Watford were unable to end 2023 on a winning note but they have cause to look back on tonight’s 1-1 draw against Stoke City as a positive point gained after playing most of the second half with ten men – and feeling they were playing against the referee as well.

The Hornets were on track to end their three-game sequence without a home win when Jake Livermore put them in front with his first goal for the club, but a defensively poor equaliser saw Ryan Mmaee equalise before the break.

The home side’s task became that much harder when Vakoun Bayo was sent off for violent conduct after flicking out at Luke McNally after the two had tangled in midfield and referee Scott Oldham had no hesitation in pulling out his red card.

The majority inside Vicarage Road were baffled by the dismissal but Bayo’s actions gave the official a decision to make – and in the context of his performance for most of the night it was no surprise that he acted as he did.

Oldham had increasingly incurred the wrath of the Hornets towards the end of the first half when he didn’t award them at least two clear free-kicks – decisions that infuriated Valerien Ismael who was yellow carded for his protests – and it continued in the second half with a display of officialdom that was baffling and bewildering at times, ensuring he left the pitch to the most sustained chorus of boos heard at Vicarage Road this season.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Watford impressed with the way they managed the situation, putting bodies on the line as they remained defensively organised and resolute, again underlining the spirit and unity within the camp.

The hosts did need Ben Hamer to come to their rescue with one big save when he denied Bae Jun-Ho but it was the Hornets who looked the more threatening overall as they tried to find a winner against the odds.

It was no surprise that Ismael decided to shake up his starting XI following their poor showing in the 4-1 Boxing Day defeat to Bristol City, making six changes, two of which were enforced.

Ken Sema joined Jamal Lewis in being sidelined with an injury, while Ryan Andrews, Francisco Sierralta, Edo Kayembe and Mileta Rajovic dropped to a bench that also included Jack Grieves but not Rhys Healey, who was also ruled out with what the Hornets described as a “muscle injury”.

In came Tom Dele-Bashiru, Ryan Porteous and James Morris into the back four, Giorgi Chakvetadze made his first start at Vicarage Road after scoring his first Hornets goal on Tuesday, while Bayo and Matheus Martins also returned to the starting line-up.

Steven Schumacher secured his first victory in charge of Stoke with a 3-1 win at Birmingham City on Boxing Day and the Potters boss made two changes from that starting line-up, with Ben Pearson and Sead Haksabanovic replacing Ki-Jana Hoever and Lynden Gooch.

The Hornets tweaked their formation, matching Stoke’s 4-2-3-1 with Chakvetadze’s starting position deeper alongside Livermore and Ismael Kone operating in the more advanced central midfield role behind Bayo.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given their respective previous results, Stoke looked the more confident in the opening exchanges, with their opponents seeking to establish some early stability on which to build.

However, the Hornets were again not helping themselves at times, Wesley Hoedt an example in the 11th minute when he made a good challenge to win the ball, only to immediately give it straight back to Potters skipper Wouter Burger.

Stoke right-back Junior Tchamadeu was the first player to be booked in the 14th minute for a foul on Yaser Apsrilla, but within 60 seconds the Hornets were to break the deadlock from their first corner of the contest.

Chakvetadze’s left-footed inswinging delivery from the right was flicked on and down into the heart of the six-yard area by Porteous and Livermore was in the right place to tap home from barely a yard to net his first Hornets goal to make it 1-0.

Stoke’s first sight of a response came when Ryan Mmaee fired over from the right side of the six-yard box, but their hosts were to go close again when Asprilla twisted and turned on the left side of the penalty area before standing up a cross which Martins tried to half-volley back towards goal from the far post, only for Jordan Thompson to deflect it behind – a touch which the referee and his assistant Matthew Jones both seemingly failed to notice.

The goal had settled Watford down though, they were playing with confidence again and Asprilla and Martins were both causing Stoke a mounting number of headaches from their wide positions.

Asprilla was the next to chance his arm with a well-struck effort from outside the area that was straight at former Hornets keeper Jack Bonham after being found by Martins.

However, that was an anxious moment just before the half-hour when Ben Hamer, who appeared to be being fouled, dropped a high Haksabanovic cross from the left under pressure, but a combination of Hoedt and Morris were able to clear the danger.

Watford’s next opportunity came when Chakvetadze, who was now operating further forward, ran at pace with the ball at the retreating Stoke rearguard before trying to slide in Martins, but the pass was marginally too strong for him to control.

Instead of potentially celebrating a 2-0 lead, the Hornets were pegged back in the 34th minute.

