Watford head coach Valerien Ismael hailed his players for holding on for a point from a 1-1 draw with Stoke despite Vakoun Bayo’s 52nd-minute dismissal.

Striker Bayo was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball clash with Potters defender Luke McNally.

The pair initially tussled for the ball and both ended up on the turf – but when they picked themselves up referee Scott Oldham was convinced he saw Bayo strike McNally as play continued elsewhere.

Hornets fans stuck with their side afterwards – and gave referee Oldham a hard time throughout.

“With 10 men we played some great football,” Ismael said. “The spirit was unbelievable in the stadium – for the first time this season I got some goosebumps. The fans gave us a lot of energy.

“I’m proud of my players because they stayed calm and showed great fighting spirit.”

Ismael agreed with the home fans’ assessment that Oldham had lost control of the contest.

“Everyone got that feeling tonight that something was wrong,” he said. “It was difficult to manage all the emotion because it was not only the players, it was all over the place.”

Oldham showed a yellow card to Ismael for dissent in the first half.

“My feeling was of injustice,” the manager said. “I know I have a job to do on the sidelines, to be an example, but I am human.”

Stoke head coach Steven Schumacher admitted his players had failed to capitalise on the red card but reckoned the decision itself was routine.

“I just saw the two lads clash on the floor, I don’t know what Scott’s seen,” he said. “It was a decision that went for us but the momentum of the game changed. Unfortunately we didn’t make the most of it.

“I’m sick of talking about referees – I’ve been on the end of a few mad decisions as well. It’s part and parcel of football – it’s what happens.”

Jake Livermore put Watford ahead in the 15th minute, bundling home from close range from a corner to celebrate his first goal for the Hornets.

Ryan Mmaee’s fine strike levelled the scores in the 34th minute and despite chances for both sides before and after Bayo’s departure there was no further scoring.

The draw extended Stoke’s unbeaten run to five matches, three of which have been under Schumacher, who replaced Alex Neil on December 19. The Potters are 19th, seven points clear of the relegation places.

“We showed some good character, especially after going 1-0 down from a set-piece,” he said. “That was a disappointment but we responded really well.

“It was a great finish from Ryan. It was a goal he deserved. He has led the line really well in the last three games.

“At half-time I said to the players that the game was there for the taking if we continued to play with some energy and show more quality in their box.

“Unfortunately, especially when they went to 10 men, we just didn’t have that killer pass that would have been the difference.

“It wasn’t a poor performance but you could see there were some tired bodies out there.”

The result left Watford in 10th place, four points off the play-offs, but the draw was an upgrade on Boxing Day’s 4-1 home loss to Bristol City.

“From minute one we were much better than Tuesday,” Ismael said.

Watford held out for a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke despite losing Vakoun Bayo early in the second half to a straight red card for lashing out at Luke McNally.

Jake Livermore’s first Watford goal was cancelled out by an equaliser from Ryan Mmaee before the break.

Bayo saw red in the 52nd minute but Stoke could not find a winner.

Watford head coach Valerian Ismael handed a first start to Giorgi Chakvetadze as one of six changes to the side that lost 4-1 at home to Bristol City on Boxing Day.

Stoke brought in Ben Pearson and Sead Haksabanovic to freshen up their side after the 3-1 win at Birmingham in Steven Schumacher’s second game as head coach.

Livermore launched an early long-range strike over the Stoke crossbar before defenders blocked replies from Stoke duo Wouter Burger and Andre Vidigal.

Matheus Martins saw a drive deflected wide as Watford came again – and the Hornets took the lead from Chakvetadze’s 15th-minute corner.

Ryan Porteous flicked a header across the box for the former England midfielder to bundle over the line. It was his first goal since netting for West Bromwich in an FA Cup game with Chesterfield in January.

Mmaee sent a Stoke chance wide before Yaser Asprilla thumped a drive straight at Potters goalkeeper Jack Bonham.

Mmaee fired Stoke level in the 34th minute after Haksabanovic’s run down the left saw the ball bounce off Ryan Porteous to the Morocco striker, who turned to evade Tom Dele-Bashiru before blasting beyond Hornets keeper Ben Hamer.

Junior Tchamadeu missed a great chance for Stoke to take the lead straight after but his shot was too high.

Ismael Kone was booked for a challenge that left McNally requiring treatment. Referee Scott Oldham then showed a yellow card to Ismael for complaining about Stoke challenges that went unpunished.

