This was about as stale as a stalemate gets.

In fact, it was a pretty awful game in which neither side ever looked like they were going to score.

Actually, neither side looked able to create a chance in a game was that was scrappy, bitty, messy and rarely flowed.

Watford’s biggest failing was their choice of pass, and execution of crosses and shots, in the final third.

They spent enough time around the Preston box that, if they had shown a bit more composure and guile, then they would have come far closer to winning.

As it was, shooting opportunities were hammered deep into the crowd, crosses either hit the first defender or cleared everybody, and corners were particularly disappointing.

Bad as it was, it was still better than some of the performances earlier in the season, and certainly Watford looked solid in the 3-5-2 that Tom Cleverley is now deploying.

However, it was another home game – 11 in all now – without a win, and opportunities to put a smile on the faces of the Vicarage Road faithful are drifting away.

Preston weren’t overly expansive, and certainly in the second half they seemed quite content to get men behind the ball and challenge the Hornets to break them down.

There is enough pace and skill in this squad, thin though it is, to be winning games like this one.

I didn't see who was awarded Man of the Match, though it was a game that was so poor it didn't deserve one.

Probably the best performance of the day will be member of staff who has to edit some 'highlights' out of this game for the club's YouTube channel.

Whoever is at the Hornets helm come August will face a big challenge to make the team and the fans confident of winning home games again.

It’s proved difficult enough this season, and that’s before the very likely departure of one or two of the more flair-filled players this summer.

There was only a single change to the starting XI that drew at West Brom, with Yaser Asprilla coming into the team to play in the advance midfield role just behind the two strikers.

Ismael Kone dropped to the bench, where Giorgi Chakvetadze returned after illness.

There was a strong wind swirling around Vicarage Riad and that contributed to a scrappy first half, although neither side played particularly well.

Osmajic headed wide from an early corner before Tom Dele-Bashiru broke from halfway before shooting from 20 yards, an effort Woodman gathered despite a deflection.

In the eighth minute a burst from Ryan Andrews down the right ended with Watford shifting the ball across the edge of the box before Yaser Asprilla sent a low angled shot just wide.

Four minutes later some lovely skill from Edo Kayembe enabled Andrews to cross from the right. The ball was partially cleared and it ran into the path of Jamal Lewis, but he fired way over the bar from a good position.

Bachmann was quickly off his line to block when Riis got in behind the defence, and the Preston forward then lobbed the loose ball onto the roof of the net.

It really was a very bitty game with possession regularly given away due to bad choices of pass, especially in the final third.

The best chance of the half came in the last minute as Watford cleared a corner but then struggled when it was played back into the box.

The ball landed at the feet of Hughes no more than eight yards out, but he dragged his shot across the face of goal.

Any hope the second half would be more entertaining didn’t last long as, once again, neither side seemed able to establish any dominance or even string a few moves together.

Wes Hoedt sent a well-struck 30-yard effort just wide and Francisco Sierralta nodded down but straight at Woodman from a corner.

The only Preston threat came after 68 minutes when Riis did well to hook the ball back from the by-line and Keane sent a first-time volley just wide.

Having wasted a decent chance in the first half, Lewis did the same near the end when Giorgi Chakvetadze dummied Asprilla’s cross but the Northern Ireland international sent his shot deep into the Rookery.

If you weren’t at Vicarage Road, don’t bother sitting up to watch the highlights on TV: there weren’t any.

Watford: Bachmann; Porteous, Sierralta, Hoedt; Andrews, Dele-Bashiru, Kayembe (Chakvetadze 60), Lewis; Asprilla; Dennis (Kone 80), Bayo (Rajovic 60). Subs: Hamer, Ince, Livermore, Pollock, Martins, Morris.