Watford vs Everton. Premier League.
Vicarage RoadAttendance20,663.
Saturday 9 April 2016 18:51, UK
Watford and Everton ended poor recent runs in the Premier League after drawing 1-1 at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon.
Both goals came in first-half injury time, with James McCarthy opening the scoring for the visitors after a terrible error from Watford centre-back Miguel Britos.
The home side equalised almost immediately through Jose Holebas' header to end a poor recent run of four league defeats in a row as both teams moved to within touching distance of the 40-point mark.
Hornets boss Quique Sanchez Flores made five changes from last weekend's 4-0 loss at Arsenal, with experienced Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami returning after a recent illness.
Everton, meanwhile, made just the one alteration from Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Manchester United, with influential holding midfielder Gareth Barry back after a two-game ban.
Both teams took their time to get into their stride, though, with the first effort on goal coming just past the quarter-hour mark when Jurado's well-struck shot from the edge of the box producing an excellent one-handed save from Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles.
The Merseysiders also had their own moments of threat in a quiet first half, with Gerard Deulofeu forcing a good stop from Heurelho Gomes in the Watford goal moments later.
However, the contest really exploded into life in the four minutes of stoppage time added on at the end of the first period.
Firstly, Etienne Capoue came within inches of breaking the deadlock with a well-struck effort from the right-hand edge of the box that was deflected inches past Robles' right-hand post.
From the resulting corner, though, the Toffees broke up field, but there appeared little danger when Britos won the ball back for Watford, only for the Uruguayan to be robbed by McCarthy on the edge of his own area.
The Irishman then raced through on goal, before coolly beating Gomes to seemingly give his side a first-half lead.
However, Watford still had time for a late corner - needlessly given away after a poor back pass by John Stones to Robles - from which Holebas rose high at the far post to head home Ben Watson's delivery, albeit with the aid of a deflection off Seamus Coleman.
Everton stepped up the pace after the break as they looked to halt a run of three straight league defeats, a sequence that saw their fans hold up banners calling for boss Roberto Martinez to quit, but they were unable to find a way past Gomes.
The veteran Brazilian shot-stopper produced impressive stops to twice keep out Aaron Lennon and then Romelu Lukaku, whose recent mini goal draught continued.
With time running out, though, both teams came close to stealing all three points as first Lukaku had a close-range shot deflected on to the bar after Gomes had pushed aside a Kevin Mirallas free-kick.
And then in injury time, Watson's deflected drive was acrobatically pushed behind by Robles.
Player ratings
Watford: Gomes (9), Paredes (6), Cathcart (6), Britos (5), Holebas (7), Behrami (6), Capoue (7), Watson (8), Jurado (7), Deeney (7), Ighalo (6)
Subs used: Mario Suarez (6), Amrabat (6), Guedioura (6)
Everton: Robles (7), Coleman (6), Stones (7), Jagielka (7), Baines (7), McCarthy (8), Barry (7), Lennon (7), Barkley (6), Deulofeu (5), Lukaku (6)
Subs used: Mirallas (7), Cleverley (6), Funes Mori (6)
Man of the match: Heurelho Gomes