The half ended with Livermore booked for a late challenge on Haksabanovic – and boos for the referee from the home fans.

Chakvetadze began the second period with a 25-yarder that Bonham touched on to the bar – but Watford were down to 10 men in the 52nd minute when Bayo was shown a red card.

The striker tangled with McNally and, after both players had picked themselves up, appeared to lash out at the Stoke defender with an elbow in full view of the official as play continued.

Hamer came out to make a fine block to stop Bae Jun-ho, played in by Haksabanovic, from slotting Stoke into the lead in the 65th minute.

Watford were still dangerous though, with Bonham denying Asprilla before substitute Mileta Rajovic scooped an even better chance over.

Hamer denied Mmaee a second with a reflex stop, and then had to save low down from substitute Lewis Baker but that turned out to be the game’s last clear-cut chance.

Liam Manning promised that his Bristol City side will get even better after their 4-1 victory at Watford.

The Robins thoroughly deserved their triumph, their third straight win under former Oxford boss Manning, who arrived at Ashton Gate last month.

It was also their first on the road under Manning, and City’s first back-to-back triple since November 2020.

Manning said: “We’re going in the right direction but I told the players afterwards that we can play better than that.

“That’s what excites me about the group. The challenge is to strive every day to improve, but there were so many positives today.

“Three or four weeks ago, I was giving interviews saying how it would come together for us, and it would happen.

“I’m delighted for the players. They’ve stayed level and grounded, they haven’t got too flat when we’ve lost or super high when we’ve won, and that’s the most important bit – head down and work hard.

“The game plan worked, I’m very fortunate to have a staff who are as obsessive and intense as me.

“They put a lot of hours in to create what we want to do. And huge credit goes to the players in the way they implement it.”

That game plan saw City go ahead in the 28th minute. Watford midfielder Edo Kayembe’s attempt to head clear from Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s free-kick fell straight to Cameron Pring, who hammered home.

Then, two minutes into first-half added time, Watford skipper Wesley Hoedt put Tommy Conway’s cross into his own goal – without a City player anywhere near.

Substitute Giorgi Chakvetadze narrowed the lead four minutes into the second half, only for Mark Sykes to make it 3-1 almost from the restart.

City replacement Andreas Weimann killed off the game with City’s fourth in the 83rd minute against his former side as Watford stood vainly waiting for the offside flag after the Austrian had been set free by Joe Williams’ pass.

Watford boss Valerien Ismael had been hoping to see his side break into the top six, but he said: “It’s a big disappointment.

“We gave the game away from the first minute. We made too many mistakes, which made it difficult to give a fluid display.

“What summed up the match was when he came back into it at 2-1 and then conceded. That was sloppy. We beat ourselves. We have to take control of the ball more.

“We have to always stay on a level where we can win the game. But against City we beat ourselves – it’s as simple as that.

“We never had control. Fatigue is no excuse – it’s the same for every team. We know we have the solution, but on the other hand we must make sure that everyone can perform at the correct level.”

Bristol City chalked up their third straight Championship victory – and their first on the road under boss Liam Manning – with a 4-1 win at Watford.

Manning, who arrived from Oxford last month, plotted a shock win at Vicarage Road as the Robins’ midfield press choked the life out of the in-form Hornets.

The hosts just could not stop losing the ball in midfield and Manning’s men cashed in with a strike from Cameron Pring and an own goal from Wesley Hoedt to lead at the break.

Watford hit back through Giorgi Chakvetadze four minutes into the second half, but Mark Sykes and substitute Andreas Weimann killed off the Hornets.

City had kept Watford quiet during the opening stages, and the visitors were first to threaten with a Rob Dickie header.

That stung the Hornets into action, and a minute later Ismael Kone fired over the top from Ken Sema’s cross.

City’s next escape had a touch of good fortune about it.

Sema’s free-kick from the right was not cleared properly, and it fell to Yaser Asprilla. The Colombian fired in a thunderbolt that thudded into Robins goalkeeper Max O’Leary, who did not look as if he knew much about it.

City regained control – and the visitors took the lead two minutes later thanks to a poor piece of defending.

Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s free-kick floated high into the Watford box and Edo Kayembe’s attempt at a headed clearance fell to City left-back Pring, who guided a low right-foot shot past Ben Hamer.

