewed on-stage at 13:00.

From 12:30

Turnstiles open and you'll be able to take your seat.

We’ll be giving away free special-edition Women’s Matchday programmes on the gates! But please do note: these are only available as stocks last, so make sure you get in early to avoid missing out.

A digital version of the programme can also be downloaded here.

We'll also have pre-match entertainment inside the stadium, including fan cams, mascot visits, t-shirt cannons – and more!

14:00

Kick-off – and destiny beckons.

Full-time

The players will embark on a lap of celebration to thank you for your outstanding support.

Fingers crossed, there might even be a trophy involved!

Ticket prices for the game against Sunderland at Selhurst Park on Sunday, 28th April are outlined below.

For those looking to experience the season finale in more style, Premium tickets (priced at £25 per adult, and £15 for U18s/Concessions) – which includes Directors’ Box seating and access to the Malcolm Allison Lounge – are also available.

If you are a supporter with any accessibility requirements, please contact our dedicated Disability Liaison Officer, Rhianna Odartey, either by email dlo@cpfc.co.uk or call 0208 760 6000. Limited parking is available for supporters with a blue badge.

Pricing

Please note that we encourage supporters booking four or more tickets to print these off before travelling to Selhurst Park; this will help you to avoid delays entering the ground.

There will also be a dedicated section for visiting Sunderland supporters in Block B of the Main Stand, with tickets priced at the same rate.

Supporters should ensure that their e-ticket correct states 'Selhurst Park' and they have been allocated a seat number.

If supporters have received an e-ticket that states 'VBS Community Stadium,' please delete this e-ticket.

Last time out at Selhurst Park, goals from Molly Sharpe, Ria Percival and Annabel Blanchard gave Palace a convincing 3-0 win over Watford in front of a record crowd at Selhurst Park – a record you've already smashed this week.

A sunny south London day full of games, activities, face-painting – and fan cams and t-shirt cannons – perfectly set the scene for an exciting match-up in SE25.

“Obviously it was an absolutely amazing number of fans that came out today,” captain Aimee Everett said. “We appreciate every single one of them that made the journey, and they helped us in the game – we could hear them from minute one to minute 90.”

Percival added: “The crowd here were amazing today. It’s good to have so many fans and the crowd were great; they helped us to the three points. Scoring a goal in front of them and hearing them go crazy… it’s a great feeling.

“It’s a thanks to all of them for coming, and hopefully we can get them to the rest of the games.”

“Despite some occasionally positive results, a lack of style and positivity in our play has damaged our prospects in recent weeks and months”, writes Malc Dugdale

Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

It goes without saying that Sunderland have a lot of work to do in the summer, and given the difference between how we play right now and how we performed after our promotion in 2022, I sometimes wonder if we’re actually the same club.

Our 2022/2023 team was filled with exciting young players, played flowing, eye-catching football and scored many high quality goals- the likes of which I’d not seen for years.

It excited me and filled me with optimism, which was probably misguided after all my years as a Sunderland fan, but it felt great to be happy and positive about my club again.

All the signs suggested we could continue on this vector, attracting great young prospects during the seasons to come and possibly selling some of our developed products for good profits, but rebuilding and moving onwards and upwards over time.

The chances of getting back to the Premier League as part of the five-year plan outlined by the owners seemed very strong, but at this stage, it’s like chalk and cheese, as April has been an absolute grind with very few moments of positivity.

The dozen or so games under Michael Beale weren’t much better, and nor were the results towards the end of Tony Mowbray’s reign, who we wish all the best as he continues to focus on his health.

Looking back at results over the last couple of months or so, it’s been a period to forget for Sunderland.

I’m not sure if the hiding against Blackburn Rovers or the fact that Mike Dodds’ tenure is drawing to a close were at the core of this, but an accumulation of various factors have resulted in us going ‘back to basics’ with defence and almost giving up on creating and scoring chances up front.

