Leeds manager Daniel Farke declared himself delighted with a point from a 2-2 draw at Watford in the final act of a dramatic day of Championship action.

Leeds required a 85th-minute equaliser from substitute Mateo Joseph to preserve his side’s unbeaten league start to 2024.

The Spanish striker, 20, netted just 25 seconds after coming on but a point was not enough to reclaim the Championship summit from Ipswich, 1-0 winners at Blackburn earlier in the day. Before that, Leicester – 1-0 losers at Bristol City in a lunchtime clash – had dropped out of the top two altogether.

Watford led twice in the first half through Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis, who scored either side of a fine strike by the game’s outstanding individual, Crysancio Summerville. Watford looked like they might hang on for the win but Joseph had other ideas.

It was a point gained rather than two lost as far as Farke was concerned and the German outlined exactly why.

“I will take this point all day long,” he said. “I am really happy and proud of the boys. We played this game at the worst possible moment. Watford, they have a new manager and there is new belief, he knows the players inside out and they were unleashed and had a great start.

“We had the worst possible international break. For us three players came back injured and three Welsh players had the disappointment of not being allowed to go to the Euros. We had not one first team training session as a team.

“We had to play this game by just pressing a button and we were not at our best rhythm. Then to play such a second half, I’m pretty happy with the outcome.

“We found our rhythm and our confidence. If training didn’t matter we would just turn up for the games – it matters.”

“The coach said we have to be ready make an impact,” Joseph added. “I’m happy to help the team get a valuable point and we are happy still to be unbeaten in the League this year.”

Watford interim manager Tom Cleverley, whose first game in charge was a 1-0 win at Birmingham before the international break, was delighted with his players.

He said: “I thought it was a much stronger performance even though we have not got the three points. For the first 65 minutes we were excellent, I’m really proud of the players tonight.

“What pleased me most was the focus of the players, not one switched off

“Now my job is to create a game plan to win every game and I thought the players absolutely nailed it.”

Watford were more attacking than they had been in the last days of previous manager Valerien Ismael, which pleased the home fans.

Cleverley added: “Everyone wants to play front foot football but you have to be structured especially against a team like Leeds.

“The work that we put in in the last two weeks showed today. It was a big ask to come up against the league leaders but we more than held our own.

“We have got the personnel to do it and I thought it was the right opposition to do it against. We just tired a little bit at the end.”

Substitute Mateo Joseph netted a late equaliser to earn Leeds a 2-2 draw at Watford – but that was not enough to lift his side back to the top of the Championship table.

Mid-table Watford led twice before half-time thanks to goals from Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis either side of a fine Leeds reply from Crysencio Summerville.

Leeds were in danger of suffering a first league loss of 2024 until 20-year-old Spaniard Mateo came off the bench and scored seconds later.

Leeds ended Good Friday in second spot however as Ipswich, 1-0 winners at Blackburn earlier in the day, are a point ahead.

Watford started brightly but their appeals for a penalty in the 12th minute when Ethan Ampadu appeared to catch Yasir Asprilla on a foot were rejected by referee David Webb.

Leeds replied with a shot from Summerville that Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann did well to palm round the far post.

It was Watford who took the lead in the 31st minute via a swift move down the right after Edo Kayembe had won possession. Asprilla was played in behind the Leeds defence and the Colombian pulled the ball back for Dennis to fire off a first-time shot. Leeds goalkeeper Ilian Meslier did well to parry it but Bayo was on hand to volley home the rebound.

Leeds needed a response and it was Summerville who provided it six minutes later. The winger cut in from the left and curled a superb shot beyond the reach of Bachmann to celebrate his 17th goal of a stellar season.

There was still time before the break however for Dennis to fire Watford back in front. The goal resembled Summerville’s as the Nottingham Forest loanee cut in – from the right this time – to get past challengers and then beat Meslier with a low drive.

Leeds began the second half looking for Summerville to make the difference again – and Bachmann had to make another save, this time at his near post.

Sierralta had to nod a Sam Byram header off the line soon after, although it would not have counted, before Bachmann tipped a Georginio Rutter drive over.

Both sides made changes before James tested Bachmann soon after with a shot that Patrick Bamford came close to diverting with a hopeful slide in front of the Austrian.

It was looking as though Leeds were going to have to accept defeat – until Joseph’s sudden arrival conjured up a clumsy but timely leveller.

The substitute had only been on the pitch for a few seconds when he forced the ball over the line in the 86th minute, at the second attempt.

Bachmann blocked his first shot in a six-yard box scramble – and when Lewis attempted to clear the striker deflected it over the line with a block of his own.

Zian Flemming’s early free-kick was enough for Millwall to defeat Watford 1-0 at The Den and make it two wins from two since manager Neil Harris’ return to the club.