Watford just could not shake off City’s grip in midfield, where the home side were losing possession far too often.

Yet another turnover led to City’s second goal two minutes into first-half added time.

Anis Mehmeti sent Tommy Conway sprinting away down the left, and his cross was turned into the net for an own goal by Hornets skipper Hoedt, although there seemed to be no reason for him to intervene, with no City player in the goalmouth.

The second half exploded into action. Watford narrowed the lead four minutes in as Kayembe’s pass from midfield sent Asprilla away on the right and he set up half-time substitute Chakvetadze to fire past O’Leary.

City responded from the restart. Watford were caught in possession again, Conway set up Mehmeti for a shot from the left, Hamer dived low to push the ball away, and Sykes was waiting to score from close in.

When Watford could get hold of the ball and threaten the City goal, Matheus Martins, Mileta Rajovic, Rhys Healey and Francisco Sierralta were all off target.

Yet another midfield giveaway by Watford handed City their fourth. Joe Williams sent Weimann down the left, and with the home side waiting in vain for an offside flag, the Austrian rifled the ball past Hamer in the 83rd minute to score against his former team.

Valerien Ismael saluted Watford’s mentality after they came from behind to claim a dramatic late 2-1 win at Blackburn.

The Hornets trailed for much of the game after Adam Wharton’s first goal this season – struck from a tight angle – put Blackburn ahead in the third minute.

In an increasingly open game, both sides had chances but both goalkeepers excelled, making important second-half saves.

The visitors finished strongly and clinically, as substitutes Mileta Rajovic and Rhys Healey both pounced on rebounds in the final 10 minutes to turn the game on its head and send the 1,183 travelling fans into delirium.

It’s three successive victories on the road for seventh-placed Watford, who are in striking distance of the play-offs and Ismael praised his substitutes and his side’s “ruthless” second-half showing but warned against a repeat of the “complacent” first half.

He said: “I think that the first half, we were too complacent, I think that this is what we have to learn.

“I said at half-time, I was loud with the players. If we think that 80 per cent will be enough to win a game in the Championship, we make a big mistake and we will have a lot of regrets.

“I said two things are positive from the first half. The first thing is we are not playing our level and the second thing is it’s only 1-0 so now we have enough time and the bench to have an impact, so the second half we show another mentality and desire to make sure we do the right thing.

“It was a positive sign that it wasn’t our best game but we win those games now. Ruthless.

“It’s a good feeling that the boys again showed a big mentality. But the win is with a big warning to make sure we are always 100 per cent to get our rewards.

“When you know you have the strength, the physicality to go through the 90 minutes, and when you know you have the bench, it gives us the strength to stay calm.”

Blackburn head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson was aggrieved that Arnor Sigurdsson had a goal disallowed midway through the second half after Harry Leonard was penalised for fouling Ben Hamer in the build-up, and said the result was “cruel”.

He said: “It’s a hard result to take of course. It’s unbelievable that we are standing here with nothing actually.

“I think we dominated the game for the first 70 minutes, played some excellent football.

“The only criticism which we can have is of course we didn’t kill of the game with the chances we had in both halves.

“And of course, probably the biggest moment of the game is where the goalie for the opponent dropped the ball and (the referee) disallowed the goal.

“That’s a big moment isn’t it? 2-0 up after 70 minutes, I think, then normally you win it. He dropped the ball. The keeper never had control over the ball.

“But disappointed to stand here without the win for sure. I think it was an excellent performance from our players.

“But football can be cruel. It can be extremely cruel.”

Watford produced a dramatic late comeback to overcome Blackburn 2-1 and move to within two points of the Sky Bet CHampionship play-offs.

Valerien Ismael’s men were second best for much of this encounter against an energetic Rovers side, who led thanks to Adam Wharton’s first goal of the campaign in the third minute.

The Hornets looked dangerous going forward without creating much aside from Vakoun Bayo’s well-saved shot in the 50th minute and would have been further behind but for Ben Hamer’s second-half heroics that saw him make four important stops.

Watford’s bench ultimately made the difference as Yaser Asprilla’s shot was parried into the path of Mileta Rajovic to equalise in the 83rd minute and, four minutes later, Rhys Healey’s second of the season secured the points for Watford, who have won four of their last six.

Rovers were quick into their stride and scored in the third minute when Hayden Carter’s reverse pass found Wharton on the right before the teenager drilled a shot past Hamer from a tight angle.

