After games, despite what has just happened on the pitch, managers and coaches are obliged to speak to the press.

Similarly, players are expected to face the media even if events have gone against them.

However, once the match officials have scuttled off down the tunnel they don’t have to explain anything to the media – and indirectly to the fans – so they can enjoy some post-match beverages without having to field a single question.

And that is a very good for referee Josh Smith and his assistants, as they could have been in the press room until Sunday morning trying to explain the final two minutes of the 3-2 defeat Watford suffered at Southampton.

And that’s before considering they were two minutes that shouldn’t have happened, given his fourth official had signalled seven minutes of stoppage time and Saints scored the winner in the  99th minute.

Of course, whatever number of minutes is signalled is always a minimum, but there were no injuries, no substitutions, no stoppages in those seven minutes. So where the did further two materialise from?

When the clock ticked past 97, Saints were awarded a free kick. But Mr Lewis let them play on.

That was cleared for a corner, and by now the clock had gone past 98. Yet still Mr Lewis refused to end the game, and by now the entire Watford bench were remonstrating with the fourth official.

The corner came in, the ball was stopped by Flynn Downes with the aid of his arm – something none of the officials saw although those in the press box, who were 50 yards away and halfway up the stand, managed to spot.

Downes stuck the ball in the net and the points were Southampton’s. A travesty, an injustice, and just inexplicable from the officials.

Well, it might not be inexplicable but officials don’t have to face a media grilling so we’ll never know.

Even Saints boss Russell Martin said after the game that he could understand why Tom Cleverley would feel hard done by.

It was so harsh on Watford, who started dreadfully – particularly at the back – and were a goal down inside a minute and 2-0 behind not long after.

However, the spirit and determination that Cleverley has instilled in the group was there again as they pulled one back and then had the best of the second half as the home side seemed happy to sit on a 2-1 lead.

When they drew level it felt like another job very well done by a squad that has been reinvigorated by Cleverley and his staff.

Without that ridiculous ending which denied Watford something from the game and will doubtless leave fans and officials of the other promotion contenders feeling aggrieved too, with Mr Lewis and his ‘next goal’s the winner’ approach to timekeeping, Southampton would have made less ground on them.

There was just one change to the team that drew 0-0 at Ipswich in midweek. Emmanuel Dennis, who had been on the bench at Portman Road, came back into the starting line-up with Ryan Andrews dropping to the bench.

The Hornets played 4-2-3-1 with Ryan Porteous slotting in at right back. Tom Dele-Bashiru and Edo Kayembe sat in front of the back four with Emmanuel Dennis wide on the left, Giorgi Chakvetadze in the middle and Yaser Asprilla out on the right.

However, how that shape would work out was still being pondered when the home side went ahead after 57 seconds – and the defending left a lot to be desired.

Armstrong crossed from the left and Smallbone was between Wes Hoedt and Jamal Lewis to head into the bottom corner unchallenged.

Watford had to settle and it took time, but in the 12th minute Southampton lost the ball just inside the Hornets half and Chakvetadze broke, but his low shot from just outside the box was a simple save for Bazunu.

Four minutes later Bazunu gathered a back-pass but, under pressure from Bayo, he totally air-kicked before recovering to thump the ball to safety.

Southampton made it 2-0 in the 19th minute and once again the Watford defending was disastrous.

Walker-Peters got past Porteous too easily, then when he crossed Dele-Bashiru's attempt to clear went all wrong and he ended up shanking it to Bree who was standing next to the post. He rolled it square and Adams nipped in to prod past Bachmann.

At that point, it looked a very long road back for Watford but the character of recent games came to the fore and they started to threaten when they got the ball down and moved it around.

Some magical skills and step-overs on the right got Asprilla deep into the Saints box but his shot flashed across the face of goal and wide.

However the Colombian threatened again in the 33rd minute and, when he was tackled, Porteous gathered the ball and moved into the box before hitting a shot that beat Bazunu with the aid of a deflection.

On the stroke of half-time Asprilla's deep free kick was headed down by Dennis but Bazunu gathered at the second attempt.

Watford sent on Ismael Kone for Tom Dele-Bashiru at half-time and with the Canadian playing further forward, it was effectively 4-1-4-1.

The Saints seemed strangely averse to going forward in search of a third and that, combined with Watford chasing the game, meant the Hornets had the better of things.

Seven minutes after the restart Lewis crossed from the left by-line, Porteous got up and steered a header back past Bazunu but Harwood-Bellis cleared off the line.

Then Asprilla's low cross was blocked by Smallbone and Chakvetadze hit his volley on the follow-up wide.

Watford used all five subs and two of them combined well in the 83rd minute. Matheus Martins sent James Morris on the left, his cross found Asprilla but his shot was blocked.

A minute later, Watford’s vastly improved second-half display earned them an equaliser.

Kone won the ball 25 yards out, jinked into the box and then calmly steered a cool, low effort past Bazunu.

Saints came to life then, but it appeared too late as Bachmann tipped Armstong’s bouncing volley over the bar and then Mara headed over the top from a corner.

Enter referee Mr Smith to steal the show and deny Watford a point.

Firstly, how he came up with seven minutes was questionable, but the clocked had ticked beyond seven when he allowed Saints to take a free kick, and past eight when the continued to let them take a resultant corner.

From that set piece, the ball was struck deep, Downes clearly controlled it with his arm and then lashed it past Bachmann from close range.

It was a stunning and infuriating sequence of pitifully bad decisions from the officials, and costs Watford a point as well as ending Cleverley’s unbeaten run as interim head coach.

Watford: Bachmann; Porteous, Pollock (Andrews 60), Hoedt; Dele-Bashiru (Kone ht), Chakvetadze, Kayembe, Asprilla, Le wis (Morris 60); Bayo (Rajovic 77), Dennis (Martins 60). Subs: Hamer, Sierralta, Ince, Livermore