Watford and Norwich City in entertaining draw

The Hornets bounced back from conceding an early goal for the second match running to produce an excellent first-half display that was deservedly capped with a 2-1 interval lead thanks to Danny Graham and Don Cowie.

Graham somehow failed to score his second of the night after the restart and the hosts were made to pay for that miss shortly after when substitute Simeon Jackson levelled.

Norwich, who slipped to third in the table after this result, finished the stronger, with Russell Martin going closest with a goal-bound header that was blocked near the line.

Malky Mackay made two changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Hull City on Saturday.

Marvin Sordell was back in the starting line-up for the first time since the 3-1 home defeat to Burnley in mid-February following 11 games on the bench to make his 50th appearance for the club, while Troy Deeney was also promoted from the substitutes. Will Buckley and Andi Weimann made way and were among the seven replacements, but the match was also significant for Adrian Mariappa, making his the 200th appearance of his professional career.

Following the Hornets’ poor start at the weekend when they conceded an early goal, the last thing they needed was a repeat performance against a team in the automatic promotion shake-up – but they did just that and, like on Saturday, the largely had themselves to blame.

John Eustace lost possession and Lloyd Doyley was caught out of position as Grant Holt played the ball through to Sam Vokes. Although the Watford left-back managed to get back at the Canaries striker, he was unable to prevent him hitting the ball into the ground and past Scott Loach from the right side of the area to make it 1-0 after 90 seconds.

However, the Hornets were very nearly on terms within three minutes.

Cowie got to the right byline and centred for Graham to turn the ball goalwards and Sordell was just unable to get a touch as it passed him and then pinged around in the penalty area.

The Hornets won their first corner soon after, with Eustace helping the ball into the box where Mariappa turned and narrowly failed to make contact as it passed him.

However, Doyley was nearly caught out again in the ninth minute when Holt crossed from the left and Vokes got the wrong side of the left-back and put in a header, which he sent wide.

Graham was almost away in the 12th minute when he was sent clear by Sordell, but World Cup Final linesman Darren Cann already had his flag raised before the Championship leading scorer’s effort was diverted behind by keeper John Ruddy.

Watford were making a spirited effort to get back on terms and they had another opportunity in the 19th minute when Eustace’s early ball forward broke nicely off the back of a defender, but the 26-goal striker chose to hit it early from the edge of the area and Ruddy was comfortably behind the shot.

Norwich had a decent opening soon after when Holt was able to pull off his man to meet Marc Tierney’s cross from the left, but the Canaries top scorer sent a half-volley over the bar.

A rampaging Doyley had a shot blocked on the edge of the area after working a great one-two with Cowie before the Hornets did get the goal their efforts deserved in the 26th minute – and it was you know who scored it.

Following a break in midfield, Graham latched onto the ball and ran at the Norwich defence, slipping it past the less than impressive Elliott Ward to open up the shooting opportunity, which he took confidently with a right-footed finish that went beneath Ruddy to net his 27th of the campaign.

Boosted by the equaliser, the Hornets increasingly moved the ball around with pace, purpose and confidence in their fluid attacking formation and this was in evidence when they took the lead in the 37th minute.

The goal stemmed from Martin Taylor and Lee Hodson both doing well to keep possession near their own penalty area before the ball was worked up to Graham on the right flank. The Hornets striker was held off by Tierney, Cann rightly flagged for a free-kick, but as Graham’s strength took him clear referee Anthony Taylor played advantage. It was to prove a great decision as Graham got to the right side of the area before squaring for Cowie, who did very well to get the ball out of his feet before slamming a rising right-footed drive in-off the underside of the bar.

It could have got even better for the hosts as the game entered first-half stoppage-time when Sordell spread a delightful pass to Graham on the left and the former Carlisle United man dropped his shoulder and accelerated inside before letting fly with a superb right-footed effort that was deflected over.

Holt picked up a needless yellow card at the end of the opening half for leaving his foot in on Mariappa but nothing could take the gloss off a terrific display by the hosts in the opening period after the disappointing start.

The card count was levelled four minutes after the restart when Graham saw yellow for dissent.

Little of note happened in an attacking sense in the second half until the 56th minute when Doyley made a superb challenge on Martin, who had stolen in unmarked in the area to latch on to Andrew Surman’s cross from the left and was about to pull the trigger.

Paul Lambert then decided on a double change, bringing on former Hornet Anthony McNamee and Jackson for Dani Pacheco and Vokes.

And it was Jackson who almost made an instant impact with a far-post header that forced Scott Loach into a superb save at the foot of his right-hand post after Martin had nodded the ball back in from the right.

The Norwich boss played his final card on 62 minutes, bringing on ex-Watford loanee Henri Lansbury for Surman, but by that stage the visitors should have been 3-1 down – and only Graham knows how they weren’t.

Following a good spell of possession near the left edge of the area, Doyley switched the ball to the far post where Deeney got in round the back, headed down and back across the area to present Graham with what looked like the simplest of tap-ins, only for the forward to somehow miss his connection completely.

The hosts were almost made to pay for that miss in the 66th minute when, after McNamee had wriggled into the area, the ball broke back for Holt, who connected superbly with a left-footed strike that brought an equally good reaction stop from Loach.

But the Canaries did capitalise on their next chance three minutes later.

Having been awarded a free-kick towards the left edge of the area, the ball was hit to the far post, where Holt headed down and back across goal, despite being clearly pulled back, and Jackson was presented with a straightforward finish to make it 2-2. Had he not scored, the visitors would surely have been awarded a penalty anyway.

Sordell then made way for Weimann, Eustace was booked after 73 minutes, presumably for dissent, before the Hornets almost got in when Weimann swept the ball to the left side of the area, Deeney headed down but Graham was just unable to get a foot to the ball as it ran through for Ruddy.

Taylor gave another strange yellow card in the 78th minute, booking Ward, even though the visitors had been awarded a free-kick, and then Danny Drinkwater came on for Jenkins.

Loach had to tip over a cross-cum-shot from Holt and from the resultant corner, Martin got up superbly to meet Tierney’s delivery, only to see his goal-bound header cleared from near the line.

Norwich went close again when Holt flashed a header wide from their next corner moments before four minutes of additional time were shown, but neither side were able to create another opportunity of note.

Watford: Loach; Hodson, Taylor, Mariappa, Doyley; Eustace; Jenkins (Drinkwater 84), Cowie; Sordell (Weimann 72), Graham, Deeney. Not used: Buckley, Gilmartin, Mingoia, Whichelow and Thompson.

Norwich City: Ruddy; R Martin, Ward, Whitbread, Tierney; Crofts, Pacheco (McNamee 58), Fox, Surman (Lansbury 62); Vokes (Jackson 58), Holt. Not used: Edwards, Hughes, Rudd and Lappin.

Bookings: Holt for a foul on Mariappa after 45 mins; Graham for dissent after 49 mins; Eustace for dissent after 73 mins; Ward for dissent after 78 mins.

Attendance: 13,777.

Referee: Anthony Taylor.