Sheffield Wednesday’s winless run extended to three matches as they recorded a 0-0 draw at home to Watford in the Championship.

The Owls sit five points from safety after failing to take a number of chances at Hillsborough, while the visitors’ fourth draw in five league games left them three points off the play-off places.

Both sides looked eager to return to winning ways in an entertaining first period in which they each hit the woodwork, firstly the visitors through Matheus Martins before Ike Ugbo rattled the inside of the post for Wednesday.

The hosts went within inches of a breakthrough in the second half when Di’Shon Bernard was denied by Ben Hamer, but they could not find a winner.

Watford looked the more dangerous through the early stages down the right side and Vakoun Bayo’s deflected goal-bound effort tested the concentration of James Beadle.

The Yorkshire side settled into the contest and skipper Barry Bannan let rip with a rocket from 25 yards which was tipped behind by a diving Hamer.

Watford were denied an opener by the frame of the goal on the half-hour mark.

After Tom Dele-Bashiru was brought down just outside the box, Martins’ central free-kick deflected off the wall and Beadle could only watch on as the ball hit a post.

Watford were knocking on the door and should have taken the lead when Dele-Bashiru slipped through Bayo, he passed beyond the onrushing Beadle into the path of Martins who somehow hit the side-netting with an empty goal at his mercy.

It was Wednesday’s turn to strike the post just before the break when Ugbo rifled an effort on to the inside frame of the goal. Anthony Musaba could only guide his rebounded header into the grateful grasp of Hamer.

The chances continued in the second half and Watford went close when Ismael Kone drilled just wide of the target.

Wednesday’s decision making in defence allowed the visitors to put pressure on the goal and the Hornets came close once again when substitute Yaser Asprilla dispossessed Pol Valentin before firing straight at Beadle.

Wednesday thought they had finally opened the scoring midway through the second half. Bannan’s inswinging free-kick found Bernard at the back post who thought he nudged beyond Hamer, only for the Hornets keeper to stop the ball on the line at the second time of trying.

Bannan’s set-pieces were causing problems for the away side and the Owls captain delivered a floater on to the head of Michael Smith who diverted wide.

Wednesday continued to fight until the final whistle but Hamer was once again the saviour for Watford who magnificently kept out Musaba’s 20-yard strike which looked to be heading into the top corner.

Valerien Ismael hailed a “great performance” after his Watford side heaped further misery on struggling Rotherham with a 5-0 thumping at Vicarage Road.

Watford endured a tricky start to the campaign, but are now six games unbeaten and charging up the Sky Bet Championship table after their biggest victory of the season.

Despite just six places separating the two sides heading into the game, the gulf in class was evident throughout, with Mileta Rajovic scoring twice before second-half goals from Edo Kayembe, Tom Ince and Matheus Martins.

“We came out of the challenge of losing three games very well,” said Ismael. “I think now we have built something strong.

“We need to recover because the next massive block will come in the big December games. But now we feel more ready.

“We know the players better and what type of players we need for each game. It was a learning process, but we feel we are moving in the right direction. Now the results show up.

“With the feeling we’ve had from the beginning that we are on the right path and now the results are showing, it will help to build our confidence.”

Watford’s two first-half goals came in near-identical fashion, with Ken Sema providing perfect deliveries from the left flank for Rajovic to finish inside the six-yard box.

Kayembe added the third after 54 minutes, turning his defender after Ryan Porteous had driven at the Rotherham defence.

Substitutes Ince and Martins then completed the rout late on with the visitors paying the price for making all of their changes and playing the final 10 minutes a man down after Cafu added to their long injury list.

“The first two goals were exactly what we wanted, to come around the block of the defender,” said Ismael. “We have to cross more, to shoot more, to force the opponent to defend more, just to keep the pressure on.

“Today was a team performance because the bench, the players who came in, gave us another breath and got their reward. Another clean sheet and five goals, a great performance.”

Defeat leaves Rotherham four points adrift of safety and without a win on the road for more than a year – a run that stretched to 21 league games.

Already battling a lengthy list of absentees, they lost Cafu, Daniel Ayala and Sam Clucas to worrying hamstring injuries.

“It’s a painful result, but the end is even more painful,” said Rotherham manager Matt Taylor. “The result is a big blow, but to lose three players of that calibre, for a team like Rotherham, is massive for us.

“I didn’t think there was much in the first half, but the game was past us before we could do anything about it.

“We’ve not trained since Tuesday so people can’t say we’re working them too hard. This league, to a team like Rotherham with our personnel, really highlights our weaknesses.”

On his side’s dreadful away record, he added: “We’ve not been good enough away from home. Last season we ground out enough points for survival. I didn’t see enough of that grind and stubbornness today.

“It’s tough at the moment. If you get anything away from home for Rotherham United you’ve done really well.

“Our fans can sing and shout whatever they want – I totally understand that because when you’re getting beaten every away trip. Why should you spend your hard-earned money to watch us?”

A resurgent Watford continued their march up the Sky Bet Championship table with Mileta Rajovic’s double helping the hosts heap further misery on Rotherham with a 5-0 thumping at Vicarage Road.

Valerien Ismael’s side endured a difficult start to the campaign, but are now six games unbeaten and eyeing up the top half after their biggest victory of the season.

Despite just six places separating the two sides heading into the game, the gulf in class was evident throughout as Rajovic’s brace and second-half goals for Edo Kayembe, Tom Ince and Matheus Martins proving no more than the hosts’ domination deserved.

Injury and illness had forced Ismael into three of five changes made from the goalless draw at Huddersfield, including a first league start this season for goalkeeper Ben Hamer after regular shotstopper Daniel Bachmann was ruled out due to a concussion in training.

Rotherham manager Matt Taylor opted for a rare two-man frontline in an unsuccessful bid for elusive goals.

Starting the day four points adrift of safety and without a win on the road for more than a year, Rotherham’s hopes were dealt a blow after just 10 minutes when Watford scored with their first shot on target.

Ken Sema provided the perfect delivery, whipped from the left flank across the six-yard box, where Rajovic was able to burst through the defence and turn past the helpless Viktor Johansson.

Having offered little attacking threat, the visitors were forced into a change in the 33rd minute when Cafu replaced the injured Sam Clucas. The Portuguese midfielder immediately went closer than any of his team=mates had managed, smashing a 25-yard free-kick with his first touch of the ball which Hamer beat away.

In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, the same Watford combination that made the opening goal struck again. Sema outmuscled his defender, turned on the afterburners and squared in almost identical fashion to the opener, with Rajovic tucking home from close range.

Watford added their third in the 54th minute when Ryan Porteous drove at the Rotherham defence and played the ball to Kayembe. The Democratic Republic of the Congo midfielder’s expert right-foot control allowed him to turn his marker before firing home with his left.

With all of their substitutes used, Rotherham were forced to play the final 10 minutes a man down after Cafu went off injured, allowing Watford to add two more to the scoreline.

Substitute Ince provided the fourth goal after Ryan Andrews broke rapidly down the right and eluded two Rotherham defenders with his assist.

Martins then wrapped up proceedings in the fourth minute of stoppage time, drilling home after Rhys Healey had turned his defender to work some space on the edge of the Rotherham box.