Sunday 11 January 2015 17:42, UK
Chris Powell hailed Joel Lynch's defensive performance and goal-of-the-season contender after Huddersfield Town's 3-1 victory over high-flying Watford.
Centre-back Lynch scored Town's third goal with a superb overhead kick seven minutes from time to finally see off play-off hopefuls Watford.
After a goalless first half Huddersfield took control of the Sky Bet Championship encounter, going ahead through Nahki Wells in the 52nd minute.
The striker slotted home from close range from Jacob Butterfield's cross but Watford levelled in the 66th minute after substitute Odion Ighalo, only on the field for three minutes, was gifted a goal when Town keeper Alex Smithies allowed his shot to slip through his hands and trickle over the line.
James Vaughan made it 2-1 for the home side in the 77th minute, flicking home Wells' cross.
Lynch sealed the three points when his perfectly-executed overhead kick cannoned in off the underside of the bar after Mark Hudson's header from a corner.
Former Nottingham Forest defender Lynch was making his return after missing six matches with a hamstring injury - and also celebrated his 200th league appearance.
Town boss Powell said: "I thought Lynch was very good defensively in the first half. He has been out for five weeks and even though we have had decent results he has been a big miss.
"I thought he handled potentially the best partnership in the league very well and his goal was in goal of the season territory. I thought he was immense."
Powell praised his side and said the second-half show was probably Town's best of the season.
"It was a really good performance and while results have generally been good at home we need to play with the intensity we showed today.
"Watford are a top-six side but we have played well against the better sides such as Brentford and Notts Forest.
"We have taken seven points from nine now and we are bouncing back."
Powell said he was delighted with strike duo Vaughan and Wells and added: "Vaughan has been out a long time and is still finding his feet. Wells did well again too and they both got their goals.
"They both want to score and I have been stressing all week that we needed to get the ball forward."
Powell refused to criticise keeper Smithies for his blunder and said: "I want to place on record that Alex has earned us points this season and there's no blame attached. After that the whole team was galvanised and the whole team really performed.
"We know we can compete with the best."
Watford head coach Slavisa Jokanovic, whose side had won four of their previous five league matches, said the performance was not good enough.
"We did not deserve anything from the game," he said. "We did not achieve the high levels that we needed to.
"We only played for about 10 minutes and you have to play for the whole game.
"We were walking and we did not fight and we made too many mistakes. We gave Huddersfield too many chances and quite simply they worked harder than we did.
"They had more confidence and desire and we need to do better than this."
Jokanovic said he hoped to bring in more players in the transfer window but said he knew nothing about reported interest in skipper Troy Deeney from Swansea.