With several of their fellow strugglers also picking up results, coming away with maximum points was imperative for the Lions as it keeps them one point clear of the Championship relegation zone.

Watford are six points clear of trouble, but after their fifth defeat in six games their form is leaving them in danger of being dragged into the increasingly congested battle against the drop.

Millwall were ahead after just three minutes when Flemming’s deflected free-kick from over 25 yards out found the bottom corner, with Watford goalkeeper Ben Hamer getting hands to it but unable to keep it out.

The visitors had a quick chance to equalise when some sloppy marking from a throw-in led to Vakoun Bayo firing a shot into the side netting.

Hamer was having an uncomfortable afternoon and almost cost the Hornets for a second time when he allowed a long ball to drift past him, but he was bailed out by Duncan Watmore’s effort from an acute angle striking the post.

Matija Sarkic was tested for the first time at the other end when the Montenegro international got down to keep hold of Yaser Asprilla’s shot.

Captain Wesley Hoedt then bent a free-kick just over for Watford, who remained behind at the break after an error-strewn first-half performance.

Needlessly giving passes away was something that also afflicted Millwall in the opening stages of the second half, leading to what was an untidy period in the game.

The Hornets forged a half-chance in the 57th minute when Jamal Lewis drove a low ball from the left that Bayo could not direct on target after attacking the near post.

Both attacks were feeding off scraps, with Millwall’s Michael Obafemi forced to improvise from a Ryan Leonard long throw as he sent an overhead kick over the bar.

Ismael Kone was brought on by Hornets boss Valerien Ismael alongside Ryan Andrews, and the former sent a long-range effort over with 15 minutes left, with his side still searching for some fluency in attack.

They were at least pushing Millwall further back, although Jake Livermore’s effort from outside the box was easily dealt with by Sarkic.

That was as close as Watford came to forcing an equaliser, despite their late pressure, as the hosts picked up three more vital points.

Watford head coach Valerien Ismael hailed his players for holding on for a point from a 1-1 draw with Stoke despite Vakoun Bayo’s 52nd-minute dismissal.

Striker Bayo was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball clash with Potters defender Luke McNally.

The pair initially tussled for the ball and both ended up on the turf – but when they picked themselves up referee Scott Oldham was convinced he saw Bayo strike McNally as play continued elsewhere.

Hornets fans stuck with their side afterwards – and gave referee Oldham a hard time throughout.

“With 10 men we played some great football,” Ismael said. “The spirit was unbelievable in the stadium – for the first time this season I got some goosebumps. The fans gave us a lot of energy.

“I’m proud of my players because they stayed calm and showed great fighting spirit.”

Ismael agreed with the home fans’ assessment that Oldham had lost control of the contest.

“Everyone got that feeling tonight that something was wrong,” he said. “It was difficult to manage all the emotion because it was not only the players, it was all over the place.”

Oldham showed a yellow card to Ismael for dissent in the first half.

“My feeling was of injustice,” the manager said. “I know I have a job to do on the sidelines, to be an example, but I am human.”

Stoke head coach Steven Schumacher admitted his players had failed to capitalise on the red card but reckoned the decision itself was routine.

“I just saw the two lads clash on the floor, I don’t know what Scott’s seen,” he said. “It was a decision that went for us but the momentum of the game changed. Unfortunately we didn’t make the most of it.

“I’m sick of talking about referees – I’ve been on the end of a few mad decisions as well. It’s part and parcel of football – it’s what happens.”

Jake Livermore put Watford ahead in the 15th minute, bundling home from close range from a corner to celebrate his first goal for the Hornets.

Ryan Mmaee’s fine strike levelled the scores in the 34th minute and despite chances for both sides before and after Bayo’s departure there was no further scoring.

The draw extended Stoke’s unbeaten run to five matches, three of which have been under Schumacher, who replaced Alex Neil on December 19. The Potters are 19th, seven points clear of the relegation places.

“We showed some good character, especially after going 1-0 down from a set-piece,” he said. “That was a disappointment but we responded really well.

“It was a great finish from Ryan. It was a goal he deserved. He has led the line really well in the last three games.

“At half-time I said to the players that the game was there for the taking if we continued to play with some energy and show more quality in their box.

“Unfortunately, especially when they went to 10 men, we just didn’t have that killer pass that would have been the difference.

“It wasn’t a poor performance but you could see there were some tired bodies out there.”

The result left Watford in 10th place, four points off the play-offs, but the draw was an upgrade on Boxing Day’s 4-1 home loss to Bristol City.

“From minute one we were much better than Tuesday,” Ismael said.

Watford held out for a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke despite losing Vakoun Bayo early in the second half to a straight red card for lashing out at Luke McNally.

Jake Livermore’s first Watford goal was cancelled out by an equaliser from Ryan Mmaee before the break.

