Hornets denied by Blayney
By Andy Clarke. Last Updated: January 1, 1970 1:00am
Marlon King went from hero to villain as Watford extended their unbeaten run to nine matches with a 1-1 draw against Brighton.
King put his side in front just before the break, but after Guy Butters had levelled for the South Coast club, the Hornets striker saw a penalty saved by visiting keeper Alan Blayney.
Watford struggled in the first half in the absence of their 10-goal top scorer Ashley Young, who missed the match with an ankle injury.
And it was Mark McGhee's side who made most of the running, with Colin Kazim-Richards and Jake Robinson each denied by Ben Foster.
Adam El-Abd then saw a well-struck volley kept out by the Watford keeper, before the home side took the lead on the stroke of half time.
King shrugged off his marker on the edge of the box and beat Blayney with a low shot into the left corner.
However, Brighton equalised within three minutes of the restart, as Sebastien Carole's cross was met by Butters, who beat Foster with a looping header.
Watford were offered the chance to restore their advantage when Dean Hammond handled in the area, but Blayney guessed right and saved King's penalty low to his left.
Clarke Carlisle, Joel Grant and Malky Mackay all came close as Watford dominated for the remainder of the match, but they were unable to find a winner.
Matches
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npower Championship
Table
npower Championship
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff City | 46 | 87 |
| 2 | Hull City | 46 | 79 |
| 3 | Watford | 46 | 77 |
| 4 | Brighton and Hove Albion | 46 | 75 |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 72 |
| 6 | Leicester City | 46 | 68 |
| 7 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 68 |
| 8 | Nottingham Forest | 46 | 67 |
| 9 | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 65 |
| 10 | Derby County | 46 | 61 |
| 11 | Burnley | 46 | 61 |
| 12 | Birmingham City | 46 | 61 |
| 13 | Leeds United | 46 | 61 |
| 14 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 60 |
| 15 | Blackpool | 46 | 59 |
| 16 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 59 |
| 17 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 58 |
| 18 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 58 |
| 19 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 58 |
| 20 | Millwall | 46 | 56 |
| 21 | Barnsley | 46 | 55 |
| 22 | Peterborough United | 46 | 54 |
| 23 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 51 |
| 24 | Bristol City | 46 | 41 |
Guy Butters
Marlon King
