Pollock taken off so Watford could ‘go for it at home.
Defender Mattie Pollock’s style of play means he’s often likely to get hurt, and he added another knock on Saturday though that wasn’t the reason he was brought off.
Having played with a head bandage and plaster earlier in the season, Pollock donned a heavy elbow strapping after falling awkwardly in the first half.
He stayed on the pitch, but was replaced later in the game.
“It wasn’t a forced substitution but he was struggling big time,” explained Tom Cleverley.
“He felt a crack in his elbow in the first half, but he’s a warrior and carried on.
“But it wasn’t a forced substitution, it was just something that I have always said to the players: if we are drawing with 20/25 minutes to go we will be going for it at home.
“So we did that and it paid off.
“It’s a 16-man game now and you can use five subs to re-energise the team, and you can even take it to the next level with the strength of our squad.
“We’re not having a squad of 15 or 16 first-team players and then filling the gaps with lads from the Under-21s.
“We have 20 players in every squad who can really impact the game.
“It felt like one of those matches at half-time that was going to be impacted and won or lost by the substitutes and today’s ours had a stronger impact, like they have for most of the season.”
One of the players to come on in the second half was Vakoun Bayo, who then led the line with Kwadwo Baah moving out wide.
“I couldn’t have asked Bayo to play the role any better,” said Cleverley.
“We needed someone who could make the ball stick, who could manage the game, who would win fouls, and he played an absolute blinder.
“He’s one of those players that is underrated from the outside looking in, massively underrated.
“As his coach, I appreciate what he does for the team.”
Something else Cleverley appreciated was the huge Rookery End banner unfurled before the game.
“I’m immensely proud,” he said.
“For a lad who was bred up north to then come and be adopted as one of Watford’s own to the point where there is a banner in the Rookery for me – I was proud and emotional, and I’m glad we could repay them with a win.”
