Wednesday were denied a first win in 31 Championship league matches when Watford snatched a 91st minute equaliser at Hillsborough this evening in a 1-1 draw.
We looked on course for the three points (if you can ever say that in the season we are enduring) thanks to a 54th minute header from Jerry Yates and might have added to the lead in an encouraging second-half display before the visitors struck back at the start of added time.
On the plus side, the point at least ended our run of 13 successive league defeats and Liam Palmer turned in a real captain’s performance in his 500th game for the club.
Watford twice went close to opening the scoring inside the first 12 minutes. Edo Kayembe saw his fierce effort from the edge of the box come back off the inside of the post, go across goal and to safety and then Luca Kjerrumgaard shot just wide from eight yards.
Wednesday gradually found our feet as the half wore on and Jerry Yates saw a close-range effort deflect for a corner on 27 minutes before Sean Fusire shot wide from just outside the box.
However, Watford looked the more likely to score in the first period and only a great reflex save from Pierce Charles denied Kjerrumgaard from inside the six-yard box to keep the scoreline goalless at the break.
We began the second period in more aggressive fashion and Jamal Lowe tested Egil Selvik for the first time before we took the lead on 53 minutes.
Fusire broke down the right, clipped a fine cross to the far post and the inrushing Yates sent a thumping header high into the Kop net.
Three minutes later we almost doubled our lead when Tayo Adamarola picked out Yates in the box, he hooked the ball back across goal but Jamal Lowe saw his effort blocked on the line by Imran Louza.
Then, on 75 minutes we missed a great chance to make it 2-0, Charlie McNeill breaking clear into the box within seconds of coming on but shooting straight at Selvik.
Adaramola cut in from the left, with his pull back to Lowe just intercepted as Wednesday continued to dominate, but hopes of that first win since success at Portsmouth back in September was not to be with Watford grabbing an added time equaliser through Vivaldo Semedo … just as they did at Vicarage Road back in December.
Pierce Charles parried a long-range effort from Pierre Ekwah, then did well to block the follow-up from Semedo, before the same player manage to turn the ball home despite the efforts of Palmer on the line.
It was a cruel ending for Wednesday who had battled well against Watford, particularly in the second half, but finally had to settle for just the point.
Charles, Fusire, Palmer (c), Otegbayo, McGhee (Iorfa 75), Adaramola, Ingelsson, Heskey, Thornton, J. Lowe, Yates*McNeill 74). Unused subs: Stretch, Emery, Johnson, Nakamba, Ndala, Grainger, Ugbo. Attendance: 19,653.
