Beginners Luck?

What a match it turned out to be. 

Quite a spectacular turnaround for a team that by the 70th minute was facing sure elimination in the FA cup, down  1-0 to uninspiring competition , with the coach having been sacked at the end of the last match, the captain being suspended for the match. This was the pits. In the 71st minute, it was attempting the 14th Lampard corner, having not been able to convert any of the 13 earlier compared to just 4 that Watford had managed against them . A pathetic show of a lack of finishing, if ever there was. A minute back, as the interim coach, Ray Wilkins, stared in horror, Watford sub Tamas Priskin had run through Drogba deep into Chelseas' defence and beat Cech to score a one bouce goal as Ashley Cole chased hopelessly.

My heart sank. Here was a great team having absolute possession of the ball, complete control of the game and all odds in its favor going down in a match they must absolutely win.  Facing an elimination from the FA cup, Chelsea were up against a resolute Watford for a place in the last 8.

Catching the match on Max,I had decided to give my team some company. Should I just attack the remote and hit the bed or bear the 20-min agony?

Stand by your team, I said to myself. 

Wishfully, the next 20-min were spectacular.

Nicholas Anelka scored an audacious scissor goal a couple of minutes later, followed by another brilliant one-bouce header into the net past  hapless Loach.

Chelsea then wasted their 17th corner. Drogba wasnt in his element and it showed. He missed, didnt convert many chances and was a little short of the ball on quite a few occasions. He teamed up with Anelka for the second goal to sort of make up for things. Mancienne quite passionately showcased his debut with some great tackles, but convert even he couldnt. Ballack had energy but both his headers found no net. 

Abramovich looked so much like a simple businessman, without passion, as he saw Anelka's goals. At one point, I saw him rubbing his hands with a dry childlike smile - was it with glee or was it to keep the chill winter breeze away? Was there a lesson there? Does passion always translate into results. Who was a bigger hero at the end of the IPL - Shah Rukh or Shane Warne? Who delivered ? As if on cue, Guus Hiddink, the huge Dutchman, sitting next to him watching the team he just inherited from Scolari , didn't quite exhibit any passion on the hits and misses either.  

A dangerous attempt almost got Watford an equalizer in the 87th minute.

Within the next minute, Stoch and Kalou charged down the left to create  the pass for Anelka to score his hat-trick with a super 15-yard kick. Anelka's shots were redeeming; and a definite lesson in finishing.

Maybe the Priskin goal was a wake-up call for the team to spring to finishing some of its brilliant counter-attacks. 

Or maybe it was just Hiddinks beginners luck?

Whatever it was, it surely made my night.