Zan Vipotnik came off the bench to rescue Swansea City and prolong Watford's away-day misery, his late header securing a 1-1 draw in a Championship contest that swung dramatically in the final half-hour at the Swansea.com Stadium.
Teenager Nestory Irankunda had earlier lit up south Wales with a stunning first-half free-kick, his first goal for Watford since arriving from Bayern Munich in the summer, and for more than an hour it looked as though it would end the Hornets' run of six successive away league defeats. But Vipotnik's first goal of the season, a deft finish eight minutes from time, ensured Swansea's strong home form under Alan Sheehan remained intact and left both managers reflecting on points dropped rather than gained.
Irankunda's Moment of Magic Puts Watford in Charge
The opening stages were tight and scrappy, with little to separate the sides in the first 25 minutes. Watford, who had scored only three times in their previous seven away league games, were the first to find any real fluency. Marc Bola produced the game's first moment of quality from the left, whipping in an inch-perfect cross that invited Luca Kjerrumgaard to attack it at the far post. The Danish forward climbed above Josh Tymon and powered a header towards goal, only for Lawrence Vigouroux to fling himself to his right and claw the ball away at full stretch.