Bayo saw red in the 52nd minute but Stoke could not find a winner.

Watford head coach Valerian Ismael handed a first start to Giorgi Chakvetadze as one of six changes to the side that lost 4-1 at home to Bristol City on Boxing Day.

Stoke brought in Ben Pearson and Sead Haksabanovic to freshen up their side after the 3-1 win at Birmingham in Steven Schumacher’s second game as head coach.

Livermore launched an early long-range strike over the Stoke crossbar before defenders blocked replies from Stoke duo Wouter Burger and Andre Vidigal.

Matheus Martins saw a drive deflected wide as Watford came again – and the Hornets took the lead from Chakvetadze’s 15th-minute corner.

Ryan Porteous flicked a header across the box for the former England midfielder to bundle over the line. It was his first goal since netting for West Bromwich in an FA Cup game with Chesterfield in January.

Mmaee sent a Stoke chance wide before Yaser Asprilla thumped a drive straight at Potters goalkeeper Jack Bonham.

Mmaee fired Stoke level in the 34th minute after Haksabanovic’s run down the left saw the ball bounce off Ryan Porteous to the Morocco striker, who turned to evade Tom Dele-Bashiru before blasting beyond Hornets keeper Ben Hamer.

Junior Tchamadeu missed a great chance for Stoke to take the lead straight after but his shot was too high.

Ismael Kone was booked for a challenge that left McNally requiring treatment. Referee Scott Oldham then showed a yellow card to Ismael for complaining about Stoke challenges that went unpunished.

The half ended with Livermore booked for a late challenge on Haksabanovic – and boos for the referee from the home fans.

Chakvetadze began the second period with a 25-yarder that Bonham touched on to the bar – but Watford were down to 10 men in the 52nd minute when Bayo was shown a red card.

The striker tangled with McNally and, after both players had picked themselves up, appeared to lash out at the Stoke defender with an elbow in full view of the official as play continued.

Hamer came out to make a fine block to stop Bae Jun-ho, played in by Haksabanovic, from slotting Stoke into the lead in the 65th minute.

Watford were still dangerous though, with Bonham denying Asprilla before substitute Mileta Rajovic scooped an even better chance over.

Hamer denied Mmaee a second with a reflex stop, and then had to save low down from substitute Lewis Baker but that turned out to be the game’s last clear-cut chance.

Ryan Lowe bemoaned Preston’s “Jekyll and Hyde” performance as they shipped four second-half goals in a 5-1 Championship defeat at home to Watford.

Will Keane gave the Lilywhites an early lead but Vakoun Bayo levelled just before half-time, precipitating the hosts’ collapse.

Bayo, Matheus Martins, Edo Kayembe and Ismael Kone all struck after the break to earn Watford a second away league win on the bounce.

Lowe said: “In the first half we were fantastic. We looked like we’d carried on from where we left off against Huddersfield.

“I asked the lads at half-time to get on the front foot more, but then straight from the kick-off, one ball through the middle goes on to kill us.

“I think that knocked the stuffing out of us – you have to be solid and hard to break down, but we didn’t see that in the second half today.

“It’s Jekyll and Hyde stuff. The difference between the two halves was incredible really.

“You have to try and keep good teams like Watford at bay, but we gifted them opportunities.

“We have been solid this season, but definitely not today. We can’t let things like this happen. We’ve been punished big time for poor defending.

“I’ve stressed that to the players after the game and they need to take a bit more responsibility.

“Individually and collectively, we just can’t let that happen again.”

Preston continue to struggle at home and have now lost three in a row on their own patch.

They have now lost four of their last six in the Championship and were booed off at the end of the game.

Watford had only scored seven goals in nine away games before the second-half goal glut and have a poor recent record at Deepdale, having won just once on their last 16 visits.

Watford manager Valerien Ismael said: “I’m very pleased with the performance of all the players, of course.

“I’m pleased to see the understanding we’re now getting.

“The players have to learn that ruthless aspect and we saw that today.

“We created a good momentum from early in the game and we saw that focus that you need at a tough place like Preston.

“I can see the evolution after six months.

“This was a typically-tough Championship game, so we knew we’d have to be solid and be ready. It’s about being ruthless too.

“We got off to a great start in the second half and when you see shots go in like that, it gives everyone confidence and belief.

“The momentum definitely changed after half-time but credit goes to all the players because it’s given us and the fans a great feeling.

“At the moment we’ll just keep the focus on the games we have. We have a lot in the next couple of weeks running up to the new year and our job is to make sure we keep performing.

“After that, we will have a clearer picture of where we are.”

Watford manager Valerien Ismael praised the impact of his substitutes after two of them combined to earn his side a 1-1 injury-time draw against Southampton at Vicarage Road.