A ball in behind Dele-Bashiru set Haksabanovic away on the Potters left and although Porteous managed to get a touch on his attempted cut back, it took it away from Dele-Bahisru who was held off by Mmaee and he fired a right-footed finish on the turn beyond Hamer to make it 1-1.

Watford were rattled by that setback and the visitors sought to capitalise, with Tchamadeu firing wide from the right side of the area after being found by Andre Vidigal.

Kone received the Hornets’ first booking in the 43rd minute following a collision with McNally to the annoyance of the home side who felt the decision should have gone the other way.

The mood of Ismael and co was not improved shortly after when Oldham failed to award Watford a free-kick after Bayo was bundled over on halfway.

That mood darkened a little further in the second minute of stoppage time when Ismael was yellow carded for his protests, and soon after Livermore joined his head coach in the book following a foul on Thompson.

The chorus of boos directed at the referee by the home faithful let him know in frank terms what the majority of the crowd thought of his performance in the latter stages of the first half as the opening period ended all-square.

Chakvetadze had already shown what he was capable of with the ball at his feet in the first half and within two minutes of the restart he almost put the Hornets back in front in stunning fashion.

The Georgian nicked the ball away from Pearson near halfway and as Stoke retreated as he advanced, Chakvetadze struck a right-footed effort from at least 25 yards that had power and curl that Bonham somehow got a touch on to divert it up and over off the top of the bar.

The resultant corner ended with Martins shooting over but in the 52nd minute the referee was to take centre stage again as the home side’s night took a turn for the worst.

Not for the first time McNally was involved, this time tangling with Bayo, but as both looked to get off the ground as play carried on the Watford striker flicked out at the defender and Oldham had no hesitation in reaching straight for his red card.

Ismael’s response was to make a double change, bringing on Rajovic and Kayembe for Martins and Kone, while Schumacher also made his first substitution as Tchamadeu made way for Hoever.

Stoke initially struggled to make their numerical advantage count but in the 65th minute the Hornets defence was cut open by a Haksabanovic pass that put Bae through, but Hamer was quickly off his line and made a fine blocking save.

The visitors’ second change followed as Lewis Baker came on for Burger but back came Watford, with Asprilla twisting and turning inside the area before hitting a right-footed shot that Bonham parried before Chakvetadze started another move that ended with Rajovic firing over the top after good work by Kayembe.

Hamer again did well to push away a Bae shot from the left side of the area and Chakvetadze became the next booking for a deliberate handball, before both sides made more changes in the 72nd minute. Daniel Johnson and Wesley replaced Pearson and Mmaee for the visitors, while Ryan Andrews came on for Asprilla and took his place on the right side of midfield.

Stoke’s next opportunity came when Baker appeared to have lost possession on the right side of the area, only to win it back from Dele-Bashiru and fire in a shot that was straight at Hamer who gathered at the second opportunity.

Ismael’s final two changes saw Mattie Pollock and Sierralta come on for the excellent Chakvetadze and Livermore as he switched to five at the back, but by this stage the referee now had everyone inside Vicarage Road of a yellow persuasion completely against him and that continued when he booked Morris for a seemingly innocuous challenge on Bae.

With stoppage time looming though, Stoke were starting to look a little short of attacking ideas, while their opponents continued to ask questions on the counter attack and were a better final ball away from threatening Bonham’s goal.

The signalling of five minutes of additional time gave both sides hope of snatching a late winner. Watford had two chances to get the ball into the area from free-kicks, only to spoil both by getting caught offside, but they held firm at the other end to hold on for a thoroughly deserved point against the odds.

Watford: Hamer; Dele-Bashiru, Porteous, Hoedt, Morris; Livermore (Sierralta 78), Chakvetadze (Pollock 78); Martins (Rajovic 57), Kone (Kayembe 57), Asprilla (Andrews 72); Bayo. Subs not used: Bachmann, Ince, Louza, Grieves.

Stoke City: Bonham; Tchamadeu (Hoever 57), McNally, Rose, Thompson; Pearson (Johnson 72), Burger (Baker 66); Vidigal, Bae, Haksabanovic; Mmaee (Wesley 72). Subs not used: Simkin, Wilmot, Jojic, Sidibe, Lowe.

Bookings: Tchamadeu for a foul on Asprilla (14); Kone for a foul on McNally (43); Ismael for dissent (45+2); Livermore for a foul on Thompson (45+3); Bayo for violent conduct – sent off (52); Chakvetadze for deliberate handball (71); Morris for a foul on Bae (80).

Referee: Scott Oldham.