Nothing has really changed since Mowbray’s prime.

We still don’t have a functional striker but last season, we often found a way to overcome this as we embraced the idea of a ‘false nine’. The build up to support that attacking strategy was gorgeous at times, as we saw at Reading.

Although this approach secured the Lads an often-unexpected share of the points, the drop off in individual and collective performances and morale- especially at home- and the total lack of style and flair to our play has been gutting to behold.

While sat enjoying a quiet evening in between games, I found myself wondering if I’m more bothered about the number of points per game we’ve accumulated and the league safety they brought us, or the impact of the way we went about getting them.

Have we reverted to our previous form under Beale and Dodds? Can we still attract young blood and show them that we play exciting football with youth at its core? I’m not so sure.

Watching the game against Millwall, the overriding feeling for games such as that one are that we seem to have lost the very same team spirit that urged Patrick Roberts to make that darting front post run at Hillsborough during the playoffs.

Our ‘va va voom’, as Thierry Henry once said, has ‘va va vanished’, and we must accept that this is also probably hugely visible and highly unattractive to the eyes of players we may attempt to sign during the summer.

We’re no longer playing the kind of enthralling football we briefly became synonymous with.

We aren’t fully embracing the youth we recently revered and/or seeing the benefits of them getting time on the grass with the players around them. Instead, we’re in no-man’s land and playing super defensively, even at home against sides to whom we should be taking the game.

We did the right thing to dismiss Beale, but we’ve been left with an interim head coach who won’t even give some of our emerging talents half an hour, despite being mathematically safe and with nothing to play for but pride.

As mentioned by Gav and Martin during our post-Millwall podcast, we could’ve given the likes of Tommy Watson and Trey Ogunsuyi their first team debuts against the Lions.

That would’ve meant the world to them, and our coaches could’ve gotten an idea of how ready they are.

We could’ve even given the likes of Hemir an hour to see where he was at, yet we played Bradley Dack up front and played what felt like over half of the team out of position, opting for a back five at home against a team we should’ve been absolutely battering with attacking intent.

There’s still one game to play and potential benefits to reap, but Dodds seems to be focused on something far different as opposed learning more about our squad.

So, the key question is, is this recoverable?

I very much think it is, but the appointment of the new head coach and support staff will be crucial in how well we kick back into gear during 2024/2025.

We need to appoint someone who can get us back to the style of play we lost track of several months ago, and we need to restore the perfect balance of youth and experience.

The coach needs to hit the ground running, working with Kristjaan Speakman and the owners to identify and procure the best talents that we can this summer- not only for the best prices, but also to give the team as we see it a boost in both confidence and capability.

In terms of transfers, we need at least one striker and at least one central midfielder, but to be frank, we’ll need way more than that if we’re tempted by significant bids for the likes of Dan Neil, Dan Ballard and Jack Clarke in the summer.

Neil’s recent injury had a detrimental impact on how we played against Millwall, and the club hierarchy can’t leave us in such a position again.

We need a squad that can perform better than the sum of its parts, and that can accommodate a reasonable amount of change, which is to be expected at this level.

Over and above that, I really hope that our recent lack of attractive and expansive football doesn’t discourage the next Amad Diallo or Jobe Bellingham from believing that Sunderland AFC is a great place for young talent to be and to thrive.

We’re now perceived as a club which thrives on youth, but we need to show that we’ve learned the lessons- specifically regarding experience- of 2023/2024.

We need to demonstrate that the appointment of our next head coach isn’t being taken lightly, and we can’t take a punt on people who don’t have a clear track record of managing a club such as Sunderland at Championship level.

This week has been extra tough with the loss of the iconic Charlie Hurley, and it would’ve been great for The King to see us back in Premier League before he passed away.

We almost did that for him and other ex-players and fans at the end of last season, despite being far from ready. Reaching the playoffs was a massive achievement, but something we’ve fallen far short of during 2023/2024.

