Town can blame a failure to take their chances for their home game with Watford ending in a 0-0 draw. Alan Quinn came closest to scoring with a 20-yard second half strike which forced Hornets keeper Scott Roach into a fine save, but the Blues missed a succession of good opportunities.

Boss Jim Magilton made two changes with the injured Luciano Civelli being replaced by Alan Quinn and Pablo Couñago coming in for Kevin Lisbie up front. New loanee Giovani Dos Santos started on the right of midfield with David Norris on the left.

Watford's Chelsea loanee Jack Cork, sent off against Town for Scunthorpe along with Pablo Couñago almost exactly a year ago to the day, struck the game's first shot, the ball deflecting wide off Iván Campo.

On five, Campo curled a freekick wide from the edge of the box as neither side started the game particularly convincingly.

Watford's Don Cowie was teed up on the edge of the Town area by Tommy Smith in the 12th minute but David Wright got across to block.

Three minutes later, Alan Quinn played in Jon Stead, a defender getting in a toe and the ball falling for Giovani Dos Santos, who shot over from the 18-yard line. Moments later, Stead shot high and wide from a promising position on the right.

On 19 Tommy Miller headed a half-cleared corner over Watford keeper Scott Loach's bar, the keeper appearing to get a touch, but referee Colin Webster giving a goalkick. David Norris and Giovani Dos Santos switched flanks.

The Mexican international was only on the field for six more minutes with Danny Haynes replacing him due to what looked like a groin injury. Norris went back to the left with Haynes taking up his usual role on the right.

On the half hour, a Haynes cross fell to Norris on the edge of the box and his shot deflected wide. Norris was by now playing in central midfield with Quinn switching to the centre.

Pablo Couñago picked up the game's first yellow card for dissent after the referee failed to award him a foul, then Norris picked up a loose ball 20 yards out and shot wide.

Stead shot through to keeper Loach, a former Town schoolboy, in the 36th minute before an Iván Campo slip almost gifted the visitors a goal. The Spanish veteran dawdled a few yards outside the area and lost possession to Tommy Smith, who took the ball on only to see the on-rushing Richard Wright block his shot. It was a fine save from Wright and a big escape for the Blues.

In injury time, Couñago laid the ball off to Stead, whose shot very obviously deflected wide off a Watford defender only for the referee to give a goalkick.

It had been an indifferent half from both sides with the game scrappy throughout. Town had probably had more of the ball, while Watford the better of the chances, although largely due to defensive errors from the Blues.

Town were close to going in front in the third minute of the second half. Stead cleverly played Norris in on goal but keeper Roach saved. The ball was eventually returned to Stead 20 yards out, but his shot flew wide.

McAuley headed Quinn's corner wide in the 52nd minute then two minutes later Owen Garvan replaced Tommy Miller in the centre of the midfield. Town made their third substitution on 58 when Pim Balkestein came on for the injured David Wright, the Dutchman moving into the centre of the defence with Gareth McAuley taking up the right-back role he plays for Northern Ireland.

Town had a very good shout for a penalty in the 59th minute. Jon Stead's cross flew across the box and caught Gavin Hoyte on the hand in an incident not dissimilar to the one which saw Birmingham awarded a spotkick for a handball by Moritz Volz earlier in the season. On this occasion, referee Colin Webster waved away the appeals.

Wright saved Tommy Smith's 20-yard shot just after the hour mark with the visitors generally having had the better of the half but without creating too much in the way of clearcut chances.

The Blues gradually began to take a greater hold on the game and on 63 Norris was again found in a good position inside the area but again Loach was out to block from the former Plymouth man. The loose ball ran out to Garvan, but his right-foot effort bobbled wide.

Haynes shot over from 20 yards, then Cowie did much the same thing for Watford at the other end.

Pablo Couñago should have scored in the 73rd minute when found just inside the area by Stead, but the Spaniard's shot was far too weak to test Loach.

Haynes looped a header on to the roof of the net from Thatcher's cross, then Loach made the save of the game from Quinn. Couñago had received the ball inside the area with his back to goal and laid the ball off to the Irishman, who unleashed a fearsome strike which the keeper somehow got across to his right to save when a goal looked certain. From the corner, McAuley headed weakly to the keeper.

Couñago played in Stead on 78 but again Loach saved. Stead was unable to get to the rebound having been felled as he struck his original effort.

It seemed impossible that Town hadn't scored given the sheer volume of chances. Stead had another go in the 79th minute, but his 20-yard shot failed to test Loach.

Adrian Mariappa's freekick struck the Town wall in the 88th minute, then in injury time Stead made the game's final attempt to break the deadlock with an overhead kick, which wasn't caught as sweetly as last week's and Loach had little trouble gathering.

Town deserved more from the game than a point having created enough chances to win the game several times in a 20-minute spell just after the hour mark. Prior to that, they had been less than convincing against a Watford side which before today had lost 13 of their 16 away games this season.

A lack of quality in and around the box has been something which has been a problem for the Blues all season, particularly at home, and the recruitment of a more clinical striker in the summer looks to be a priority.

The draw looks to have ended Town's play-off hopes for another year unless there's an unlikely complete collapse in form from a number of other sides and the Blues finally put in a more consistent run. On the evidence of this week's two home draws, Town seem unlikely to be able to manage the latter, even if results elsewhere go very much in their favour during the season's remaining weeks.

Town: R Wright, D Wright (Balkestein 58), Thatcher, McAuley, Campo, Miller (Garvan 54), Quinn, Norris, Dos Santos (Haynes 25), Couñago, Stead. Unused: Bialkowski, Lisbie. Att: 21,434.

Photo: Action Images

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