Town and Watford are locked at 0-0 after an entertaining first half at Portman Road with Daryl Murphy having come closest to opening the scoring for the Blues.
Jonny Williams returned for the suspended Luke Hyam in an otherwise unchanged Town side. Kevin Bru took up a deeper role in a three-man midfield alongside Jay Tabb with Williams ahead of them.
Skipper Luke Chambers continued at right-back with Jonny Parr, who is back from his groin injury, on the bench. Watford included former Town loanee Keith Andrews in their midfield.
The Blues started brightly, Stephen Hunt and Williams combining to win an early corner on the left.
But soon afterwards errors from Jay Tabb and Chambers allowed Fernando Forestieri to escape down the Watford left and cut into the area but Tabb got back to dispossess the Hornets frontman before he could get in a shot at goal.
On 11 Hunt looped a ball from the edge of the area on the right towards Daryl Murphy but too far in front of Town’s 10-goal top scorer and Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes claimed.
A minute later the Hornets should have been in front after Tabb had surrendered possession inside the Town half. Forestieri played in Gianni Munari inside the area but Bartosz Bialkowski came off his line quickly to block.
Town went even closer to going in front in the 14th minute when Chambers whipped over a cross from the right and Murphy hit a superb volley with the outside of his left foot which Gomes did equally well to tip over.
The Irishman threatened again in the 17th minute, receiving a ball to feet from David McGoldrick from the right and turning and hitting a low shot which Gomes claimed at the second attempt.
The Hornets were proving to be dangerous on the break and on 19 last-man Chambers did well to dispossess Matej Vydra as he took the ball into the Blues box following swift counterattack after a Town corner.
Three minutes later, Hunt took a freekick quickly on the right, McGoldrick crossed and Murphy’s far post header was blocked by Juan Carlos Paredes.
Watford were next to threaten in what had been an open and entertaining game, Chambers doing well to block from Forestieri on the left of the Town box.
Murphy created an opportunity for Hunt in the 32nd minute, the striker chipping from the left into his fellow Irishman’s path. Hunt watched the ball come over his shoulder before hitting a goal-bound volley which deflected over the bar.
Following the resultant corner, Paredes was booked for the latest in a succession of Watford fouls on Williams.
On 35 Vydra crossed from the Watford left but Daniel Pudil could only loop the ball up into Bialkowski’s arms. Seven minutes later, McGoldrick was booked for stopping Watford from taking a freekick quickly.
In the final minute of the half, the Hornets again broke quickly following a Town corner and only Tyrone Mings's block prevented Paredes finding an unmarked Vydra in the clear down the middle.
Referee Eddie Ilderton ended a lively and end to end half soon afterwards. Both sides had had chances with Murphy’s flick the best for the Blues, while Bialkowski did well to block from Munari when he was played in by Forestieri.
Town’s display wasn’t up to the standard of Tuesday’s performance in midweek with rather too many errors at the back. Watford had particularly threatened on the counterattack and generally looked stiffer opposition than Wolves had on Tuesday.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Smith, Berra, Tabb, Bru, Williams, Hunt, Murphy, McGoldrick. Subs: Crowe, Parr, Anderson, Bajner, Bishop, Ambrose, Sammon.
Watford: Gomes, Paredes, Ekstrand, Bassong, Pudil, Tozser, Munari, Andrews, Vydra, Deeney, Forestieri. Subs: Bond, Doyley, Cathcart, Murray, McGugan, Dyer, Ighalo. Referee: Eddie Ilderton (Tyne and Wear).