Town missed out on the chance to return to the top of the Championship following a 0-0 draw at home to Watford but are back to second in the table. The Blues came closest to scoring in the first half when Nathan Broadhead hit the post and Kieffer Moore saw a header from almost point-blank saved by Hornets keeper Daniel Bachmann but were less dominant after the break.
Town boss Kieran McKenna made four changes from Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Norwich with Harry Clarke coming in at right-back, George Edmundson at right centre-half, Jack Taylor in the centre of midfield and Kayden Jackson wide on the right for Axel Tuanzebe, Luke Woolfenden, Massimo Luongo and Conor Chaplin, who are all dropped to the bench.
Watford made two changes from the side which drew 0-0 at home to Preston on Saturday with Mattie Pollock and Giorgi Chakvetadze coming in for Francisco Sierralta and Emmanuel Dennis.
Town had a chance within 14 seconds of the start, Jackson having been found just outside the area to the left and momentarily in space but his shot was blocked.
The opening spell was well contested with Watford’s first effort in the ninth minute, Yaser Asprilla trying to catch Vaclav Hladky off his line from not far inside the Town half but the Colombian international lifted the ball over the bar.
On 10, Moore headed well over from a Leif Davis free-kick on the left when the Wales international will feel he ought to have done better.
Town began to take full control and in the 15th minute Omari Hutchinson, playing in the central role behind Moore, was almost played in on goal on the right of the box following some sharp passing involving skipper Sam Morsy, Clarke and Moore.
Three minutes later, another well-worked move, Clarke having done well down the right, ended with Moore teeing-up Broadhead just outside the area but the Wales forward’s firmly-hit shot was too close to Hornets’ keeper Daniel Bachmann, who saved.
On 21, Hutchinson was sent flying by an off-the-ball bodycheck by Ryan Porteous in the centre circle as Moore ran towards the area on the left before being dispossessed. Referee Sam Barrott stopped play to allow the on-loan Chelsea man to undergo treatment and then spoke to Porteous but without giving a foul or issuing a card. Hutchinson was OK to carry on.
The Jamaica international appeared stung into action by the incident and in the 25th minute he skipped into the right of the area past two defenders before his low cross was cut out.
In the 28th minute, Morsy sent Jackson away on the right behind Porteous and the former Accrington man crossed low towards the near post from where Moore shot not too far wide.
On the half hour, the wideman was sent away again but this time his cross was too long. Town were on top but yet to create the chance which would give them the lead.
Three minutes later, Clarke was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Chakvetadze just inside the Town half.
Edmundson cut out the free-kick but then his pass to Morsy gave the ball back to Watford not far outside the area and Jamal Lewis eventually looped a cross into Hladky’s hands at the far post.
In the 36th minute, Broadhead turned his man and drove towards the area before hitting a shot which again had power but was once more straight at Bachmann.
The Wales international went much closer to breaking the deadlock two minutes later when he dug out a shot from the edge of the area and beat Bachmann low to the keeper’s left but struck the inside of the post. The ball bounced agonisingly across the face of goal before being cleared.
Town were by now wholly dominant with the crowd sensing a goal might come at any time.
And the Blues threatened again on 38, a low Jackson cross from the right reaching Taylor on the edge of the box but the former Peterborough midfielder’s effort struck Broadhead in front of him with the Welshman trying desperately to get out of his way.
Three minutes later, Taylor played a free-kick to Morsy 35 yards out and the Egyptian international brought it forward before hitting a shot which was too close to Bachmann, who saved.
The Austrian keeper was forced into a much better stop on 43, somehow blocking a powerful point-blank Moore header and pushing it round the post after Clarke had stood the ball up from the right.
That was to prove the best and last chance of a half from which the Blues ought to have gone in in front having been well in charge for the most part and having had a number of good opportunities.
Broadhead will have been disappointed to have shot too close to the keeper on a couple of occasions before he hit the post, then Moore will wonder how Bachmann saved his header which looked a certain goal. At the other end, Watford had been unable to manage a shot on target.
