Watford were unable to secure a third successive Championship win at the start of this year and dropped points in their hopes of closing the gap on the two top as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Rotherham United at Vicarage Road.

The Hornets went close to taking an early lead when Mario Gaspar hit the post with the first of several attempts in the game, but it was the visitors who struck first when Shane Ferguson capitalised after Daniel Bachmann could only push a deflected Tarique Fosu shot back into the area.

Vakoun Bayo also went close in the opening period, but the home side’s play lacked tempo in the first 45 minutes and their passing was also below par at times.

Matheus Martins went close to levelling soon after the restart when he hit the angle of post and bar, but it was another full debutant who was to provide the equaliser when Joao Ferreira intercepted on halfway, drove forward into space and fired into the far corner.

Apart from one big scare when Fosu was thwarted by Bachmann, the Hornets came closest to securing the win but they couldn’t find the quality or lacked the composure to capitalise on another of the opportunities they created.

Slaven Bilic made two changes from the team that beat Blackpool last weekend and reverted to a back four. Having come off the bench at half-time against the Seasiders, Ferreira and Martins made their full debuts in place of the injured Jeremy Ngakia and William Troost-Ekong, who dropped to the bench.

Hassane Kamara was also among the replacements following his four-game ban alongside the fit again Leandro Bacuna, last weekend’s league debut scoring hero Tobi Adeyemo and fellow Academy striker Michael Adu-Poku.

Rotherham ended a run of six league games without a win with a thumping 4-0 triumph over Blackburn Rovers last weekend and boss Matt Taylor made just the one change, with new loan signing Fosu replacing Conor Washington, who was left out of the squad as his partner is expecting their second child.

The Hornets looked to get on the front foot from the opening whistle, with Martins seeing plenty of the ball in the opening minutes in his position on the right of the attacking midfield trio looking to support and supply Vakoun Bayo.

But it was unlikely source who almost made the breakthrough in the ninth minute when Gaspar made a dart into the 18-yard box to spin and volley Ismaila Sarr’s clipped pass in behind off the outside of Viktor Johansson’s right-hand post.

Following a lengthy stoppage in play for treatment to a head injury for Sean Morrison, the Millers had their first opportunity when Daniel Barlaser struck a right-footed drive from outside the area which Bachmann had to dive to his left to keep out after the visitors had kept the ball alive from a free-kick.

Bachmann struggled under pressure to deal with the resulting corner from the right and Lee Peltier saw his follow-up header hit the bar, but referee David Webb deemed the Hornets keeper had been fouled.

It was a good spell for the Millers though, and they were to make it count in the 20th minute.

This time Fosu cut inside the area from the left and hit a right-footed shot which was deflected and Bachmann again dived to his right to push it away, but this time the ball sat up nicely for Ferguson to fire home on the angle and put the visitors in front.

Watford responded by winning their first two corners of the contest, but they weren’t far away from getting back on terms in the 26th minute when Martins delivered a free-kick and Bayo tried an ambitious volley from the edge of the 18-yard box that clipped the top of the bar as it went over.

A better opportunity came and went soon after when Martins released Ferreira on the overlap, he played in a good cross which Sarr volleyed wide having got across goal to attack the near post.

Rotherham were a threat from set pieces though, and in the 30th minute another corner from the right was punched away not totally convincingly by Bachmann and the ball again dropped for Barlaser on the edge of the area, but this time he lashed his shot high and wide.

Leo Hjelde received the game’s first yellow card soon after for time wasting at a throw, but Watford were handed a great set-piece opportunity in the 37th minute when Martins was fouled in the D. Ismael Kone could only hit his free-kick into the wall though, and the hosts then might have been in trouble on the counter had Gaspar not flung himself into a challenge on Oliver Rathbone for which he was booked.

Five minutes of injury time afforded Watford some more hope of trying to get back on terms before the interval, but the game was starting to develop a niggly edge as Kone and then Sarr went down under challenges in the area – the penalty appeals coming more from the stands rather than the players – but the referee was unmoved on each occasion.