The Hornets continued to look vulnerable and Lewis Travis’ backheel found Arnor Sigurdsson, whose low drive was smothered by Hamer.

Rovers almost made an even faster start to the second half when Andrew Moran’s inch-perfect ball over the top found Jake Garrett but he sliced wide with just the goalkeeper to beat.

They were grateful to a Leopold Wahlstedt moments later when Ryan Andrews played in Bayo but his powerful low shot was brilliantly repelled by the strong hand of the Sweden keeper.

Hamer kept Watford in the game on the hour, producing a superb diving stop to parry Garrett’s 20-yard free-kick behind.

The hosts went close again just after through Wharton, whose shot was saved by Hamer before Carter lashed wide with the goal at his mercy and Watford’s goalkeeper then parried a stinging Moran shot away as the Hornets hung on.

Hamer’s best stop came in the 66th minute when a Moran corner ricocheted off a Watford player and was on the way in but for an outstanding reflex save.

Those saves proved vital as Watford drew level with seven minutes remaining when Asprilla charged forward and unleashed a low left-foot effort that Wahlstedt could only parry and Rajovic reacted quickest to slam home the rebound from close range for his eighth goal this season.

Watford completed an improbable turnaround four minutes later when Wahlstedt punched a corner as far as Edo Kayembe whose first-time effort was too hot for Rovers’ goalkeeper to handle and Healey was perfectly placed to tap home.

Ryan Lowe bemoaned Preston’s “Jekyll and Hyde” performance as they shipped four second-half goals in a 5-1 Championship defeat at home to Watford.

Will Keane gave the Lilywhites an early lead but Vakoun Bayo levelled just before half-time, precipitating the hosts’ collapse.

Bayo, Matheus Martins, Edo Kayembe and Ismael Kone all struck after the break to earn Watford a second away league win on the bounce.

Lowe said: “In the first half we were fantastic. We looked like we’d carried on from where we left off against Huddersfield.

“I asked the lads at half-time to get on the front foot more, but then straight from the kick-off, one ball through the middle goes on to kill us.

“I think that knocked the stuffing out of us – you have to be solid and hard to break down, but we didn’t see that in the second half today.

“It’s Jekyll and Hyde stuff. The difference between the two halves was incredible really.

“You have to try and keep good teams like Watford at bay, but we gifted them opportunities.

“We have been solid this season, but definitely not today. We can’t let things like this happen. We’ve been punished big time for poor defending.

“I’ve stressed that to the players after the game and they need to take a bit more responsibility.

“Individually and collectively, we just can’t let that happen again.”

Preston continue to struggle at home and have now lost three in a row on their own patch.

They have now lost four of their last six in the Championship and were booed off at the end of the game.

Watford had only scored seven goals in nine away games before the second-half goal glut and have a poor recent record at Deepdale, having won just once on their last 16 visits.

Watford manager Valerien Ismael said: “I’m very pleased with the performance of all the players, of course.

“I’m pleased to see the understanding we’re now getting.

“The players have to learn that ruthless aspect and we saw that today.

“We created a good momentum from early in the game and we saw that focus that you need at a tough place like Preston.

“I can see the evolution after six months.

“This was a typically-tough Championship game, so we knew we’d have to be solid and be ready. It’s about being ruthless too.

“We got off to a great start in the second half and when you see shots go in like that, it gives everyone confidence and belief.

“The momentum definitely changed after half-time but credit goes to all the players because it’s given us and the fans a great feeling.

“At the moment we’ll just keep the focus on the games we have. We have a lot in the next couple of weeks running up to the new year and our job is to make sure we keep performing.

“After that, we will have a clearer picture of where we are.”

Vakoun Bayo netted a brace as Watford scored four second-half goals to earn a comprehensive 5-1 Championship comeback victory at Preston.

Valerien Ismael’s side came from behind before eventually running riot during what was a superb second-half performance.

It proved a perfect response after they had picked up just a single point from their two previous games.

Preston, meanwhile, continue to stutter and following a brilliant start to their Championship campaign, they have now lost four of their last six and were booed off at the end.

Watford made a bright start at sunny Deepdale. After an early corner-kick was not cleared by a hesitant Preston defence, Ismael Kone should have done better when he scooped over the top from 10 yards.