This summer, let’s show Hurley, newly inducted into our Sunderland ‘Heaven Branch’, what we’re about.

Let’s get the coaching and playing staff sorted out. Let’s balance experience and youth more effectively, and shoot for the top two with a coach we can believe in and trust to lead us for at least a few seasons.

It’s no more than the memory of ‘The King’ deserves.

RIP King Charlie.

OPINION!

ROKER REWIND!

OPINION!

Sunderland's poor form continued on Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road.

The Black Cats produced a better performance than they had managed against Millwall a week previous but their campaign continues to fizzle out in disappointing fashion. Here's Phil Smith's key conclusions from the game...

SOME IMPROVEMENTS BUT SOME BIG QUESTIONS REMAIN

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Though the end result was painfully familiar given the way the second half of the season has panned out, this was a little different to some of Sunderland's recent performances. A classic for the neutral it was not, and a free-flowing performance it was most certainly not, but Sunderland did over the course of 90 minutes create enough to get something out the game. Chris Rigg missed a good chance when played through by Adil Aouchiche, Trai Hume also denied by Daniel Bachmann not long after. In the second half, Jack Clarke missed two chances that earlier in the campaign would almost certainly have found the bottom corner. Hard to criticise the winger, when you consider where this season might have ended without him.

If you felt Mike Dodds was being overly generous in saying his side ought to have won the game, then it's only fair to point that his opposite number made clear that he felt his side had probably got away with one on balance of play.

It was a harsh result in the end, though that does mean that questions over where this side are headed are not valid. Sunderland may have created more chances in this game than they have of late, but most were on the counterattack. Since Tony Mowbray's departure they appear to have shifted away both from trying to dominate possession and pressing high up the pitch, instead more often than not happy to sit off the game and absorb pressure. There is no right way to play the game, the concern more being that this entirely at odds with how Sunderland say they want to operate and most notably, the style that they say they recruit to. It has also undoubtedly played a key part in the apathy that has understandably taken hold amongst many supporters over the last couple of months.

Is it a case of trying to get through to the end of the campaign relatively unscathed? If so, then the fear is that the decline both in results and attacking output leads to a hangover that will not be easy to shift over the summer months - both on the pitch and off it.

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If it is the start of a broader shift in strategy and playing style, then the results of late would question whether that it is a sage one. Sunderland now routinely yield few chances to their opponents and clearly have a solid defensive platform, and yet their results over the second half of the campaign cannot be described as anything other than relegation form.

DUO NEARING EXIT AFTER MIKE DODDS DECISION

Though they travelled with the squad to Watford, neither Mason Burstow nor Bradley Dack were named in the matchday squad.

Mike Dodds said afterwards that there was not necessarily an indication that their futures lay elsewhere: Dack had not been able to train all the way through the week and so was an obvious candidate to make way given that the interim boss was eager to reward Tommy Watson's promising U21 performances with a place in the squad.

With Burstow, Dodds felt he did not need both he and Luis Hemir on the bench and so it made sense to go with the latter.

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Dodds did concede, however, that perhaps there had been a slight nod to the future with this decisions. Dack has been unable to put a consistent run of games together since joining last summer and while Burstow is a player Sunderland still feel has a promising long-term future, it now seems certain that he will need a fresh start either at Chelsea or elsewhere for the time being. It would now be a significant surprise to see either playing in a Sunderland shirt next season.

A tougher call for Sunderland is Corry Evans, who has looked sharp on his return to the team over the last fortnight.

ONE POSITIVE TO TAKE

If you're looking for some positivity to take from an otherwise disappointing afternoon and a disappointing few weeks, then Aji Alese's return would be one. The defender has looked sharp since his return from injury and got through another fixture unscathed here.

The defender looks in a strong position to hit the ground running in pre-season and if so, a key problem position over the course of this campaign will be at least in part solved. If Dennis Cirkin can get fit and stay fit, it will become a position of strength.