And tempers did boil over at the end of injury time when Fosu went down with nobody near him, Bachmann took exception and tried to haul the Rotherham winger back to his feet, the Hornets keeper was pushed over by Ferguson and Bachmann responded by leaning in with his head. Webb decided a yellow card was sufficient as he left the pitch to a chorus of boos at the interval.

Bilic opted to make one change at the interval, bringing on Kamara for James Morris and the substitute’s first contribution was to win a corner inside 20 seconds after being released by Sarr.

Kamara’s next meaningful involvement was to play a good pass inside the full-back that set Bayo away on the left, he squared the ball across the area, Gaspar dummied it and it fell for Martins who took a touch before hitting a rising right-footed drive which cannoned off the angle of post and bar.

But Watford were to get back on terms in the 53rd minute with a memorable moment for their young Portuguese right-back.

Ferreira intercepted the ball on halfway, drove forward with purpose into the space in front of him and as the Millers continued to back off he struck a fine low drive past Johansson from 20 yards to score on his full debut and make it 1-1.

Rotherham responded strongly to being pegged back though, with Chiedozie Ogbene testing Bachmann with an angled effort from the right side of the penalty area.

The Hornets had the next opportunity when Johansson could only punch a Martins corner from the left out to Gaspar on the edge of the area, the Spaniard taking aim with a right-footed drive which the keeper did well to push behind his near post.

Both sides made a change in the 64th minute, Cohen Bramall replacing Ferguson before Yaser Asprilla entered the fray in place of Kone.

Rathbone hit a 20-yard effort over the top after Bayo had headed a corner clear at the near post, before Bilic gave Adeyemo another chance to impress in place of Bayo with 17 minutes of normal time remaining.

Watford survived a big let off two minutes later though, when Asprilla was dispossessed and Francisco Sierralta dived in, enabling Ogbene to release Bramall on the right side of the area, he squared the ball and Ferreira slipped, leaving Fosu wide open but a combination of a weak finish and Bachmann being alive to the danger enabled the keeper to gather.

Having escaped at one end, the Hornets had an opening at the other moments later when the ball broke invitingly for Gaspar in the area, but he fired high and wide of the target.

The Spaniard had another opportunity soon after, and again fired over the top, this time after Kamara had managed to dig out a cross from the left.

Having brought on one young striker, Bilic turned to another in the 79th minute when Adu-Poku came on for his league debut in place of Martins.

Johansson had to react smartly to avoid being caught out by a Kamara cross into his near post as the hosts continued to press in search of a winner, which they almost found with five minutes of normal time remaining.

A long ball forward by Sierralta was glanced through into the path of Sarr who got goal-side of his man but was unable to beat Johansson on the angle from close range, the ball rebounding invitingly for Asprilla but it fell on his right foot and he was unable to seriously test the keeper.

Another half-chance came and went when Ferreira saw a shot blocked after Sierralta had challenged at a corner as the game ticked into four minutes of injury time.

Watford tried to build up a late head of steam but Sierralta didn’t help his side’s cause when he needlessly barged Ogbene over and was booked.

Lee Peltier was saw yellow for time wasting as the Hornets were made to settle for a point.

Watford: Bachmann; Ferreira, Sierralta, Cathcart, Morris (Kamara 46); Gaspar, Choudhury; Sarr, Kone (Asprilla 64), Martins (Adu-Poku 79); Bayo (Adeyemo 73). Subs not used: Okoye, Troost-Ekong, Bacuna.

Rotherham United: Johansson; Peltier, Morrison, Humphreys, Hjelde; Odoffin, Barlaser, Rathbone; Ferguson (Bramall 64), Ogbene, Fosu. Subs not used: Hemfrey, Harding, Wood, Lindsay, Hall, Kioso.

Bookings: Hjelde for time wasting (30); Gaspar for a foul on Rathbone (39); Ferguson for retaliation (45); Bachmann for retaliation (45); Sierralta for a foul on Ogbene (90); Peltier for time wasting (90).

Referee: David Webb.