North End replied by going mightily close to an early opener themselves, defender Jordan Storey rising superbly to meet skipper Alan Browne’s cross, but his thumping header was brilliantly saved by Ben Hamer.

The Watford goalkeeper then did even better when he produced a breathtaking double save to keep out Brad Potts.

It had been an end-to-end opening spell and after 20 minutes the visitors ought to have struck.

Bayo charged through and rounded goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, only for Jack Whatmough to produce a heroic goal-line clearance just as the Watford man was preparing to celebrate.

Back came Ryan Lowe’s men and Hamer had to be alert again to keep out Liam Millar’s thumping effort.

Preston scored a super little goal after 27 minutes to break the deadlock. Will Keane grabbed it, courtesy of a cheeky back-heel flicked finish as he met Millar’s low cross.

Watford evened it up with another impressive goal three minutes before the break. Wesley Hoedt whipped in a super cross for Bayo, who dived in to thump home a bullet header at the far post.

Incredibly, Watford turned the scoreline on its head just 17 seconds after the restart.

Matheus Martins charged on to Ismael Kone’s through-ball before tucking the ball smartly past a stunned Woodman.

Seven minutes later it was 3-1, when Edo Kayembe took Tom Dele-Bishiru’s pass before drilling home brilliantly from almost 30 yards.

North End and their fans had been silenced, while boss Lowe saw fit to make a quadruple change.

That clearly did not work, however, as Bayo converted Kayembe’s pass to make it four, before Kone smashed home a fifth from 15 yards with still 13 minutes left on the clock.

That was the cue for a large proportion of the fans in the home enclosures to up and leave their seats, while the Watford supporters rejoiced behind their goal as Ismael’s team had been ruthlessly clinical.

Kieran McKenna hailed his Ipswich players for coming back from behind to win 2-1 at Watford and move to the top of the Championship.

Yaser Asprilla put the Hornets ahead early on but George Hirst’s equaliser set up an entertaining contest that was settled late on by Town captain Sam Morsy, who capitalised on an error by Wesley Hoedt.

McKenna, whose side are now 10 points clear of third-placed Leeds, said: “It was a performance that was all about the character in the group.

“Even at 1-1, even with tired legs, they stayed brave. The players dug in and gave every ounce of effort that they had in every minute of the game. If you do that then you deserve to come out on the right side of a difficult game.”

McKenna had extra praise for Morsy, who is a rare scorer.

“Sam is normally our deepest midfielder and it is not in his job description to go pressing centre-halves,” he said.

“He is saying that he scuffed it but it looked like a really good finish. He is being a bit modest. It was a great bit of determination.”

Ipswich host Norwich on Saturday in the first East Anglia derby since 2019 having lost just twice in the league all season.

McKenna said: “It’s a game to embrace. This is a massive derby for our supporters. We will prepare it as we do any other game and respect the opponent.”

Ipswich gifted Watford a 12th-minute lead when goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky passed straight to Asprilla. He set up Mileta Rajovic and Hladky parried the striker’s shot directly back to Asprilla, who smashed the ball high into the net.

The visitors levelled in the 24th minute after Ben Hamer parried Omari Hutchinson’s deflected shot to Hirst for a simple finish.

Ipswich took all three points thanks to Hoedt’s 80th-minute clanger. The Dutch defender lost possession to Morsy and the Egypt midfielder strode forward to slot past Hamer.

Watford manager Valerien Ismael had words of encouragement for his captain.

He said: “Mistakes are a part of the game. There is no vaccine against mistakes. We have to make sure we concentrate and stay in the game.

“We are all together, we support him and in three days he can show his quality.

“We are really disappointed to lose a game like that but we showed again that we are ready to compete and show our level.

“In the first half the main issue was we needed more control. We got that in the second half. At the other end the mistake we made was difficult, it shocked us, but it is a learning process now.

“We know that we can score at any time so we need to be more calm and defend better.

“Now it is about the fine details – we need to become ruthless in front of goal. It is the balance we need to find now. The players have the desire to close the gap but we have to have more composure in certain situations.”

Ipswich came from behind to win 2-1 at Watford and claim the Championship summit from Leicester.

Yaser Asprilla’s early Hornets goal lengthened the odds on Kieran McKenna’s visitors getting the victory they required to overtake the Foxes, who host Millwall on Wednesday.

But George Hirst’s equaliser set up an entertaining contest that was settled in the 80th minute by Town captain Sam Morsy.

