Heurelho Gomes has praised Troy Deeney's positive attitude after being dropped before scoring his 100th goal for Watford.

Deeney was left out of the side for today's game against Crystal Palace but Gomes insists the captain remained right behind his team-mates before getting his chance from off the bench.

Gomes said: “For a striker if you don’t score goals you’re going to be criticised. But Troy always tried to help us and was always there to fight. Sometimes in football you’re not in the best moment and he understood that as well and was never negative.

"As soon as he realised he wasn’t going to play he never was negative in the dressing room. He always tried to push us and encourage the group.

"Of course when you [don't] score a goal, for a striker, it’s something that was on his shoulders for a long time. He was trying and pushing hard but as with the whole team sometimes it didn’t work."

The goalkeeper added: “It was great. I’m pleased for him. It is a good moment in Watford’s history and he’s our captain. He always shows his passion for the club and it’s a good mark for him."

Watford Observer:

Although Deeney rescued a point with his spot-kick, Gomes provided the crucial turning point after saving Christian Benteke's tame first-half penalty with the Hornets 1-0 down.

The shot stopper described Watford's performance as their worst of the campaign but was encouraged by the way the side kept fighting to salvage a point.

Gomes said: “Sometimes we make things very difficult for us. There is no excuse but the game was strange for us with two injuries at the beginning and that didn’t help.

"The two boys that came on helped us to push all the way through but sometimes we made it difficult for ourselves. I believe this is the worst game we played in the season."

He continued: “At the beginning of the game we could see that we were not good on the pitch. We were losing the ball and giving it away so easily. When we started to do that the team [Palace] realised they can come and do some damage.

"But I believe through the game we started to get into the match. They [Palace] didn’t do so much to get the result and I believe at the end the way we played and came back into the game we never lost the spirit of fighting.

"We didn’t play our best game but at the end of the day it’s a good point."