Watford have moved another point closer to that 40-mark but frustration was the over-riding emotion at Vicarage Road this afternoon after they were held to a goalless stalemate by Bournemouth.

There was no shortage of energy but the game was short on quality for the most part and the Hornets struggled as an attacking force for most of the first half after two early chances for Odion Ighalo.

It took a superb save from Heurelho Gomes to prevent Harry Arter from firing the visitors into the lead from distance, before Ighalo missed a golden chance when he put a clear header over following good work by Nordin Amrabat.

Gomes was later called upon to make two more good stops to thwart Max Gradel, while their opponents also had their moments going forward without being able to unlock the Cherries defence.

Quique Sanchez Flores made four changes from the side that reached the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United last week.

There was absolutely no surprise that Gomes and Ighalo returned, but Jose Holebas had reason to feel unfortunate to drop down to the bench as Nathan Ake was restored to the starting XI, while Valon Behrami got the nod over Mario Suarez in midfield.

While the Hornets made four alterations, there were only four of the same starters from the Bournemouth line-up that saw their cup hopes ended by Everton a week ago. The Cherries last league game was a 3-1 home defeat by Stoke City and Eddie Howe made two changes from that team, with Josh King and Matt Ritchie coming in.

Both sides make a quick start but it was the Hornets who had the first chance inside 80 seconds when Ighalo dummied the ball to Etienne Capoue and he set the Nigerian striker galloping away down the right. Watford’s top scorer beat Steve Cook as he closed in on the penalty area before forcing Artur Brouc to push behind his rising drive at the near post.

Ben Watson’s resultant set piece was into a good area but nobody in a yellow shirt was able to get on the end of a glancing flick from Troy Deeney, who was making his 250th appearance in all competitions for Watford.

Ighalo had an even better chance to make the breakthrough in the ninth minute when Juan Carlos Paredes sent over a good cross from the right and the Hornets’ striker hit a right-footed shot on the turn which went not too far wide of Boruc’s left-hand post.

Bournemouth had their first half-chance of the afternoon three minutes later when a ball in from the right wasn’t properly cleared and Arter met it with a shot on the run which he dragged wide.

Back came the Hornets though, with Gomes starting a counter-attack which went through Paredes and Ake before Deeney worked a give-and-go with Capoue and Amrabat saw a right-footed effort from 18 yards deflected behind.

The visitors suffered a blow in the 21st minute when Junior Stanislas pulled up with a hamstring but this enabled Max Gradel to make his first appearance in six months following a long-term injury.

Bournemouth should have had an opportunity approaching the half hour when King dispossessed Watson to leave his side two-on-two but as he slid in Benik Afobe, the Cherries front man had allowed himself to stray offside.

Aside from those two early chances, it had not been the best opening 35 minutes from the home side as they struggled to retain possession for any length of time and hence were finding it difficult to build any attacking pressure.

The Hornets were also getting frustrated at some of referee Anthony Taylor’s decision, so much so that the normally cool Flores had to be spoken to by the fourth official five minutes before the break following some animated arm-waving on the sidelines.

This was followed by a worrying moment when Ake went flying over the advertising hoarding in front of the Graham Taylor Stand, but after being checked on Harry the Hornet the left-back reappeared unscathed and made his way back onto the pitch at the end of what had been a largely disappointing opening period.

There was little change to the theme of the game in the early minutes of the second half with both sides making mistakes, but Bournemouth had the first opening in the 52nd minute when Ritchie was able to send over a cross from tight to the touchline and King volleyed over.

A better opening materialised when Gradel combined with Andrew Surman to open up the Hornets defence bit Miguel Britos got in an important challenge just as the substitute pulled the trigger and fired over.

Flores decided to make his first change in the 57th minute, bringing on Suarez for Capoue, who had not had one of his better games, although the same could be said for a number of his teammates.

Gomes had not been extended a great deal in the match but that all changed on the hour when he made a fabulous full-length save to his left to keep out a 25-yard drive from Arter, which was swerving away from the keeper as the ball headed towards goal.

Soon after, Watson curled a ball into the Cherries box which Deeney nodded on but it was just too far ahead of Ighalo as Boruc came to claim.

But the Bournemouth keeper should have at least been tested in the 68th minute when Amrabat was able to get clear on the right and dig out a cross which gave Ighalo a totally free header, but he put it over from about eight yards.

Another good chance came and went soon after when Deeney was fouled near the edge of the 18-yard box in a central position by Adam Smith. It initially looked like Suarez might go for the curler, but Watson instead rolled it short to the captain, who went for power but his effort lacked the necessary direction.

Ritchie and Ake fired efforts over at either end before Dan Gosling replaced Afobe with 16 minutes remaining.

By now though, most of the pressure was coming from the Hornets with Britos sending a side-footed half-volley on the turn not too far wide of the far post from a Watson free-kick.

The central midfielder then had another set piece and he opted to take it quickly on this occasion to find Ighalo in space on the left side of the area. The striker opted to check back inside to open it up on his right foot, only to slash his effort wildly wide.

Suarez picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Gradel, but it was the Cherries substitute who was to go close next when his downward header was kept out by Gomes with ten just over ten minutes to go following a King cross from the right.

Having finally decided to get his cards out, the referee then showed two more in quick succession as Behrami was booked for a foul on Ritchie before Surman received the same punishment for a challenge on Almen Abdi, who had replaced Amrabat.

The card count continued to rise with Craig Cathcart the next to be punished for a foul on Gradel, but the first-half replacement then almost clinched the three points with a lob which Gomes just managed to get his fingertips to and help the ball onto the roof of his net.

But neither side was able to carve out another opportunity as both sides were made to settle for a point.

Watford: Gomes; Paredes, Cathcart, Britos, Ake; Capoue (Suarez 57), Watson, Behrami; Amrabat (Abdi 82), Deeney; Ighalo. Not used: Pantilimon, Nyom, Prodl, Anya, Holebas.

Bournemouth: Boruc; Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels; Surman, Arter; Ritchie (Murray 85), King, Stanislas (Gradel 23), Afobe (Gosling 74). Not used: Federici, Elphick, Iturbe, Distin.

Bookings: Suarez for a foul on Gradel (77); Behrami for a foul on Ritchie (82); Surman for a foul on Abdi (84); Cathcart for a foul on Gradel (87).

Attendance: 20,835 (2,111 away fans).

Referee: Anthony Taylor.