Jose Holebas scores as Watford draw against Everton at Vicarage Road

Although the visitors had more chances, the Hornets were much more like themselves than in recent league games, playing with a greater energy and intensity throughout the 90 minutes.

Heurelho Gomes made a number of good saves, including at the death to keep out a Kevin Mirallas free-kick before Romelu Lukalu clipped the bar from the follow-up.

But Watford then almost won it when Ben Watson’s shot was heading for the far corner after it had been deflected before Joel Robles dived to his left to keep it out.

The first half had looked like it would end goalless after Jose Manuel Jurado had gone closest to giving the Hornets the lead with a fine shot that needed a good save from Joel Robles to keep it out.

Etienne Capoue and Jose Holebas were also not far away from scoring in the closing stages of the opening period before a bad mistake from Miguel Britos gifted James McCarthy a chance which he duly tucked away.

Within two minutes of taking the lead though, Everton were to be pegged back before the interval as Holebas squeezed in a far post header via a deflection of Seamus Coleman following a corner to make it all-square at the break.

It was no surprise that Quique Sanchez Flores opted to make changes following the disappointing display in the 4-0 Arsenal, with the majority of the five alterations coming in defence.

The Hornets head coach opted to bring in attack-minded full-backs in Juan Carlos Paredes and Holebas, while Britos was restored to the heart of the defence. Valon Behrami also returned to provide some extra energy in the engine room after illness kept him out of the trip to the Emirates Stadium and Jurado was back in an attacking midfield role.

Allan Nyom, Sebastian Prodl, Mario Suarez and Almen Abdi dropped to the bench, but there was no place for Nathan Ake.

Like their opponents, Everton have also struggled in the league of late, but Roberto Martinez made just the one change with Gareth Barry returning after suspension to replace former Watford Player of the Season Tom Cleverley.

The Hornets opened up with a 4-4-2 formation, were pressing from the front from the outset and playing with a greater intensity than has been the case in recent league games.

Neither side was able to create a chance in the opening ten minutes, although Holebas had to move sharply to prevent Gerard Deulofeu from getting on the end of a low Ross Barkley delivery from the right.

Referee Kevin Friend was busy with his whistle in the opening minutes and in the 12th minute he showed his first yellow card of the afternoon, booking Capoue for a foul on Barkley.

The Hornets went into the game with only one goal in their previous five Premier League outings but they almost made the breakthrough in stunning fashion in the 17th minute.

After Paredes had intercepted a pass, he advanced before feeding Behrami. Play slowed up momentarily as the Swiss international knocked the ball inside to Jurado, but the Spaniard cleverly turned away from his man on his left foot before hitting a fine shot from 25 yards that needed an equally good save from Joel to turn it away for a corner.

Gomes was extended for the first time a couple of minutes later, clawing away a Deulofeu shot from the left side of the penalty area following a swift move from the visitors.

Lukaku fired high and wide from distance as both sides continued to be positive when opportunities presented themselves, although the Hornets were not helping themselves at times with slow transition play through midfield.

The next chance came the home side’s way in the 28th minute when Odion Ighalo, who was looking much more like his normal self, fed Behrami on the right. His cross was partially headed away to Jurado at the back post and the Spaniard laid the ball back to Ben Watson, but his low strike from the edge of the 18-yard box was comfortable for Joel.

Gomes plucked an attempted curler from Barkley out of the air after the ball had fallen for him just inside the 18-yard box after Barry had gone to ground trying to get on the end of a Leighton Baines through ball.

McCarthy could have few complaints about the booking he received in the 43rd minute for a challenge on Troy Deeney, but just before the interval Watford almost took the lead on two occasions.

After McCarthy had been penalised for handball 25 yards out, Jurado’s free-kick struck the wall, but the rebound sat up for Capoue, who hit a right-footed half-volley from the edge of the area that was deflected wide. Then from Watson’s resultant corner, Holebas flashed a header wide.

But instead of going in front, the Hornets found themselves behind when Britos tried to bring a ball down on the edge of his own area but lost control under pressure from McCarthy, leaving the Toffees midfielder to slide the ball past the stranded Gomes to make it 1-0.

But no sooner had Everton taken the lead, they found themselves pegged back in first-half stoppage-time after John Stones forced Robles into conceding a needless corner. Watson took it deep to the back post where Holebas’ header was turned in by the head of Coleman for what may in time go down as an own goal once the Premier League panel has looked at it.

Although his side were level at the interval, Britos opted to make a change at the start of the second half as Behrami was replaced by Adlene Guedioura, who is arguably more naturally suited to playing the right side of midfield role.

There was little change in the pattern of the game after the restart and Everton went close to regaining the lead in the 54th minute when Gomes got down well to keep out a shot from Aaron Lennon and then reacted superbly to stick out a glove and prevent Lukaku from converting the rebound.

Watford then had an opportunity to test Joel when they were awarded a free-kick 25 yards, but Holebas’ attempted piledriver had the string taken out of it by the wall and it bounced through to the keeper to hold comfortably.

Flores made his second change just before the hour mark when Nordin Amrabat came on for Jurado after the Hornets had almost carved out an opening following an incredible run from Guedioura from which he, bizarrely, benefited as a result of miscontrolling the ball.

Martinez made his first change in the 65th minute as Cleverley replaced Barkley and at a time when Watford were asking marginally more of the attacking questions.

It was then the visitors’ time to have a decent spell going forward, which culminated in Lennon forcing Gomes into a finger-tip save to push behind his low shot from the edge of the box.

Mirallas replaced Deulofeu with 12 minutes of normal time remaining as the game continued to be finely poised and then Capoue made way for Suarez.

But with three minutes left, the visitors almost won it after Watson fouled Mirallas around 20 yards out to the right of centre. The Belgian took the free-kick himself, going across the goal right footed and forcing Gomes to parry it away, but he couldn’t get it to safety and Lukaku had a great chance to score but sent the rebound rising against the crossbar from close range.

After Ramiro Funes Mori had replaced Phil Jagielka, it was then Joel’s turn to excel, flinging himself to his right to turn away a well-struck drive from Watson that was deflected off a teammate en route to goal.

Ighalo then had a chance to clinch it at the death when he was found by Suarez, but his shot from the edge of the area lacked power and Joel made the save as both sides were forced to settle for a point.

Watford: Gomes; Paredes, Britos, Cathcart, Holebas; Behrami (Guedioura 46), Capoue (Suarez 82), Watson, Jurado (Amrabat 59); Deeney, Ighalo. Not used: Pantilimon, Nyom, Prodl, Abdi.

Everton: Joel; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka (Funes Mori 90), Baines; Barry, McCarthy; Lennon, Barkley (Cleverley 65), Deulofeu (Mirallas 78); Lukaku. Not used: Howard, Oviedo, Kone, Niasse.

Bookings: Capoue (12); McCarthy (43); Ighalo (90).

Attendance: 20,663.

Referee: Kevin Friend.