Watford have been replaced by Derby County at the top of the Championship after the Hornets were pegged back twice by Nottingham Forest in a 2-2 draw at Vicarage Road tonight.

The Hornets had impressed with their attacking play before they took the lead shortly before the half-hour mark when Odion Ighalo pounced to turn in a Gianni Munari flick on from an Almen Abdi cross.

But Forest levelled almost immediately as Michail Antonio capitalised on a mistake to surge into the area and shoot past Heurelho Gomes to equalise.

The visitors were fortunate not to be reduced to ten men before half-time when Michael Mancienne prevented Matej Vydra from having a clear goalscoring opportunity by fouling him on the edge of the area, but a refereeing decision did – correctly – go in the home side’s favour soon after the restart when Vydra was barged over in the area by Kelvin Wilson and the Czech striker confidently dispatched the spot-kick to make it 2-1.

Watford Observer:

Stuart Pearce’s men refused to lie down though, and levelled for a second time midway through the second half when Antonio headed home his second from a fine Chris Burke cross.

Slavisa Jokanovic made just the one change for his first home match in charge, as Juan Carlos Paredes returned in place of Lloyd Doyley, who dropped to the bench and had to wait at least one more game to become the ninth player to make 400 first-team starts for the Hornets.

Troy Deeney again had to be content for a place among the substitutes, who also numbered Ikechi Anya after he missed Saturday’s 3-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday.

Nottingham Forest came into the game without a win in their last five league outings and off the back of their first Championship defeat of the season at Cardiff City and Pearce opted to make three changes, one of which was enforced through former Watford loanee Henri Lansbury’s suspension. In came Dan Harding, David Vaughan and Ben Osborn as Jack Hunt and Matty Fryatt dropped to the bench.

There was a moment of alarm for the hosts inside the opening 90 seconds as Gomes came for a Burke inswinging delivery from the right, but failed to deal with it under pressure from Hornets old boy Britt Assombalonga, only for the ball to rebound behind with Antonio lurking at the far post.

Gomes’ opposite number Karl Darlow was soon into the action though, parrying a well-struck Fernando Forestieri drive from 20 yards, but the rebound didn’t fall kindly for anyone wearing yellow.

Forestieri was at it again in the eighth minute, hitting a right-footed drive narrowly over from 25 yards after a Daniel Tozser cross from the right had been half-cleared from the Hornets’ first corner of the evening.

Watford had started well, moving the ball around purposefully and at a good tempo, but they then went off the boil for a period as Forest enjoyed a better spell of possession after being on the back foot in the opening exchanges.

Watford Observer:

Indeed the visitors weren’t too far away from taking the lead in the 18th minute when Forestieri committed a foul near to the right angle of the penalty area, Vaughan whipped in the set piece and it glanced off a Watford player’s head as it went narrowly wide of the far post.

That was a close-ish call but within a minute a fine Daniel Pudil pass had released Forestieri, who laid it inside to Vydra as he burst into the area, but instead of hitting it first time the Czech striker took an extra touch and the ball ricocheted behind off the legs of Darlow.

Tozser and Paredes then sent well-struck efforts off target, only for the Ecuador defender to concede a rather needless free-kick to the left of goal close to his own goalline. Vaughan again took the set piece, but Wilson was unable to direct his header on target.

Soon after though, the Hornets produced a sparkling piece of football that was worthy of a goal as some good close control by Ighalo saw him find Abdi. He played a first-time pass out to the right side of the penalty area where Forestieri laid it inside with one touch to Vydra, who hit a first-time left-footed effort towards the near post, only to be thwarted by a fine save by Darlow.

The Hornets didn’t have long to wait to take the lead though, as after an admittedly poor corner from Abdi was played back to him by Joel Ekstrand, the Swiss midfielder’s cross was flicked on by Munari and Ighalo pounced first to net for the second time in four days from close range and make it 1-0.

Watford Observer:

But the home side’s joy was to be cut short within two minutes as a mistake by Abdi let in Antonio on the left side of the penalty area and he left Ekstrand trailing in his wake as he burst pass the Swede before prodding the ball past Gomes to equalise.

After Antonio had fired another effort well wide, the Hornets weren’t too far away from retaking the lead when Forestieri slipped the ball to Munari in a central position 20 yards out and he fired narrowly wide of Darlow’s left-hand post.

The Hornets had very good cause to feel hard done by three minutes before the break when Vydra latched onto a loose ball and went to dart into the area, before he was clearly tripped on the edge of the 18-yard box by Mancienne. There was no doubt the Watford forward would have a clear route to goal but referee Dean Whitestone deemed it was not a clear goalscoring opportunity and the Forest skipper escaped with a booking.

Forestieri was unable to beat the wall when the free-kick was taken, but he was to force Darlow into another good save with an effort from further out as both teams went into the break all-square.

The Hornets were quickly out of the blocks at the start of the second half, forcing two early corners to take their count into double figures, before Forestieri had a shot deflected wide.

Jokanovic was forced into change in the 50th minute when Sean Murray came on for Abdi, who headed straight down the tunnel, but two minutes later the Hornets were back in front.

A ball towards the edge of the penalty area caused havoc in the Forest defence as Vydra got their before the onrushing Darlow, it was then worked to Forestieri, who tried to square it back inside for the Hornets’ top scorer, who was clearly pushed to the ground by Wilson. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and Vydra confidently did the rest, sending Darlow the wrong way from 12 yards to make it 2-1 with his fifth goal in seven appearances.

Forest sought to respond immediately to going behind for a second time with a couple of dangerous balls into the area, while Harding had a cross-shot deflected behind.

Ighalo had enjoyed an encouraging night but his game was to come to an end in the 65th minute when he was replaced by Deeney, but two minutes later Forest were back on terms for a second time.

This time Burke was the creator with a superb teasing cross from the right that left Gomes stranded as it bisected the six-yard box and Antonio arrived at the far post to thump a header into the roof of the net to score his second of the contest.

The match was intriguingly poised at this stage but both sides struggled to build up a sustained attacking head of steam as the balance of the contest continued to fluctuate heading into the final ten minutes.

Jokanovic made his final change with six minutes remaining as Tommie Hoban replaced Sebastien Bassong, before Assombalonga fired harmlessly over from 20 yards out.

Watford Observer:

Watford created a couple of late opportunities when a ball beyond the far post was headed back towards the danger zone by Vydra and Deeney nipped in to prod goalwards, only to be thwarted from close range by Darlow. The Forest keeper was also equal to a Vydra shot soon after.

Assombalonga was replaced by Fryatt in the last minute of normal time but neither side was able to conjure up another opportunity as the Hornets were made to settle for a point.

Watford: Gomes; Paredes, Ekstrand, Bassong (Hoban 84), Pudil; Tozser, Abdi (Murray 50), Munari; Vydra, Forestieri; Ighalo (Deeney 65). Not used: Bond, Doyley, Dyer, Anya.

Nottingham Forest: Darlow; Lichaj, Mancienne, Wilson, Harding; Burke, Osborn, Tesche, Vaughan, Antonio; Assombalonga (Fryatt 90). Not used: De Vries, Fox, Hunt, Lascelles, Paterson, Blackstock.

Bookings: Mancienne for a foul on Vydra (42).

Attendance: 16,095 (1,607 away).

Referee: Dean Whitestone.