The spirit and togetherness which Marco Silva has instilled in Watford was evident in the bucket loads as his fighters snatched a dramatic equaliser deep into injury time for a deserved 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion.

Having found themselves 2-0 midway through the first half, Richarlison’s header was no more than the Hornets deserved from a game in which they bossed possession. Ultimately though, it looked their inability to find the quality necessary to break down the Baggies’ organised ranks would cost them until the fifth minute of stoppage time when the Brazilian headed home a Jose Holebas free-kick to score late on for the second week running.

The Hornets had started promisingly but found themselves firmly up against it by the 21st minute after the Baggies had scored twice in the space of three minutes.

Both goals were poor defensively; Christian Kabasele and Heurelho Gomes at fault for the first following a long ball down field which Salomon Rondon capitalised on and before the Hornets could clear their heads they were undone by a Baggies corner which Jonny Evans converted.

Marco Silva’s men had already offered enough to suggest they could find a way back into the game if the requisite quality could be found and after Andre Carrillo had spurned a golden chance, the Hornets did gain a foothold when Abdoulaye Doucuoure smartly finished after good work by Richarlison.

The visitors kept plugging away but it looked increasingly like their unbeaten away record would come to an end until the incredible finale for the visitors.

Silva made just the one change from the team that made it three successive away wins at Swansea City but it was a significant one as Troy Deeney came into the starting line-up for his first Premier League start of the campaign and Andre Gray dropped to the bench. Miguel Britos, available again after his three-match ban, was also among the substitutes, as was Will Hughes.

The Baggies came into the game without a win in their last four Premier League outings and Tony Pulis made three changes and looked to have shelved three at the back in favour of also going with a 4-2-3-1 shape like their opponents.

The changes saw Chris Brunt, Matt Phillips and Rondon come in at the expense of former Hornet Allan Nyom, Jake Livermore and Hal Robson-Kanu, who all dropped to the bench.

Watford started confidently, keeping the ball well and being patient as they moved play around, seeking to open up their opponents.

Their first opportunity to put the Baggies under real pressure came from the first corner of the afternoon in the eighth minute, but Tom Cleverley opted to play it short to Jose Holebas and the chance was to be wasted.

As it transpired, the hosts were playing more of a 4-4-2, but as early as the 12th minute Watford had switched their wide men, with Richarlison moving to the right and Carrillo the opposite side of the pitch.

The visitors were controlling the game but were careless in the 16th minute, giving the ball away and Albion the opportunity to counter. Phillips the chance to twice cross from the right; the second coming after Kabasele had fluffed his attempted clearance, but from the second delivery Adrian Mariappa was able to head away.

But the Hornets were not to get away with it two minutes later when they fell behind in defensively poor fashion.

Their undoing was a long ball over the top which Rondon anticipated and was quickly onto as he ran into the left side of the area; Kabasele got back to him but was then brushed off as the striker accelerated again and squeezed a shot inside the near post to make it 1-0 after Gomes had gone to ground.

The Baggies smelt blood and were powering forward again soon after, this time Rondon laid the ball off to Kieran Gibbs, whose dangerous low cross from the left was turned behind at the near post by Kabasele.

But the Hornets were to inadvertently contribute to their own downfall from the set piece from the right, Doucuoure flicking it on and putting it on a plate for Evans to nod into the net from close range to double the hosts’ advantage after 21 minutes.

Following a break in play for treatment to a head injury to Etienne Capoue, the Baggies threatened to get in again with rather too much ease when Jay Rodriguez was able to get in between the Hornets’ centre-halves, but this time his attempted finish was off target.

The Hornets were rattled and they were fortunate to escape unscathed from another set piece as Gomes, who fingers could justifiably by pointed at for his part in the two goals, failed to get to Brunt’s whipped in coner from the right, but on this occasion Evans headed over the top.

The visitors may have been 2-0 down but as has already been evidenced they have a resolve in them this season and they spurned a great chance to get back into it when Deeney, who had been largely isolated for most of the first half, was able to link the attacking play for possibly the first time; the captain playing in Richarlison on the left side of the area and he looked to have laid a goal on a plate for Carrillo. But in fairness, the ball did come to the Peruvian at speed and he was unable to keep his diving header beneath the bar.

With their next opportunity in the 37th minute though, Silva’s men were back into it after Mariappa’s header out of defence was headed on by Deeney, Richarlison showed good strength to turn his man and get a yard away before passing to Doucoure, who kept his composure to beat Ben Foster with a low left-footed finish into the far corner.

The Hornets’ tails were up and the chances continued to come; Richarilson heading over a deep Carrillo cross from the right before the Brazilian chose to go it alone soon after, curling a low right –footed shot wide of Foster’s far post from the edge of the area.

Both sides started the second half positively, but the Hornets continued to look susceptible to the turnover ball when losing possession.

However, it was the visitors who were almost back on terms in the 53rd minute when a Cleverley cross from the left side of the area was headed out to Capoue, who hit a left-footed shot from the edge of the area which replays suggested may have beaten an unsighted Foster had a deflection not taken it narrowly wide of the near post.

Pulis was the first manager to make a move from the bench, bringing on James McClean for Phillips in the 57th minute, and four minutes later Brunt made way for Livermore. At the same time though, Silva opted to unleash Roberto Pereyra in place for Capoue, meaning Cleverley dropped back alongside Doucoure.

The Hornets were continuing to largely boss possession but were finding chances hard to come by against the Baggies’ organised defensive ranks. But one did come in the 71st minute when, having looked in danger of being caught three-on-three, Doucoure read the play to make a smart interception before lifting a cross to the back post where Richarlison headed wide of Foster’s near post.

The substitutions continued with Robson-Kanu replacing Rondon before Gray came on for Carrillo. In between times though, Gomes had rather unconvincingly fumbled a shot behind. This was the cue for the hosts to have arguably their best attacking spell of the second half, but their opponents held firm.

The pattern of the game soon returned though, with the visitors having the bulk of the possession, but it was increasingly looking like it would not be Watford’s day.

With the visitors piling bodies forward in search of the equaliser, the chances of being caught on the counter increased. And that almost happened in the third minute of injury time when the ball was played into McClean on the edge of the area, but as the Albion substitute pulled the trigger Holebas flung himself in front of the ball to block.

The importance of the block was emphasised soon after when McClean became the third Albion player to be booked in the closing stages for a poor challenge on Richarlison.

With nothing to lose, Gomes made his way upfield as Holebas prepared to take the free-kick from left of centre and the former Greek international’s delivery was to be spot on, picking out Richarlison as he found space to head down and wide of the static Foster to prompt bedlam in the away end.

West Bromwich Albion: Foster; Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs; Phillips (McClean 57), Krychowiak, Barry, Brunt (Livermore 61); Rodriguez, Rondon (Robson-Kanu 73). Not used: Myhill, Nyom, Morrison, Chadli.

Watford: Gomes; Fermenia, Mariappa, Kabasele, Holebas; Capoue (Pereyra 71), Doucoure; Carrillo (Gray 75), Cleverley, Richarlison; Deeney. Not used: Karnezis, Janmaat, Britos, Hughes, Watson.

Bookings: Livermore for a foul on Gray (86); Evans for a foul on Pereyra (87); McClean for a foul on Richarlison (90).

Attendance: 24,606 (2,715 away fans).

Referee: Michael Oliver.