In a week when the grotesque excesses of professional football were highlighted, following the absurd new Premier League television deal, Bolton Wanderers and Watford helped remind us why millions of people around the world love ‘the beautiful game’ as the Hornets edged a 4-3 thriller at the Macron Stadium.

With Sky Sports and BT Sport agreeing to pay a combined £5.136 billion for the rights to Premier League football between 2016 and 2019, it is easy to see why some are becoming disillusioned with what was the working man’s game. But in one 90 minutes the Trotters and the Hornets showed why so many happily spend the majority of their disposable income on it.

If you see a better game than this one this season then you are a lucky man or woman. This had drama, it had controversy and, most importantly for Watford fans, it had a happy ending.

Odion Ighalo is currently Watford’s Golden Boy and his 12th goal in eight league games midway through the first half handed his team the lead somewhat against the run of play.

But a controversial equaliser from Zach Clough was followed four minutes later by another from Adam Le Fondre to send Bolton into the break 2-1 to the good.

Almen Abdi was making his first start in more than a month and he proved his invaluable importance to the Hornets with a stunning equaliser, before setting up Joel Ekstrand for Watford’s third.

But the breathless drama continued. Another goal for the exciting prospect Clough with five minutes remaining set up a tense conclusion and it was Troy Deeney who won the game for the Hornets as the clock reached 90 minutes exactly.

The hours Watford’s fans – and local media - spent stuck in traffic due to the terrible road collisions on the M1 and M40 were soon forgotten. Memorable, incredible, unbelievable... take your pick. This was football at its enthralling best.

The intrigue started before a ball had even been kicked as the previously automatic starter Deeney was left out of the XI in favour of Matej Vydra.

Head coach Slavisa Jokanovic has shown he is not afraid to make bold decisions and he made another this afternoon. Deeney was one of three players in Tuesday’s starting line-up at Brentford who were left out at the Macron Stadium, with Daniel Tozser and Fernando Forestieri the others. Ekstrand, Abdi and Vydra were introduced as part of a 3-5-2 formation.

Watford kept the ball well during a positive opening 90 seconds but Bolton found holes in their defence throughout the first half, with Le Fondre firing an early warning shot wide from eight yards out.

The visitors were keeping possession better than their hosts initially but did not penetrate the opposition defence in the opening quarter of an hour. But like buses, when Watford’s first chance did finally arrive another followed immediately after. Abdi showed good feet to create space in the box but his shot was tame and straight at Andy Lonergan. Then when the ball was recycled by Jokanovic’s men, Vydra curled a shot towards the bottom corner from the edge of the area and the Bolton goalkeeper was equal once again.

The Trotters carried the greater threat in the final third though and also had two chances in quick succession. David Wheater was left free to head wide from a corner and then Saidy Janko sliced a powerful effort narrowly the wrong side of the near post.

It was an even contest but in Ighalo Watford have the in-form striker in the division and he opened the scoring midway through the half with his first sight at goal. He had a bit of fortune as the ball rebounded into his path as he attempted to turn Wheater but then his cool finish into the bottom corner showed the confidence of a man who now has 15 goals for the season.

At no point were the visitors allowed to feel comfortable with their advantage though as Neil Lennon’s team always posed problems. They would have equalised earlier had Ben Watson not blocked Le Fondre’s low shot on the line and Heurelho Gomes not tipped Barry Bannan’s dipping effort over the bar.

Bolton did pull level eight minutes before the break though and through controversial circumstances. The assistant initially flagged due to Le Fondre being offside but he quickly put his flag down, deeming the striker wasn’t interfering with play, and the referee, Geoff Eltringham, allowed Liam Feeney to cross and Clough to finish. The Hornets players and their head coach were furious with the officials but the coaching staff will no doubt be reiterating the need to play to the whistle in the post-match briefings.

Jokanovic will also rue the slack defending which helped Bolton take the lead four minutes later. Watford failed to block a low cross from the left and Le Fondre got in front of Angella to stab home to make it 2-1.

Watford Observer:

Half-time came at a good time for Watford as they looked flustered and they started the second period well, with Lonergan saving from Anya and Abdi’s free-kick within minutes of the restart.

Jokanovic doesn’t hang around when it comes to trying to change games and he introduced Deeney and changed the formation to 4-3-1-2 within 12 minutes of the second half. Defender Angella was sacrificed for another attacker and Vydra dropped into the hole behind the new front two.

It helped provide extra impetus and Deeney had an effort blocked almost immediately.

The downside to the alterations was the visitors became more prone to the counter-attack and Le Fondre was put through several times. Gomes parried one strike before Watson needed to make a last-ditch block with the ex-Reading front-man in one-on-one.

Abdi’s influence grew as the half continued and Lonergan twice had to save long-range efforts from the midfielder. But it was a case of third time lucky for the Swiss maestro as he struck a 25-yard pearler into the top corner to regain parity.

One of the most entertaining matches of the season continued to provide drama and Bolton almost restored their lead immediately as Gomes saved from point-blank range from Le Fondre and then scurried back to his line to stop Clough’s follow-up.

The pace was relentless and Watford took the lead with just over a quarter of an hour remaining. Again it was Abdi who was the catalyst. It was his excellent cross from the left which was nodded in by Ekstrand for 3-2.

But there was to be not one, not two but three more twists. Watford’s defending was poor for most of the match and Anya’s failure to block the cross from the right and Tozser’s inability to cut out the delivery allowed Clough to volley in the equaliser with just five minutes remaining.

Both teams searched for the winner. Anya had a low cross cut out and Le Fondre was close to being released. But it was Watford who found the decider. Ighalo showed patience on the edge of the area to feed Deeney and he coolly found the far, bottom corner as the clock reached 90 minutes exactly.

Watford Observer:

That was it, surely? No it wasn’t.

Unbelievably there was still time for more drama. With 21 of the 22 players camped in Watford’s half deep into injury-time, the ball was pumped in the visitors’ box and Gomes parried a low shot straight to Wheater for what seemed to be the equaliser. However, unlike the first half, Watford were saved by the assistant flagging for offside.

The final whistle, when it arrived after what seemed to be an age, was met with a standing ovation from both sets of supporters. Even in defeat, the Bolton fans appreciated the contribution their players made to a fantastic afternoon’s entertainment.

What a game. What a sport.

Bolton Wanderers: Lonergan; Vela, Wheater, Dervite, Ream; Janko (Gudjohnsen 81), Danns, Bannan (Eaves 90+2), Feeney; Clough; Le Fondre.

Subs not used: Amos, Hall, Moxey, Twardzik, Slavchev.

Watford: Gomes; Cathcart, Ekstrand, Angella (Deeney 57); Paredes, Abdi, Watson (Tozser 66), Layun, Anya; Vydra (Forestieri 65), Ighalo.

Subs not used: Bond, Hoban, Pudil, Munari.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham.

Attendance: 14,230 (758 away fans).