Mileta Rajovic headed the first chance of the evening over the Ipswich crossbar in the fourth minute. The visitors replied in the 11th with a header from Marcus Harness that was straight at Hornets goalkeeper Ben Hamer.

Ipswich then gifted Watford the lead a minute later. Axel Tuanzebe played the ball back to goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky – who passed straight to Asprilla instead of a team-mate.

Asprilla set up Rajovic in front of goal and Hladky partially redeemed himself by parrying the striker’s shot, which lacked venom. The rebound went directly to Asprilla, however, and this time the Colombia striker smashed the ball high into the net.

Conor Chaplin volleyed a shot that Hamer was behind in the 18th minute as Ipswich attempted to get a grip on the game – and the visitors levelled through Hirst in the 24th minute.

Omari Hutchinson, having been supplied by Harness, cut in from the right to unleash a low drive that took a deflection off Jamal Lewis. Hamer, having to readjust hastily, could only palm the ball out to the striker who made no mistake from close range.

Chelsea loanee Hutchinson went close soon after with a shot that curled beyond the far post. A snapshot from Harness followed, but Hamer dived to save.

Hirst then headed home a Leif Davis free-kick but referee Darren England had already blown for an infringement. The Ipswich striker was booked in added time for sending Ryan Porteous to the turf by using a forearm.

The attacking football continued at both ends after the break but both defences had tightened up, though Hirst thumped Hamer’s near post from close range on the hour mark.

Lewis burst forward for a shot that was deflected wide for a corner that flashed across the Ipswich box. Rajovic only needed a touch to divert the ball over the line, it seemed, and was replaced straight after.

Hamer was almost robbed outside his box by substitute Freddie Ladapo, who snuck up behind him. Edo Kayembe fired over at the other end.

It looked likely that whoever managed to score again would win the contest – and it turned out to be Ipswich thanks to Wesley Hoedt’s error in the 80th minute.

The Dutch defender was guilty of losing possession to Morsy as he tried to bring the ball out from the back, and the Egypt midfielder strode forward to slot past Hamer.

Watford manager Valerien Ismael praised the impact of his substitutes after two of them combined to earn his side a 1-1 injury-time draw against Southampton at Vicarage Road.

With his side trailing to a Che Adams goal, Ismael sent on Vakoun Bayo and Rhys Healey and the pair combined to maintain Watford’s recent improved form.

Ismael said: “The bench had a massive impact today. I’m pleased that the players came on the pitch to make a difference.

“Everyone is a part of the process. We are working with all the players. I tell them: ‘Your minute will come. You will get your chance’.

“Rhys surprised the keeper with the position he shot from. It’s important for him as a striker to score goals.

“It’s great for him to get that reward. It has been a difficult period when he wants to play more. But he contributed to get us a point. This will give him a great feeling and give him the confidence to know that he can do it.”

Ismael also believes that Watford are beginning to assume the mentality of a side that can push for promotion from their current mid-table position. Their next challenge will come against second-placed Ipswich at Vicarage Road on Tuesday evening.

Ismael added: “There is no doubt that we deserved a point. I am incredibly proud of the players and the evolution of the team against a team that was relegated from the Premier League. There was a big desire and the way that we reacted to conceding the goal.

“You can see how the team is evolving. To attack the top of the table we have to become more ruthless. That is the last step in our evolution. Then we will be ready to get more rewards in these games.”

“So we will take this as a learning step because our opponents today were very strong in possession but we had our moments in transition.”

Southampton manager Russell Martin couldn’t disguise his feeling that his promotion-chasing side had let two points slip away.

With Leicester, Ipswich and Leeds all picking up victories, Southampton now sit 10 points off the automatic promotion places.

Martin said: “I didn’t speak very long with the lads afterwards because I felt so disappointed when we came off the pitch.

“Ultimately it is a point against a team that is in really good form themselves and I really liked the second-half performance. The energy was much better. We had a lot of control still and limited them to one really good moment.

“The first half was OK. We had a lot of control but made too many mistakes in the final third, so we changed the shape a bit at half-time to try to help us.

“But with the amount of moments we had of four v three or three v two in the second half, they needed to come to more. We needed to get the second goal and then it’s game over.

“Sometimes you feel like you’re hanging on in games, but I felt that we were going to get the second goal today. We didn’t and then we conceded a rubbish goal, a really bad goal.

