Mitigated Success as Watford, Bournemouth draw

Watford (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Nigerian forward Isaac Success rose from the bench to head in a second-half equaliser as Watford drew 2-2 at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.

Eddie Howe, linked with the vacant England job this week, twice saw his Bournemouth side go ahead through Callum Wilson and Joshua King.

But Troy Deeney scored his 99th Watford goal to cancel out Wilson’s opener and Success headed in a second equaliser in the 65th minute to spare manager Walter Mazzarri from defeat on his 55th birthday.

Bournemouth, who have won just once in 16 league visits to Vicarage Road, climbed to 12th, level on points with 11th-place Watford.

Bournemouth had impressed in a 1-0 win over Everton last weekend and Howe named an unchanged team, but it was Watford who bossed the early exchanges.

Mazzarri’s men enjoyed a near monopoly on possession and saw Odion Ighalo drag a shot wide from strike partner Deeney’s flick.

But after home goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes had tipped an in-swinging free-kick from Junior Stanislas over the bar at the other end, the visitors went in front in the 31st minute.

Stanislas sent a cross into the box and Wilson got ahead of his man at the near post to meet the ball with a header that squirmed beneath Gomes.

Watford emerged for the second half with the bit between their teeth and after Deeney had seen an improvised ‘scorpion kick’ volley saved by Artur Boruc, the hosts levelled.

Nordin Amrabat’s trickery took him to the byline on the right and from his cut-back, Deeney equalised.

Bournemouth almost went ahead again moments later when Jack Wilshere struck the post with a low, curling effort after a trademark jinking run.

Just before the hour, Boruc had to display razor-sharp reflexes to repel a header from Deeney.

Bournemouth retook the lead in the 62nd minute, King turning Valon Behrami inside-out and netting via a deflection off Younes Kaboul within seconds of coming on for Jordon Ibe.

But Mazzarri had a super sub of his own up his sleeve and three minutes later Success, 20, equalised with a fine header that gave him his first Watford goal since signing from Granada.

The visitors came closest to snatching victory amid frantic exchanges in the latter stages, twice rattling the woodwork.

On-loan Arsenal midfielder Wilshere squandered an apparent tap-in by sending the ball against the post, while Stanislas saw a free-kick come back off the bar.