With his side trailing to a Che Adams goal, Ismael sent on Vakoun Bayo and Rhys Healey and the pair combined to maintain Watford’s recent improved form.

Ismael said: “The bench had a massive impact today. I’m pleased that the players came on the pitch to make a difference.

“Everyone is a part of the process. We are working with all the players. I tell them: ‘Your minute will come. You will get your chance’.

“Rhys surprised the keeper with the position he shot from. It’s important for him as a striker to score goals.

“It’s great for him to get that reward. It has been a difficult period when he wants to play more. But he contributed to get us a point. This will give him a great feeling and give him the confidence to know that he can do it.”

Ismael also believes that Watford are beginning to assume the mentality of a side that can push for promotion from their current mid-table position. Their next challenge will come against second-placed Ipswich at Vicarage Road on Tuesday evening.

Ismael added: “There is no doubt that we deserved a point. I am incredibly proud of the players and the evolution of the team against a team that was relegated from the Premier League. There was a big desire and the way that we reacted to conceding the goal.

“You can see how the team is evolving. To attack the top of the table we have to become more ruthless. That is the last step in our evolution. Then we will be ready to get more rewards in these games.”

“So we will take this as a learning step because our opponents today were very strong in possession but we had our moments in transition.”

Southampton manager Russell Martin couldn’t disguise his feeling that his promotion-chasing side had let two points slip away.

With Leicester, Ipswich and Leeds all picking up victories, Southampton now sit 10 points off the automatic promotion places.

Martin said: “I didn’t speak very long with the lads afterwards because I felt so disappointed when we came off the pitch.

“Ultimately it is a point against a team that is in really good form themselves and I really liked the second-half performance. The energy was much better. We had a lot of control still and limited them to one really good moment.

“The first half was OK. We had a lot of control but made too many mistakes in the final third, so we changed the shape a bit at half-time to try to help us.

“But with the amount of moments we had of four v three or three v two in the second half, they needed to come to more. We needed to get the second goal and then it’s game over.

“Sometimes you feel like you’re hanging on in games, but I felt that we were going to get the second goal today. We didn’t and then we conceded a rubbish goal, a really bad goal.

“They smash it forward. We should head it. Instead, we try and get under it and Bayo was athletic and heads it and then Rhys hits one of the worst volleys I’ve seen him hit having worked with him.

“I wanted nine points from the three games this week, especially when the teams above us keep winning.

“I also watched stuff that I’m proud of and that I have enjoyed, but we just can’t have too many slip-ups.

“If we win the next two games, of course I’ll be happy. A point here is a positive one but because of the way it happens, it’s a real disappointment.”

Jak Alnwick’s second-half howler allowed Watford to claim a 1-1 draw at Cardiff in the Sky Bet Championship.

The Cardiff goalkeeper’s clumsy control of a harmless pass from centre-half Mark McGuinness gifted a 54th-minute equaliser to Hornets striker Vakoun Bayo.

The Bluebirds had taken the lead in the 26th minute through McGuinness, but never played with the energy they needed to bounce back from their midweek defeat at Middlesbrough.

Watford boss Valerien Ismael may feel his side deserved all three points but at least they stopped a run of three successive defeats.

Cardiff went into the game with injuries depriving them of significant firepower but that did not stop the hosts creating all the early chances.

Ike Ugbo, holding the forward line in the absence of others, came within inches of connecting with a rebound after Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann palmed away a shot by midfielder Karlan Grant in the 17th minute.

Grant then found himself clean through at the midway point of the first half, only to blaze a careless attempt high over the crossbar.

The Hornets failed to heed the warnings, and in the 26th minute they fell behind to a goal that will have incensed manager Ismael.

A corner by Cardiff captain Joe Ralls was allowed to float to the far post where McGuinness converted a simple close-range volley.

Watford were not without threat up to the interval, but undid much of their good work in the final third with misdirected or overhit passes.

Striker Bayo dragged a clumsy shot wide when in space on the edge of the penalty area in the 33rd minute, but Watford saved their worst example of wastefulness until added time at the end of the half.

A back-pass by Cardiff defender Perry Ng was intercepted by Bayo, only for the Hornets man to lose control of the ball as he tried to round Alnwick.

There was a sense the equaliser might be coming, but nobody could have foreseen just how it would come in the 54th minute.

When a Watford attack broke down McGuinness played what looked a safe square ball to Alnwick, but the goalkeeper’s touch was hideous, the ball bouncing off him to Bayo who this time punished the error by side-footing home.

The leveller was reward for a marked Watford improvement which saw Ismael’s men take the ascendancy in midfield and offer far more menace going forward.

In the 78th minute another Cardiff error – this time a careless pass from Ryan Wintle – served up a glorious chance for Hornets substitute Tom Ince, who skied his shot into the stands.

Neither side could fashion a winner, and there was sense of frustration all round at full-time.