“They smash it forward. We should head it. Instead, we try and get under it and Bayo was athletic and heads it and then Rhys hits one of the worst volleys I’ve seen him hit having worked with him.

“I wanted nine points from the three games this week, especially when the teams above us keep winning.

“I also watched stuff that I’m proud of and that I have enjoyed, but we just can’t have too many slip-ups.

“If we win the next two games, of course I’ll be happy. A point here is a positive one but because of the way it happens, it’s a real disappointment.”

An equaliser from Watford substitute Rhys Healey six minutes into injury time sent rescued a 1-1 draw against promotion hopefuls Southampton at Vicarage Road.

Introduced just 90 seconds earlier, Healey struck with a firm shot from the edge of the penalty area to maintain the Hornets’ impressive form.

Until then, it seemed that a Che Adams goal would be enough for Southampton to keep pace with the three sides above them in the Championship table.

Instead, while the draw extended the unbeaten run of Russell Martin’s side to 12 games, it means that fourth-placed Southampton are now 10 points adrift of the automatic promotion places.

The opening 45 minutes largely entailed Southampton passing the ball around in triangles and Watford chasing shadows.

There was a brief flurry of excitement just before the half-hour mark when Ken Sema’s free-kick was beaten away by Saints keeper Gavin Bazunu and Yaser Asprilla then struck the visitors’ crossbar, but that was quickly quelled by an offside flag against the young Watford forward.

Sema’s next free-kick was curled invitingly in front of three onrushing Watford players but landed tantalisingly out of reach of all three.

The next opportunity fell to the visitors following a corner. After Jan Bednarek volleyed towards goal, Adam Armstrong attempted to lift the ball into the Watford net but scooped his shot just over the bar.

The clearest chance of the half fell to Sema, who sprinted through as Mileta Rajovic helped the ball into his path. Sema struck his shot fiercely but straight into the body of Bazunu as he raced out to cut down the angle.

The second half began in the same chess-like pattern until the game finally sprang to life in the 52nd minute with chances at either end.

First, Stuart Armstrong slipped the ball in front of Adams whose shot on the turn rolled just wide.

Watford went even closer at the other end as an Asprilla shot was beaten away for a corner by Bazunu.

Saints broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when half-time substitute Ryan Fraser turned his defender and crossed for Adams who shifted the ball to one side before firing a low shot beyond Watford keeper Ben Hamer.

The home side responded with an Edo Kayembe shot that was deflected just wide, but it was Southampton who went close again when Fraser was released by Adam Armstrong and drove in a stinging left-footed shot which was tipped over by Hamer.

That proved costly deep into injury-time when Healey steered home a fierce shot after fellow substitute Vakoun Bayo had headed down a hopeful Ryan Porteous punt forward.

Chesterfield assistant manager Danny Webb is delighted his side’s fans will get the chance to sample a big match atmosphere in the third round of the FA Cup against Championship outfit Watford.

The Spireites booked a trip to Vicarage Road with a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient at the SMH Group Stadium to add the O’s to the first-round scalp of fellow League One side Portsmouth.

The National League leaders always looked on top even if there was some good fortune about their winning goal which went in via the head of Orient captain Idris El Mizouni.

Webb said: “Watford away, they are obviously not Man United or Tottenham but they are a very, very big club.

“I hope we take thousands down there and genuinely enjoy the day.”

Webb was proud of the way the Chesterfield players acquitted themselves against higher-ranked opponents in Orient.

He said: “I would say to everyone that the result doesn’t lie. We were the better team from start to finish.

“It would be good if the season ended now but life isn’t that easy. It shows how much we attack the FA Cup. It shows how much it brings the ground together and how much they get behind us.”

Will Grigg had the first effort on target when his close-range back heel at a corner was held by Orient keeper Sol Brynn.

Orient full back Tom James tested Ryan Boot with a shot from outside the area before Chesterfield grabbed the lead with 38 minutes gone as a cross from Banks deflected off the top of El Mizouni’s head and over Brynn.

The Orient midfielder almost made amends after 53 minutes when his shot forced Jamie Grimes into a hacked clearance which spun back wide of his own goal.

Armando Dobra’s deflected shot fell to Brynn and James Berry shot wide as Chesterfield added Orient to the first-round scalp of League One pacesetters Portsmouth.

