As part of the ongoing Vicarage Road centenary celebrations, we’re taking a look back at memorable late goals at The Vic, as well as a few forgotten ones.

In this edition, James Garrett looks back at a special strike from Andre Gray against Leicester City, in a piece first included in last season’s matchday programme…

Watford entered this match in a unique position in their history; for the first time at this stage of a season they were in contention to qualify for a European place, while they were set to host an FA Cup quarter-final in two weeks’ time against Crystal Palace. It was truly an exciting time for the Hornets, and the games were coming thick and fast.

In their previous two matches there had been the usual highs and lows that the Premier League brings, with the Golden Boys having thrashed Cardiff in Wales thanks to a Gerard Deulofeu hat-trick, before a midweek 5-0 mauling at the hands of Liverpool at Anfield. With Watford eighth in the standings, we welcomed mid-table Leicester City to Vicarage Road alongside their new manager who was in charge for his first game, a certain Brendan Rodgers.

Despite their defeat on Merseyside four days before Watford dominated the early stages, and Kasper Schmeichel had already saved Adrian Mariappa’s shot at point-blank range when after just five minutes the Hornets took the lead, Troy Deeney placing a delicately flicked header home from a fierce in-swinging Deulofeu free-kick.

Ex-Watford manager Rodgers had taken over a talented squad at 2015/16 Premier League champions Leicester, and slowly over the next hour of the match the Foxes played themselves into the game. It was no surprise that Jamie Vardy equalised with 15 minutes left; it was a sublime pass from Youri Tielemans that allowed Vardy to run behind the Watford defence and slot the ball past Ben Foster.

There was a real tenacity about Javi Gracia’s side during this part of the season though, and a belief that the game could still be won. We also had our own super sub in Andre Gray, who was having his best time in a Watford shirt. In the previous home match Gray had come off the bench to score the winner against Everton, and he was again brought into action against the Foxes for the last quarter of this match.

In truth, the winning goal against Leicester came out of nowhere. Schmeichel, usually so consistently solid against the Hornets, attempted a casual drilled goal-kick in the 92nd minute but only scuffed it, and Deeney, often not given enough praise for his assists, volleyed the ball over his shoulder to the on-rushing Gray who fired the ball low and hard past the Danish keeper with his left foot for the winning strike. Vicarage Road exploded with joy, and not for the first time Leicester players felt the pain of losing a match in injury time at Watford.

It had been a tight game, but it sometimes comes down to fine margins in the Premier League as we all know too well. For Rodgers, although he was disappointed, he had seen enough to know that his squad could be a very good one, while for the Hornets’ skipper Deeney, he reminded us after the match that our season would not just fizzle out as it might have done in previous years.

The team were determined to achieve something special, and while they did struggle for form at the very end of the campaign in the league, it could be argued this was perhaps as a result of their FA Cup run which was about to produce two more legendary victories against Crystal Palace, and Wolves at Wembley.