WATFORD may not have collected all three points from a fiery 1-1 draw with Burnley on Tuesday, but Ray Lewington will have breathed a sigh of relief after his side saw out the final 20 minutes with only ten men to secure a valuable point.

Earlier, Burnley also missed a penalty, but any victory for the Clarets would have been harsh on the Hornets who started brightly – taking the lead on the stroke of half-time through Scott Fitzgerald - and caused Burnley problems throughout until Paolo Vernazza was rightly shown red for stamping on David May.

Boss Lewington rang the changes following Saturday’s dismal defeat to Ipswich Town, reverting to the 4-33 used so effectively pre-season. Bruce Dyer came back into the starting line-up, alongside Danny Webber and Fitzgerald in attack while Vernazza made his first start of the season in a three-man midfield, with Marcus Gayle replacing Sean Dyche in defence after recovering from injury.

It was Vernazza who was the first to threaten, collecting a long throw from Chamberlain and driving at the Burnley defence before releasing Webber on the left-hand edge of the box but the striker lashed at his shot and the ball skewed well wide.

Watford, beling their recent results, in fact started confidently and, from an Ardley corner after Webber’s driven cross had been blocked, Brian Jensen in the Burnley goal failed to punch cleanly and Vernazza, from the edge of the box, lobbed just over.

Then, a deep cross-field ball from Stephen Kelly found Webber eight yards out but the former Manchester United man failed to gather.

The Hornets continued to dominate. Robinson’s deep cross was well dealt with by Jensen, while, from an Ardley corner on 12 minutes, Gayle’s powerful shot was well blocked. Webber then spurned another good opportunity moments later; volleying wide after latching onto Ardley’s clever chipped throughball.

Burnley finally threatened with 20 minutes on the clock. Mahon, moments after being harshly booked for a foul on Lee Chadwick, uprooted Robbie Blake on the edge of the box, but Chamberlain got down well to hold onto Blake’s powerfully driven low free-kick, A fine move five minutes later should have resulted in the Hornets taking the lead though. Chamberlain’s kick was flicked on by Dyer to Fitzgerald who turned the ball inside to Webber, who, in turn, flicked the ball to Mahon but he could only drag the ball wide with just Jensen to beat.

Vicarage Roard was left stunned on the half-hour though after referee Andy Hall awarded a controversial penalty, deciding Webber had used his hand to block a Blake free-kick from the edge of the box. Justice was perhaps done though when the same player tamely rolled the ball wide to the left of Chamberlain’s goal – his third miss from the spot this season.

Blake continued to cause problems for the Watford defence, and after linking well with Chadwick, the latter rolled a delightful through ball into the path of Ian Morre but Kelly got back superbly to block what looked a certain goal.

With the half-time whistle looming, Watford grabbed the vital opener. After Webber was held back 30 yards out, Ardley took a quick free-kick to the back post and Cox headed the ball back across to Fitzgerald who flicked past Jensen from six yards to grab his second goal in as many games.

Half time: Watford 1 Burnley 0 The second-half began at the same frenetic pace as the first had ended and Chadwick unleashed a viciously swerving effort from the edge of the box which flashed just wide. Moore then nooded over from eight yards when, after finding himself in space following Blake’s flick-on, in truth he should have at least tested Chamberlain.

The early Burnley pressure paid off on 53 minutes when the Clarets grabbed the equaliser. Farrelly’s long throw was flicked on by Facey and half-cleared by Gayle to the waiting Chadwick whose low driven shot was deflected off Robinson past a helpless Chamberlain.

Watford responded with a Webber drive from the edge of the penalty box which dipped just over but, at the other end, Facey should have done better than blaze over after picking up a loose ball eight yards out.

Only the cross-bar denied the Hornets on 63 minutes when May and Jensen collided in trying to deal with an Ardley cross and the ball looped onto the crossbar but the home side were dealt a hammer blow from the resultant corner when Vernazza stamped on May and collected his second booking to see red.

Despite being down to ten-men, Mahon tested Jensen with a driven effort after a clever dummy from Dyer although, with the former Crystal Palace man withdrawn to make way for Jamie Hand, Watford found it increasingly more difficult to break forward.

However, just when Watford looked as they had the point secures they had a massive scare in the second minute of injury time. Mahon carelessly lost the ball on the edge of the box and Chadwick struck the inside of the far post with Chamberlain beaten but the ball somehow stayed out.

Full time 1-1 Watford: Chamberlain; Kelly, Gayle, Cox, Robinson; Ardley, Mahon, Vernazza; Webber, Fitzgerald, Dyer.

Subs: Hand for Dyer (67). Dyche Cook, Young, Pidgeley not used.

Burnley: Jensen; West, May, Todd, Camara; Moore, Weller, Farrelly, Chadwick; Blake, Facey.

Subs: Chaplow for Farrelly (70); Branch for May (75). Roche, O’Neill not used.

Mahon (18) booked for a foul on Chadwick Kelly (30) booked for a foul on Blake Todd (41) for dissent Ardkey booked (55) Unsporting behaviour May booked (56) Unsporting behaviour Vernazza (61) Unsporting behaviour Vernazza (65) violent conduct Moore (69) for a foul on Robinson