Mamadou Doumbia, the 20-year-old forward, scored the decisive goal as Watford fought back to beat Preston two-one, 2-1, at Vicarage Road on Tuesday, 8 September, in the Championship.
Craig Lang put Preston ahead in the fifth minute, but Elisha Kayembe levelled in the 69th minute before Doumbia struck in the 76th, assisted by Ike Bravo, to complete the turnaround.
Doumbia told the Watford Observer, "The win is for the gaffer, because the first half and the second half were not the same."
Dionisi's half-time reset
The forward said head coach Alessio Dionisi's training methods and his changes at the interval transformed the team's performance after a stuttering first half.
Doumbia said he was pleased with the win and the points it brought, adding that his job now is simply to give everything on the pitch every time he plays.
He admitted the Championship is a tough level for a young striker, saying defenders in this division are strong, but insisted he is ready to run everywhere and fight for his teammates.
Transfer interest lingers
Burnley had a £10 million bid for Doumbia turned down last summer, and the striker is again drawing interest from clubs across Europe this season.
Doumbia said that chapter is in the past and that he will keep working to improve in every training session, adding, "The gaffer says he loves me, he says I'm a good boy. I need to stay like that and work every day."
Watford eye Bristol City test
The win moved Watford to 12th in the Championship on 8 points from six games, with an early-season home record of seven points from three games at Vicarage Road.
Watford's recent form reads one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five outings, leaving them six points off leaders West Ham, with the full table available on our standings page.
Branimir Mlacic, Edoardo Bove, Jack Grieves, Jeremy Ngakia, Kwadwo Baah and Marc Bola remain sidelined, a list tracked on our injuries page.
Dionisi's squad next travel to face seventh-placed Bristol City on Friday, 18 September, a fixture confirmed on our fixtures page.
