Ben Watson red card unlucky, says Watford boss Walter Mazzarri

New Watford boss Walter Mazzarri felt Ben Watson's red card was "unlucky" during their 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday.

The Hornets substitute was sent off with 14 minutes to play at St Mary's, forcing Watford to hold on for a point in their opening match of the Premier League season.

The visitors had enjoyed the better of the first half and took the lead through Etienne Capoue, before Nathan Redmond equalised on his Southampton debut.

Watson then saw red after denying Shane Long a goalscoring opportunity, ending a Saints counter-attack by hauling the striker to the ground.

Mazzarri said he was pleased with his side's performance in his first competitive match in charge, and felt the sending off came at a bad time for his team.

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"We were unlucky because it came in a moment when we were playing well," Mazzarri said. "Unfortunately it left us with 10 [players] and didn't allow us to play our best way.

"At this moment I don't look too much at the point, I look at the performance of the team. I am happy with how the team performed.

"When our energy was at the top we played in a great way. Unfortunately we could have ended the game in the first half and we didn't do it and this is something that upsets us."

Mazzarri, who replaced Quique Sanchez Flores as Watford head coach over the summer, opted for a 3-5-2 formation with Jose Holebas and Nordin Amrabat occupying wing-back roles.

It frustrated Southampton for large spells at St Mary's, and the Watford boss admitted he was happy with how his team adjusted to his demands.

"There are different types of formations but the important thing is the players follow my style of play and they are doing it," he added. 

"We have been practicing with two different types of play and today we played with one formation and it went well."