Orient boss Richie Wellens did not hold back in his assessment of his side’s performance.

He said: “It was a disgrace. The first six or seven minutes we were in control of the game but they ran a little bit harder, fought a little bit harder.

“Just at the moment little things are going against us. I spoke to the players at half-time and I said try and put this into perspective that it’s a freezing cold weekend and our supporters have saved up, worked overtime in the current crisis when it is coming up to Christmas and the energy bills are what they are and that first-half performance is not acceptable, nowhere near.”

Chesterfield booked a trip to Championship Watford in the third round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient at the SMH Group Stadium.

The National League leaders, who beat Portsmouth in the first round, claimed another League One scalp thanks to a goal seven minutes before half-time when a cross by Ollie Banks deflected off the top of Orient captain Idris El Mizouni’s head into the top corner.

Will Grigg had the first effort on target for the hosts when his close-range back heel at a corner was held by Orient keeper Sol Brynn.

Orient full-back Tom James tested Ryan Boot with a shot from outside the area as the visitors looked to grab the initiative.

It was Chesterfield who struck first when, with 38 minutes gone, a cross from Banks was deflected off the top of the head of El Mizouni and over Brynn.

The Orient midfielder almost made amends after 53 minutes when his shot forced Jamie Grimes into a hacked clearance which spun back wide of his own goal.

Armando Dobra’s deflected shot fell to Brynn and James Berry shot wide as Chesterfield added Orient to their impressive win over League One leaders Portsmouth.

Valerien Ismael revealed that Wesley Hoedt’s stunning goal which earned Watford a 2-1 win at Hull was perfected on the training ground.

The Hornets captain seized possession just over the halfway line before having the awareness to lob Ryan Allsop in an extraordinary moment of ingenuity on 74 minutes.

Ismael said: “Their goalkeeper has a massive part in their build-up and we know that some teams like Leicester and Hull play with high risk.

“I’m surprised by the quality and the technique, but the goal was not a surprise.

“We work on those patterns on the training ground. We know every time the ball went through the middle we had to defend aggressively and that was what happened.

“As soon as we win the ball high up we tell all the defenders ‘try it, try it’.

“If you see it on the TV, you could see Wesley knew what he was doing.

“It’s not a surprise because we worked on this one.”

In-form Watford have lost just once in nine games and are now three points off the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.

Ismael’s men opened the scoring after eight minutes through Edo Kayembe, who controlled Jamal Lewis’ good cross from the left before striking past an unsighted Allsop.

Hull, who remain in the top six, equalised two minutes later when Scott Twine swept home after Liam Delap’s brilliant run into the box was stopped by Hoedt.

An end-to-end game, in which the hosts had the better chances, could have gone the other way had Jaden Philogene not missed a second-half penalty.

Philogene’s weak spot-kick, awarded after former Hull midfielder Jake Livermore clumsily upended Jacob Greaves, was saved by Ben Hamer on the hour.

The Tigers had a clutch of good chances thereafter but never did enough to force an equaliser once Hoedt stunned the MKM Stadium.

Ismael said: “We are pleased with the improvement and the stability we have now got with the team.

“It’s been a long process and we had to start from the beginning.

“We are now more ready – tactically, physically and mentally. We are ready for the competition now.

“If you win games with consistency you can start to plug the gap at the top of the league.

“The second half was a different game. The first half was really, really good but in the second half we saw the tiredness the players put into the first half.

“It’s a great feeling that we are getting the reward from our performances, but it’s all about staying stable and continuing to push.”

Head coach Liam Rosenior was crestfallen by the result.

He said: “I’ve never in my playing career and coaching/managerial career had a feeling like this.

“If we’d have drawn, I’d have been disappointed. I don’t know what to say. I thought we were by far the better team, but they scored an absolute miracle goal – the lad nicks it and hits an absolute wonder strike.

“It’s not a crisis. That’s an outstanding performance. On another day we maybe win it by two, three or four.

“I can’t fault the players and I want them to stay positive.”

Rosenior, whose side had won their last three home games, added: “There’s a consistent dominance about our play now and that’s pleasing.

“The lads are a really resilient group and the players have been magnificent.

“There’s so much good to us. I don’t want to come across arrogant, but I said to the players, ‘I’m angry for you, not angry with you’.

“We have to use a negative experience and turn it into a positive.

“We shouldn’t be happy with the top six, we should be pushing for top two.”