Daily Echo:

Saints’ long wait for another home win goes on after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Watford.

Before they play at St Mary’s again their dismal record will extend to a solitary home league victory in a calendar year.

It was frustration again as a game they should have win yielded just a point.

Saints had a worrying moment after just four minutes as Gerard Deulofeu got in behind the back line.

Fortunately for Saints he had to take a shot from a tight angle on the right and Alex McCarthy was able to make the save at his near post.

Watford were causing problems every time they poured forward and Isaac Success was prevented only by a good sliding block from Wesley Hoedt.

Manolo Gabbiadini, playing wide on the right in a 4-2-3-1, had the first effort for Saints but his curling shot from just outside the area went over the bar.

Hoedt came even closer on 19 minutes when he had a free header from a corner eight yards out but could only pick out the keeper.

However, Saints did break the deadlock just a minute later.

Again it was poor Watford defending from an outswinging Ryan Bertrand corner as Roberto Pereyra inexplicably failed to clear and was tackled by Danny Ings. The loose ball fell to Gabbiadini who had the fairly simple task of sweeping home.

Watford’s pace on the break looked so dangerous but their willingness to defend with any great commitment was certainly questionable and so Saints had plenty of reason for optimism if they could contain the threat they were facing.

Deulofeu tested them as he broke forward and worked McCarthy with a drive from another tight angle on the right on 32 minutes but again the keeper was up to it and made the save.

Maya Yoshida came close to doubling the Saints advantage two minutes later with a header from 12 yards but he directed it narrowly wide.

McCarthy was again required to keep Watford out as Pereyra curled an effort on target from 20 yards.

Saints had another glorious chance to get a cushion before the end of the first half as Bertrand’s low cross perfectly picked out Stuart Armstrong but his first time effort was straight at Ben Foster who made the save.

Both sides were forced into a change through injury five minutes before the break as Danny Ings limped off to be replaced by Charlie Austin while Troy Denney came on for Will Hughes for Watford.

Saints started the second period with great purpose and Gabbiadini came within a whisker of a goal as he curled a shot inches wide from 25 yards.

Up the other end Denney showed his threat by directing a cross towards the near post but it was a fairly routine stop for McCarthy in goal.

Watford had huge appeals for a penalty turned down on 58 minutes as Nathaniel Chalobah went down under the challenge of Bertrand with the follow-up shot saved by McCarthy.

It looked a very good shout but referee Simon Hooper was unmoved.

There were wild celebrations from Charlie Austin after he thought he had scored on 66 minutes. Nathan Redmond cut the ball back to Austin whose shot took a deflection to find its way into the net.

However, Yoshida swayed backwards out of the way of the ball as it travelled towards goal and was flagged for offside despite seemingly not interfering with play meaning it was disallowed.

It cost Saints too as Watford equalised eight minutes from time.

Saints were sitting deep when James Ward-Prowse’s clearance deflected to Jose Holebas just outside the area.

He drilled in a fierce low shot that took a huge deflection off of Cedric Soares and gave McCarthy no chance.

It almost got even worse three minutes later as a header in amongst a crowded group of players from a Holebas corner hit the crossbar.

At the final whistle there were boos for Saints after yet another failure to convert a lead into a win.