Hornets end Hammers good run

West Ham 0 Watford 2

First off it's a nostalgic rendezvous at Ken's Cafe in Green Street with Michael (in a West Ham Christmas jumper and laden down with Bernard Cribbins autobiographies from the Newham Bookshop) Matt, Lisa and Nigel. Ken's still frying strong at 83, while Carol is supervising the till with her usual redoubtable charm — though strangely no ticket is required for my order of eggs chips and beans and a strong tea. Seeing the Boleyn Ground is a sad sight — just grey blocks of flats that look like every other development in London.

The bus to Stratford takes a long time due to the Christmas shoppers and although we arrive at the London Stadium at 2.50 disaster strikes — the programmes have sold out. It's a terrible omen and we wonder of the game will actually count without a programme. Things can only get worse.

The game starts off as fairly evenly contested. The tricky Deulefou and Pereyra threaten for Watford while only a smart block robs Hernandez and Antonio stings Foster's hands with a long range effort. The game turns when Balbuena brings down Pereyra after a smart interchange of passes. Fabian injures himself in the process and Deeney wallops home the penalty before kicking over a corner flag. Scott behind us is berated for saying a few minutes previously that "Deeney hadn't scored for ages".

Matt would prefer the late James Mason to Lee Mason in charge. The ref turns down a good penalty appeal in favour of a free kick on the edge of the box and then paces out a mere seven yards for the Watford wall. The Irons almost equalise as Antonio heads down to Chicharito, whose smart volley is turned round the post by Foster.

OH ANTONIO…
The Hammers show their spirit in the second half, doing everything but score. Antonio heads against the post from a Snoddy corner. Noble is replaced by Carroll after 56 minutes and it leaves the Hammers short defensively. Fabianski has to make a brilliant save from Doucoure and then Deeney fires straight at the keeper. But in turn Anderson, having a quiet game, finds Chicharito who scuffs a presentable chance. The Mexican striker is then denied again by another last-ditch tackle before being subbed. 

There's a great moment when the crowd count out the paces as Lee Mason pushes the Watford wall back. The key moment comes when after good work by Diangana, Snodgrass's header is superbly saved by Foster and Antonio heads the rebound on to the bar when he should have scored. 

There's still time for Foster to make another good save from Carroll's downward header. With Three minutes left Watford break and score a second as a one-two sees Deulefou find the bottom corner as Diop is bypassed and Masuaka fails to mount a serious challenge.

World Cup and Doctor Who make the wall of Ken's

So our run of wins is over. Watford look much better than the other teams we've played recently, although the Hammers surely did enough to earn a point. Now we need points from two awkward away games over the festive period.

As we trek back to Stratford Fraser bemoans the fact that you can't take anyone from behind nowadays without getting penalised. The King Edward is playing cacophonous music so we retreat to the Refreshment Rooms to meet Gavin and Ilona. 

The only good news comes in a text from Matt, who is on a London Transport Museum vintage bus ride round the West End Christmas lights and has met a West Ham fan in the lift at Covent Garden who has given him two free programmes. The mysterious 'fan' is surely his guardian angel, appearing in the style of Clarence in It's A Wonderful Life.

Still, four wins out of five isn't bad. Merry Christmas everyone and a claret and blue New Year.

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 7; Zabaleta 6, Diop 5, Balbuena 5 (Ogbonna 6), Masuaku 6; Anderson 5, Noble 6 (Carroll 6), Rice 7, Snodgrass 7; Hernandez 6 (Diangana 6), Antonio 6.