City’s starting eleven was unchanged from the one that ran out at Villa Park, but on the bench Swedish World Cup goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson made his first appearance since overcoming the ankle injury that had hampered him since his arrival from Rennes in the summer.
Weather-wise, it was a filthy, wet night at the City of Manchester Stadium.
The Match
Watford made nothing from an early corner, and when Richard Dunne bundled the ball home at City’s first corner he knew that referee Clattenburg had already blown for an infringement by Richards.
Damien Francis forced Nick Weaver to make a superb save on eight minutes, his header was looking to be diving just under City’s bar when Weaver palmed it away.
Francis was at the centre of the game’s first controversial moment, picking up a booking for elbowing Joey Barton after 10 minutes.
Richard Lee made a fine save from Micah Richards barely a minute later, diving low to his left to touch the teenager’s fierce shot around his post. From the resulting corner, the Watford keeper saved his side again, pushing Samaras’ header away from just inches in front of the goal line.
His opposite number made another excellent stop after quarter of an hour, Weaver’s outstretched left leg deflecting away Bouazza’s header from a corner.
Joey Barton went to ground heavily under a challenge from Mahon after half an hour where the Watford man clearly led with his elbow into the back of Barton’s neck, but to widespread astonishment the referee did not show the yellow card.
A scrappy passage of play ended with Richards’s looping header from a Thatcher cross being turned over by Lee when once again the ball seemed to dipping under the bar at the last minute.
Vassell picked up City’s first booking as 45 minutes were showing for fouling Young, but there was still time for Shittu to head the ball onto City’s bar from a corner deep into stoppage time.
Half time City 0-0 Watford
Among the half time entertainment came a marriage proposal out on the pitch! For the record, Colin asked Jill for her hand in marriage and she delighted Colin (and the crowd) by saying yes!
Micah Richards was in the wars early in the second half, colliding with Lee as he went up at a free kick, but after treatment he was thankfully back on his feet again.
Vassell had half a chance from a deflected Barton cross on 53, and a minute later Reyna stabbed a shot towards goal, but despite the ball taking a deflection referee Clattenburg indicated for a goal kick and not a corner.
Ishmael Miller came on for Georgios Samaras with 26 minutes left, and less than 60 seconds later Mahon was booked for clattering into Reyna at a high ball on the edge of the area.
And from the resulting free kick Lee again came to Watford’s rescue. First of all he parried Barton’s fierce strike, and then picked himself up to push away Corradi’s close range effort from a tight angle.
Miller livened the crowd up with an electrifying run down the left flank with a quarter of an hour left, but as he neared the Watford box he was tackled by Chambers, who had the time to collect himself and clear the danger.
Vassell’s persistence on the left saw Barton earn a shooting chance with 12 minutes to go, but his shot lacked power and Lee collected it easily. Hamann replaced Reyna shortly afterwards.
Richards had an effort deflected over by Shittu on 86, and from the corner Corradi’s bouncing shot was pushed over by Lee. The Italian striker went to ground in the area under challenge from Demerit seconds later, but to the City fans’ consternation referee Clattenburg ignored the shouts for a penalty.
Four minutes of injury time were indicated, and in the third minute Vassell’s shot on the turn hit Shittu in the chest, with the giant defender’s hands near to the ball but once again the referee gave nothing.
That was the last meaningful action of the game, with the home side kept at bay by a team whose physical approach frustrated City, leaving them the happier of the two sides leaving with a point each.
