Richard Chaplow's injury-time winner for Ipswich Town defeats Watford

After Odion Ighalo had spurned Watford’s best chance of scoring to take his side back above Bournemouth and two points clear at the top, the game looked increasingly certain to end in a goalless draw.

But following a Hornets free-kick in stoppage time, Ben Watson was harried into a mistake by Freddie Sears, who then broke clear to set up fellow replacement Richard Chaplow to net the dramatic winner.

A goalless first half was tight with chances at a premium. Heurelho Gomes made the only save of note but the best chance fell to Adlene Guedioura following a counter-attack. Instead of playing in Troy Deeney, the midfielder chose to go it alone and his shot was blocked.

The hosts also suffered an injury setback in the opening period as Joel Ekstrand was stretchered off with a serious-looking leg injury after he lost out in a challenge with Tyrone Mings.

Following Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory at Wigan Athletic which took the Hornets top, Slavisa Jokanovic opted to make three changes as Daniel Tozser, Miguel Layun and the fit-again Ighalo returned to the starting line-up. Gabriel Angella, Gianni Munari and Matej Vydra dropped to the bench but Fernando Forestieri was not involved due to a knock.

Ipswich beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 in midweek to pick up a much-needed first win in five and Mick McCarthy also missed three changes, two of which were enforced. Jonathan Parr and Teddy Bishop were out injured, while Sears dropped to the bench, and their places were taken by Luke Varney, Kevin Bru and Chris Wood.

The Hornets began the game second in the table following Bournemouth’s 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the early kick off, but the Hornets settled well enough in the early stages, looking to knock the ball around against their more direct opponents.

The home side created the more promising positions but neither side had a sight of goal until the tenth minute when Daryl Murphy ended a run by slipping in Varney, who knocked the ball wide of Gomes and into the net but the assistant’s flag was already up for offside.

Guedioura had Watford’s first effort of the contest two minutes later when he let fly from 25 yards after showing some fine control but the strike went narrowly over.

Soon after Tozser came inside off the right and found Ighalo, who chose to go it alone and bring the ball onto his left foot but his shot was blocked, as was a Murphy effort at the other end moments later.

Troy Deeney’s first chance of the afternoon came in the 19th minute when he glanced a Layun cross from the right down and wide of the target.

Jokanovic’s men continued to probe, looking to prise open Ipswich’s well-organised rearguard, with the Layun and Marco Motta axis down the right offering promise.

Murphy picked up the game’s first yellow card in the 28th minute for a foul on Guedioura, but there was concern for the hosts soon after when Ekstrand lost out in a challenge with Mings and was clearly in considerable pain as he lay on the ground.

The Swedish defender received treatment for four to five minutes before being stretchered off and replaced by Angella. However, the substitute’s first contribution was to be booked for clattering into the back of Wood.

Ighalo had a shot blocked and Deeney skied another effort well over as the Hornets sought to regroup following the loss of Ekstrand.

Gomes was the first goalkeeper pressed into meaningful action in the 41st minute when he had to dive to his left to push behind as left-foot strike from Varney. Soon after though, Watford broke and Layun set Guedioura away from halfway. With Deeney up in support, the on-loan Crystal Palace midfielder decided to go it alone and held off Mings to get his shot away, but Christophe Berra got across to block his effort.

Bru lashed an effort wide at the other end before applause again rang out around Vicarage Road for Hornets fan Nic Cruwys as the 44th minute of the game ticked by as a goalless opening period came to a close.

Mings took the card count to three in the 52nd minute when he saw yellow for clearly pulling back Motta as the cagey nature of the contest continued following the resumption.

Jokanovic made his first optional change six minutes later as Tozser made way for Ikechi Anya and McCarthy soon followed suit, bringing on Paul Anderson for Varney.

Chances were continuing to prove hard to come by but Watford had one in the 67th minute when, after their first corner of the game had been partially cleared, the ball was knocked back into the area, Deeney flicked on but Guedioura sliced an effort wide from the right side of the area.

Sears came on for Wood with 17 minutes remaining as the Tractor Boys had a couple of corners, but the home side continued to stand strong.

The Ipswich substitute immediately offered a threat, coming inside before hitting a low right-footed shot which Gomes had to tip behind. And from the resulting corner, Luke Chambers was able to get in a header but he was unable to keep it down.

Vydra came on for Layun as Watford went with three strikers for the last 12 minutes and they came within a whisker of making the breakthrough moments after the Czech Republic international arrived on the pitch.

Deeney was the creator, winning the ball back and storming down the inside left channel before playing the ball into the near post where Ighalo had got in front of his man but he was unable to keep his effort beneath the crossbar.

Deeney was well off target with another effort soon after before Jay Tabb fired over from 25 yards at the other end.

Chaplow replaced Bru with four minutes of normal time remaining as the Hornets tried to look for a way through.

Tabb picked up a late booking for a foul on Motta and that should have been that. But from the Hornets free-kick came the sucker-punch. The set piece was repelled and Watson found himself being harried by Sears with Chaplow up in support. Sears won the battle, ran at a backtracking Hornets defender and released Chaplow, who kept his composure to beat Gomes and lift Ipswich back into the play-off places, sparking bedlam amongst the travelling fans as the hosts were left stunned.

Watford: Gomes; Motta, Cathcart, Ekstrand (Angella 34), Hoban; Layun, Watson, Tozser (Anya 58); Guedioura; Ighalo, Deeney. Not used: Bond, Munari, Paredes, Pudil, Vydra.

Ipswich Town: Bialkowski; Chambers, Smith, Berra, Mings; Varney (Anderson 60), Bru (Chaplow 86), Skuse, Tabb; Wood (Sears 73), Murphy. Not used: Crowe, Clarke, Hunt, Benyu.

Bookings: Murphy for a foul on Guedioura (28); Angella for a foul on Wood (36); Mings for a foul on Motta (52).Tabb for a foul on Motta (90).

Attendance: 19,038 (2,177 away).

Referee: Andy D’Urso.