IF EVER there was a game that typified Saints’ season and underlined just why they are where there are in the table, this was it.

On the road to a team that has been on good form but having an off day, Saints dominated, particularly in the first half, created chances and deserved to take all three points.

As it was, they came away grateful for one.

It is fair to say Watford were there for the taking – and yet Saints just couldn’t quite do it.

The Hornets appeared to have taken their foot off the gas having hit 50 points for the season which virtually guarantees them Championship survival.

On a difficult and bobbly pitch, Saints spent most of the game looking sharper and hungrier for the win.

And yet, once more in this campaign, you came away scratching your head and trying to work out how only a late strike saved them from losing.

Time is running out very quickly for Saints.

In fact it’s going at a rate of knots.

Therefore passing up gift wrapped opportunities to win matches like they did at Vicarage Road last night now hurts them even more.

Mark Wotte addressed Saints’ lack of width by starting with Jason Euell as a lone target through the middle, but with Ryan Smith and Bradley Wright- Phillips hugging the touchlines in advanced positions.

It worked to a degree.

When they did stretch the play out wide, Smith in particular caused problems.

But all too often Euell was the lone man in the box, sometimes joined by David McGoldrick who again gave everything for the cause.

Despite all that, though, Saints did create enough chances to have won the game – they just didn’t take them.

After a very quiet started to the game, Saints got their noses in front.

Smith delivered some terrific corners and it was with an inswinger from the right that he picked out the head of Jan-Paul Saeijs.

He was unmarked eight yards out and made no mistake to make it 1-0.

But that lead lasted just eight minutes. Saints fell asleep and allowed Lloyd Doyley to take a quick throw in to the feet of Tamas Priskin.

With his back to goal, he laid it back into the path of Aleksandrs Cauna.

His low drive was on target but from a tight angle Kelvin Davis will have been disappointed to have let it in at his near post.

After Andrew Surman’s low drive from 25 yards had been saved by Scott Loach, Euell had his first great chance on 30 minutes.

He was played in one-on-one but, with the pitch not helping, he struggled to get the ball out of his feet.

By the time he was ready to get his shot away, he was surrounded by Watford defenders.

Chris Perry also came close for Saints in the first half but his header from Lloyd James’ free kick was turned wide by Loach.

Watford matched up Saints’ formation in the second half and looked far more effective once the pace of Danny Rose was introduced down the left.

After another Surman effort had been stopped by Loach, you wondered whether it might be Saints’ night as Watford blew two good chances.

The first fell to Tamas Priskin who got through on goal after a rare misjudgment from Saeijs but failed to hit the target.

It was a similar situation just a couple of minutes later, this time Tommy Smith getting in but finishing wide of the far post.

The Watford march continued with Rudi Skacel having to get back on the line to head wide Mike Williamson’s flick towards goal before a big minute in the match.

Marek Saganowski, with virtually his first touch after coming on as a sub, was able to flick the ball through to Euell but, again, in on goal his finish was weak and a comfortable save for Loach.

Saints were made to pay as Watford went straight up the other end and scored.

On 66 minutes Williamson’s corner was headed to the far post by Ex-Saints loanee Jack Cork and Priskin was there to power it home for 2-1.

Skacel tested Loach again with a near post cross turned shot that the Watford keeper turned behind But after that the hosts had a chance to wrap it up.

With nine minutes remaining Smith played Priskin through on goal but Davis was alert to the danger and saved his shot.

Saints were pouring forward and leaving spaces for Watford to attack on the break, but the Hornets couldn’t make the most of it.

And Saints went on to rescue a point when, with only a minute remaining, Saeijs stepped up and drilled a central free kick from 30 yards past the wall and into the top corner.

Watford still should have won it when Smith’s low cross came to Rose unmarked at the far post, but from two yards out he somehow missed the ball altogether.

It was a good point at any other stage of the season.

But right now, in the context of this match, it still felt like two dropped.