David McGoldrick and Frank Nouble both forced Manuel Almunia into saves late in the half and Diego Fabbrini hit the post for the visitors but Town and Watford remain locked at 0-0 at the break.

Town boss Mick McCarthy named the same side for the third game running with the Blues lining up in a 4-3-3 formation.

Stephen Hunt missed out on a place on the bench due to the hamstring injury he suffered in training, with Paul Taylor taking his place amongst the subs.

New signing Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was left out of the 18 and isn’t expected to be involved until the FA Cup tie against Preston on January 4th.

Watford’s new head coach Giuseppe Sannino made seven changes to the Hornets side Gianfranco Zola lined-up in his final game last week and switched to a 3-5-2 formation.

Neither side created much in a tentative and scrappy opening spell with the players trying to settle into the windy conditions. Lewis McGugan’s low freekick across the Town box from the right was the nearest thing to a chance but Blues keeper Dean Gerken claimed.

On 12 Tommy Smith was booked for a late tackle on Troy Deeney on halfway, the Town defender having slipped when going for an under-hit David McGoldrick pass.

Gabriele Angella lashed well over for the Hornets, who had had most of the possession, in the 23rd minute with rain now blowing across the pitch but sent the ball deep into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand. At the other end, McGoldrick shot across the face of goal from the right.

Watford were within an inch or two of going in front in the 25th minute when Diego Fabbrini hit a shot against Gerken’s left post from a tight angle.

Moments later, Aaron Cresswell struck a powerful effort which deflected over. From the corner, Christophe Berra’s goalbound headed was nodded away.

McGoldrick forced Hornets skipper Almunia into his first serious save of the afternoon in the 31st minute, the Spaniard tipping his 25-yard curler over. From the corner, Berra again won the ball in the air and nodded across goal but Frank Nouble was unable to direct his header goalwards while under pressure.

The Blues were starting to threaten more, although the game was still as scruffy as they come, and in the 36th minute McGoldrick crossed from the right to Murphy, who was unable to direct his header goalwards.

McGoldrick shot over from just inside the area from a well-worked freekick from the 18-yard line on the right in the 39th minute, Cresswell having dummied before Cole Skuse played the ball to the Blues top scorer.

On 43 Nouble cut in from the right, beating two men before forcing Almunia to save at his near post, although may well have been wiser to cut the ball across the box.

Referee Graham Scott brought what had been a disappointing half to a close without either side threatening again.

He scoreline was a fair reflection with the Blues increasingly threatening towards the end with Almunia making saves from McGoldrick and Nouble, while Fabbrini came closest to breaking the deadlock when he hit the post for the visitors.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Cresswell, Hyam, Skuse, Tunnicliffe, Nouble, McGoldrick, Murphy. Unused: Loach, Mings, Edwards, Tabb, Anderson, Graham, Taylor.

Watford: Almunia (c), Doyley, Angella, Ekstrand, Cassetti, Murray, Thorne, McGugan, Pudil, Fabbrini, Deeney. Unused: Bond, Battocchio, McEachran, Forestieri, Anya, Iriney, Nosworthy. Referee: Graham Scott (Oxfordshire). Att:

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls