Wednesday’s hopes of a long-awaited league win disappeared in the cruellest of ways at Watford tonight with the home side grabbing an equaliser with virtually the last kick of the game in a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.
The home side registered 23 shots to our four and missed several chances, including a penalty, but Wednesday had defended bravely for almost the entire second half after taking the lead … only to see a second Championship victory of the season snatched away in the dying seconds.
Watford had made the early running and Pierce Charles was soon in action, saving from Giorgi Chakvetadze when the striker shot straight at the keeper from 12 yards.
Then, with 13 minutes gone, Yan Valery cleared off the line after Charles made a hash of a punched clearance.
However, in just about our first attack, Wednesday took the lead on 17 minutes when Valery’s deflected cross landed at the feet of Charlie McNeill and he drilled the ball low into the net from 15 yards.
Four minutes later we went close to a second when Barry Bannan and Svante Ingelsson combined down the left and only the outstretched foot of Max Allleyne denied McNeill at the far post.
Watford missed another opening when Imran Louza shot wide from inside the box and a minute before the break came their best opportunity when Othmane Maamma somehow managed to fire wide from close range.
Wednesday came out for the second half without skipper Bannan, presumably through injury, and it was very much a case of backs-to-the-wall for the Owls for the rest of the game.
Charles saved from Nestory Irankunda, the unmarked Mamadou Doumbia headed straight at the Wednesday keeper and then he kept out long-range shots from Marc Bola and Louza.
The Watford pressure eventually paid off on 72 minutes when they were awarded a penalty after Sean Fusire pulled Bola’s shirt.
Louza crashed his spot kick against the underside of the bar and, although Edo Kayembe netted from the rebound, the goal was ruled out for Kayembe having encroached into the box before the penalty was taken.
Charles pulled off a flying save to deny Louza on 85 minutes but, with the seven added minutes just about complete, Watford struck in agonising fashion as a loose ball in the box dropped to Vivaldo Semedo and his instinctive strike squeezed under Charles’ dive for the equaliser.
Yes, we would have taken a point before the match … but not when the opposition’s leveller came in the very last minute to also end hopes of a first win in 13 league games.
Charles, Valery, Iorfa, Cooper (Otegbayo 77), M Lowe, Amass, Ingelsson, Bannan (Fusire 46), McNeill (Ugbo 87), J Lowe (Chalobah 77), Cadamarteri (Palmer 67). Unused subs: Horvath, Grainger, Johnson, Thornton.
