Hornets and Palace share the spoils

Watford and Palace got the festive football period off the mark with a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.

Palace, with big Sam Allardyce taking charge for his first match since the sacking of Alan Pardew, dominated the opening half wth Yohan Cabaye putting them ahead. It could have been 2-0 before the break only for Christian Benteke to meekly stroke a penalty to Heuelho Gomes.

And they were left to rue not putting the game to bed as Walter Marrazzi’s Hornets came back to life to dominate the second half from start to finish. A penalty from Troy Deeney levelled the scores, which was the way it was to finish.

Watford lie in tenth following the tie, with Palace one above the drop in 17^th.

The lethargic effects of the Christmas turkey seemed to have got the better of both sides early doors, as neither side created much of note in the opening 20 minutes of the tie in Hertfordshire.

But it was Palace who had looked brighter and that sheen resulted in the opener. Andros Townsend drove at the Watford defence before slipping a through ball to Cabaye on the right edge of the area for the Frenchman to fire home, across the face of goal, and past Gomes in nets.

The one-way traffic continued as Palace surged forward in numbers. Ten minutes before the break Benteke was hauled down in the box by a comically late attempted clearance from Gomes and referee Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot. However, the Hornets were given a huge let-off as Benteke’s spot kick was a tame effort, low and right, but far to close to the keeper.

The half-time break saw Watford emerge a different side for the second period as they began to plough forward in search of an equaliser with Adlene Guedioura doing well down the left and wining afree-kick only for the delivery to be too close to keeper Wayne Hennessy.

Odion Ighalo was next to threaten, looking for his first goal at Vicarage Road since January, as he burst into the left of the Palace box, but under pressure couldn’t turn the ball across the face of goal to support.

The pressure continued to mount on the Palace goal but Watford were failing to find gold in attack with Deeney firing wildly over the bar from distance as they seemed inable to work clear chances in the box.

But the deserved breakthrough did come with 20 minutes to go. Sebastian Prodl was dropped to the deck by Damien Delaney and ref Clattenburg pointed to the spot with Deeney slamming home down the middle to become the fifth player to score 100 goals for Watford.

As the game entered the last ten minutes the Hornets could have been ahead. Guedioura whipped in a cross from the left for Ighalo to flick on at the near post with the head but could he could only find the arms of Hennessy who got fully behind the ball to claim securely.

Palace had been reduced to sporadic breaks and had looked toothless for almost the entirety of the second half; Wilfried Zaha going into the book for simualition in the box summarising their frustration.

Guedioura continued to threaten for Watford as he juggled the ball on both feet on the edge of the Palace box before unleahinga volley low and left on goal which Hennessy got down well to his right to collect. But neither side the winner late on leaving them a point each, which was fair reflection of a tie that ebbed and flowed without ever igniting.

By Nick Royle

Photo: Getty Images/Tony Marshall

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