Debate over who Watford should sign and in which positions rages on, but until they learn how to keep a clean sheet they are going to find it hard to push on from where they are.

It’s now 11 games since the Hornets kept an opponent out, and the manner in which they conceded today particularly poor as once again two mistakes combined to let City in.

Having been rightly given a penalty – the first of the season – that Tom Dele-Bashiru dispatched with aplomb, the Hornets then shot themselves in the foot too soon after to be able to establish any dominance.

First Ryan Porteous smashed a clearance straight at Conway who was able to go through one-on-one with Hamer. The keeper pulled off a fine block and the ball span up in the air.

Jake Livermore looked favourite to get it but appeared to try and shield the ball, didn’t get off the ground and Twine jumped up and over him to head home.

After that, it was a tight affair that neither side really did enough to deserve to win.

Watford had their moments, particularly down the flanks. Giorgi Chakvetadze was a constant threat with his pace and directness, and in the second half Ryan Andrews looked able to get in behind whenever he felt like it.

However, all too often promising positions came to nothing as passes were over hit, crosses went to nobody and decisions on when to pass and when to shoot were the wrong ones - a “lack of maturity” in some of the young players said Valerien Ismael afterwards.

Nonetheless, it was a solid point and extended the unbeaten away run to six games – an afternoon when there were still positives even if the negatives were glaringly obvious.

There were three changes to the team that started at QPR, and the most obvious was Mileta Rajovic starting up front in place of Rhys Healey, who joined Huddersfield in the week.

Meanwhile, Ismael Kone and Ryan Porteous came into the team at the expense of Matheus Martins and Francisco Sierralta.

Jamal Lewis was also on the bench having returned to the squad after injury.

The Hornets made a bright and positive start, and only two minutes in Kone broke from inside his own half and then released Girog Chakvetadze on the left. His cross was deflected into the path of Dele-Bashiru whose shot was blocked.

Wes Hoedt then tried an even longer range effort than at Hull when he saw O’Leary off his line but the keeper tracked back to collect it as the ball drifted wide.

In the 12th minute Watford went ahead. James Morris sent a free-kick into the box from the left, a crowd of players went up and referee Mr Kitchen immediately pointed to the spot for handball as an outstretched City arm deflected the ball.

Dele-Bashiru stepped and sent a confidently struck powerful spot kick past O’Leary.

The home side responded well and after a let-off when Twine dragged a shot wide after Morris had given the ball away, the City midfielder atoned with the equaliser in the 24th minute.

Conway burst into the left of the box after charging down Porteous's clearance, but was denied by a fine sprawling save from Ben Hamer. The ball span up and Twine managed to get over Livermore and headed into the net.

The two sides then traded blows in a spell where neither could get the upper hand, before Watford squandered a great chance in the 41st minute.

Mileta Rajovic's header released Chakvetadze down the left, he squared to Asprilla who was free in the middle but the Colombian tried to take a touch and O'Leary got out to block.

On the stroke of half-time a superb long ball forward from Hoedt released Asprilla on the right of the box but as he tried to take his shot on under pressure he screwed it wide.

The second half, while industrious, was low on chances and incident.

City threatened early on when McCrorie had a free header from a deep Twine corner but sent it well over the top.

Morris then crossed from the left, the ball was deflected to Chakvetadze, but his shot was deflected wide.

As openings were lessening Ryan Andrews left fly from 30 yards but his well-struck effort was held by O’Leary, before Hamer made a routine save to hold a Dickie header from a corner.

However, there was nothing routine about the stop the Watford keeper made four minutes from time as he reacted incredibly to get a hand on a Dickie header that seemed destined to fly in, and did enough to push the ball away.

Watford: Hamer; Andrews, Porteous, Hoedt, Morris (Lewis 61); Livermore, Dele-Bahiru, Kone; Asprilla (Martins ht), Rajovic (Bayo 61), Chakvetadze (Ince 88). Subs: Bachmann, Sierralta, Pollock, Hurtado, Grieves