WATFORD head into 2005 without a league win in 11 and a home Championship success since August after fellow strugglers Cardiff City held them to a goalless stalemate at Vicarage Road on Tuesday, December 28.

After a truly dreadful first-half the Hornets had most of the chances after the break but were unable to force a goal. James Chambers came the closest with a header which shaved the post, although the home side should have had a penalty when Jobi McAnuff clearly handled a Johnnie Jackson cross.

Ray Lewington made one change to the team which lost at Reading, but it had significant tactical implications. Lloyd Doyley returned to the starting XI with Bruce Dyer dropping to the bench. Chambers moved to right midfield and Paul Devlin was pushed up front in a bid to end the recent goal drought. Scott Fitzgerald returned to the bench, as did Anthony McNamee for the first time this season.

Cardiff, who deployed a diamond midfield, also made one change to the side which held Wolves to a 1-1 draw on Boxing Day, with Junichi Inamoto replacing Joe Ledley.

After an uninspiring opening Cardiff had the first shot after seven minutes when McAnuff's effort from the edge of the area was blocked after Heidar Helguson had headed a City corner partially clear.

The visitors continued to have most of the early play but little of note happened until former Hornet Robert Page came on for the injured James Collins after 18 minutes.

A dreadful game continued to drift along until Watford finally created a chance on 21 minutes when Devlin struck over a deep cross from the right and Jackson proded a first-time effort from 12 yards over.

The Hornets had another opening soon after when Jackson and Helguson combined to find Devlin on the left side of the area, but he pulled a right-foot shot badly wide of the near post.

Jackson fired a shot over after 28 minutes from the edge of the area after Helguson had chested down Doyley's ball forward, but that was it until Inamoto blasted a 30-yard free-kick well over after Jackson had been booked for a foul on McAnuff a minute before the end of the first-half.

But there was still time for Willie Boland to have a shot deflected over and from the resultant corner another Cardiff effort flew wide, as a dull and lifeless 45 minutes came to an end.

Watford showed more urgency after the restart but a chance wasn't forthcoming until Devlin had a decent free-kick from just outside the left angle of the area tipped over by Tony Warner after Jermaine Darlington had been taken out by Boland, who was booked, after 53 minutes.

Gavin Mahon joined Boland in the book two minutes later for a foul on McAnuff, but on the hour Watford were rightly incensed when a Jackson cross from the left was clearly handled by the diving McAnuff in the area but referee Peter Walton amazingly waved play on.

The home side kept the pressure on though, with Helguson heading a cross from the right over the top, although Danny Gabbidon wasn't far away with a low, curling free-kick from 25 yards soon after.

Cardiff then made their second change, bringing on Lee Bullock for Inamoto, and Lewington followed suit, giving McNamee his first outing of the season as a replacement for Jackson.

Within seconds of entering the fray McNamee was launching into one of his trademark runs, and then Helguson had time to chest down a Devlin cross from the left at the far post, but his goal-bound effort was blocked by Gabbidon.

Paul Jones held an angled shot from Cameron Jerome after 70 minutes, but still Watford kept pushing forward, with Helguson flicking a Devlin cross across the six-yard box with his head. Then Chambers came within inches of giving the home side the lead when he met an inswinging McNamee free-kick from the right with a downward header which clipped the outside of Warner's right-hand post.

After Fitzgerald had come on for Doyley the substitute forced Warner to clutch the ball beneath his own bar with a looping header following a Mahon cross, and then Helguson headed over the top after Devlin launched a rapid counter following Jones' quick throw out.

Watford had another great chance with six minutes left when Warner dropped Devlin's free-kick from the left and the ball sat up nicely for Sean Dyche, but he blasted over. Then another heading opportunity came Helguson's way, but again it went over the bar after Devlin had played the ball in from the right.

Despite keeping the pressure on to the final whistle, Watford were unable to make the breakthrough as another two points went begging.

Watford: Jones; Doyley, Cox, Dyche, Darlington; Chambers, Gunnarsson, Mahon, Jackson; Helguson, Devlin. Substitutes: McNamee for Jackson after 65 mins; Fitzgerald for Doyley after 77 mins; DeMerit for Chambers after 88 mins; Dyer and Chamberlain not used.

Cardiff City: Warner; Weston, Collins, Gabbidon, Barker; Vidmar; Boland, Inamoto, McAnuff; Thorne, Jerome. Substitutes: Page for Collins after 18 mins; Bullock for Inamoto after 64 mins; Lee for Jerome after 77 mins; Langley and Alexander not used.

Bookings: Jackson for a foul on McAnuff after 44 mins; Boland for a foul on Darlington after 53 mins; Mahon for a foul on McAnuff after 55 mins.

Attendance: 13,409.

Referee: Peter Walton (Long Buckby, Morthants).