Watford 2-2 Norwich City

Watford recovered from an early setback to take a point off Paul Lambert`s high-flying Canaries at Vicarage Road last night.

On-loan Welsh international Sam Vokes handed the visitors the lead inside two minutes when he was set free to finish before Danny Graham levelled. Watford then took the lead through Don Cowie before sub Simeon Jackson grabbed the equaliser.

Malky Mackay rung the changes post-Hull and brought in both Troy Deeney and Marvin Sordell at the expense of Andy Weimann and Will Buckley. It was 4-5-1 for the Hornet`s when defending and 4-3-3 when attacking with Deeney and Sordell providing the width.

Watford didn`t get off to a good start though when after less than two minutes Vokes raced through to beat Scott Loach at his near-post. Blame for the goal lying squarely with skipper John Eustace who held onto the ball long enough to be robbed in the middle of the park.

Talismanic Canaries striker Grant Holt could`ve put his side out of sight not long after when a similar ball found the beefy frontman in front of goal before Watford cleared.

The 'Orns were clearly not intent on learning their lesson and when a third ball over the top to the unmarked former Forest forward wasn`t cut out, Holt lashed a volley over when he had bundles of time from 10 yards.

It didn`t look to be Watford`s night.

However, after an inch-perfect Eustace through-ball, Danny Graham race through to face John Ruddy one-on-one. Though Graham`s effort was tame it was enough to beat the hapless former Everton stopper who only succeeded in palming it into his own net to hand Watford a 27th minute equaliser.

Just 10 minutes later, midfielder Don Cowie turned the game on it`s head as he handed the Hornets the lead for the first time in the game. After Graham`s progress down the right was halted by some untoward defending from Marc Tierney, advantage was brilliantly applied to allow Graham to send in a low centre. Cowie collected, coolly turned and fired into the roof of the net to put Watford 2-1 up.

Half-time: 2-1

The second half was not to belong to the hosts. Clearly fired up by a roasting from manager Lambert, the Canaries took the ascendancy in the second-half and their pressure eventually told when Canadian international Jackson levelled.

Having come of the bench the former Gillingham frontman turned the ball home at the far post after Loach had parried a header away. The free-kick awarded for the ball to come in was certainly soft.

Loach kept the visitors at bay in the second-half with a number of good stops, pushing away a far-post header that seemed destined for the far corner and also beating out a strike from range to preserve a share of the spoils.

Full-time: 2-2

Watford: Loach; Hodson, Mariappa, Taylor, Doyley; Deeney, Jenkins (Drinkwater), Eustace (c), Cowie, Sordell (Weimann); Graham.

Norwich City: Ruddy; Martin, Whitbread, Ward, Tierney; Fox; Crofts, Surman (Lansbury); Pacheco (McNamee); Holt (c) and Vokes (Jackson).

Referee: Mr A Taylor

Attendance: 13 777

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