Watford saw most of the ball in the early stages of the second half but without threatening and twice playing straight out of play. The throw-in resulting from the second wayward pass was taken quickly by Davis to Broadhead, who sent the left-back away down the flank but his cross was too close to Bachmann.
On 52, Town broke following a Hornets attack through Hutchinson but the youngster’s cross-field ball was too long. Davis retrieved it but his cross was again too close to Bachmann.
Within a minute, Broadhead sent over a cross-shot which Bachmann again claimed under his bar, the keeper stumbling a little as he did so, momentarily getting fans off their seats.
In the 55th minute Morsy scuffed wide from distance with Town starting to take control again and with the crowd upping the volume. Two minutes later, Moore was booked for a foul on Tom Dele-Bashiru on halfway.
Watford, however, continued to see more of the ball and on the hour, Asprilla struck their first shot on target from the edge of the box to the right which Hladky saved but didn’t hold, Edmundson clearing the loose ball.
On 63, following a Hornets corner, Lewis blazed deep into the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand. Town made their first three changes ahead of the goal-kick, Taylor, Jackson and Broadhead making way for Conor Chaplin, Massimo Luongo and Jeremy Sarmiento. Hutchinson moved to the right to allow Chaplin into the central role.
Following the substitutions, Watford continued to have most of the possession but without further threatening Hladky’s goal.
Porteous was shown the Hornets’ first yellow card of the evening in the 67th minute for crudely bringing down Hutchinson after the Chelsea loanee had turned away from him and was about to break away down the right.
Watford made their first change on 71, Ismael Kone coming on for Chakvetadze, before the Blues switched Moore for Ali Al-Hamadi.
The Hornets were still on top with Town unable to restore their first-half control, Kone seeing a shot blocked on the edge of the box.
On 79 the Blues were forced into another change when Edmundson went down a few minutes after first suffering a knock when fouled by Vakoun Bayo. Woolfenden took over at right centre-half.
In the 85th minute, a Morsy free-kick from the right was half-cleared to Luongo, whose volley was blocked and Sarmiento was prevented from getting in a subsequent effort before the visitors finally managed to clear.
A minute later, with the Town pressure and crowd noise increasing, Sarmiento played in Al-Hamadi on the right of the box and a Watford defender slid in to make an important block with the striker’s shot looking on target.
The fourth official’s board indicated four additional minutes with the Blues in the ascendency and looking to create the chance which would take them back to the top.
A minute into added-time, Luongo played a clever ball in for Chaplin, who left it for Morsy but the ball was just taken away from the skipper.
Watford almost won it in an extraordinary manner in the final seconds, Edo Kayembe spotting Hladky out of his goal after the Blues had lost possession and lashing a shot from beyond halfway which the keeper did very well to get back to save and palm for a corner, which was the last action of the match.
A frustrating night for the Blues, who really should have had the game sewn up by half-time having had more than enough chances. Broadhead was unfortunate with his effort against the post, while Bachmann made a superb stop from Moore.
The Hornets were an improved outfit after the break and Town, drawing 0-0 for only the third time this season, struggled to create chances. The substitutions as always saw the Blues step things up but Watford remained resolute and there were few if any clear-cut opportunities.
But a point takes Town, who host Middlesbrough at Portman Road on Saturday, back into the top two ahead of Leeds by a point and behind Leicester on goal difference, although with the Foxes having a game in hand.
Town: Hladky, Clarke, Edmundson (Woolfenden 79), Burgess, Davis, Morsy (c), Taylor (Luongo 63), Jackson (Chaplin 63), Hutchinson, Broadhead (Sarmiento 63), Moore (Al-Hamadi 71). Unused: Walton, Woolfenden, Tuanzebe, Travis, Harness.
Watford: Bachmann, Hoedt (c), Porteous, Lewis, Pollock, Chakvetadze (Kone 71), Asprilla (Ince 93), Bayo (Dennis 86), Dele-Bashiru, Kayembe, Andrews. Unused: Hamer, Sierrata, Livermore, Rajovic, Kone, Martins, Morris. Referee: Sam Barrott (West Riding). Att 28,589.