Frustrated head coach Javi Gracia hit out at Watford’s wastefulness after substitute Vivaldo Semedo’s last-gasp equaliser rescued a point in a 1-1 draw against rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday.
Semedo struck in the seventh minute of stoppage time to deny the Owls only a second Championship win of a traumatic season.
But Gracia was far from impressed with Watford’s finishing and their meagre return of a point after an overwhelming count of 23 shots to four in the home side’s favour.
The Hornets’ profligacy included a second-half penalty miss from skipper Imran Louza, with Edo Kayembe’s rebound ruled out by referee Dean Whitestone for encroachment.
Gracia said: “We had good chances, many chances, but (converting them) is something we’re not doing well in the last games.
“It’s difficult to win games when you don’t take them but, for me, it’s not just about us taking clear-cut chances – it’s about falling behind again and it’s something we need to fix.
“We made it difficult for ourselves when we concede from the first shot on our goal.
“It’s another point for us but it’s not enough. We showed character to fight to the end but I’m disappointed. We have the youngest squad in the Championship and we have to learn from these experiences fast.
“I would like to give value to the opponent because they have had a difficult season and they competed really well tonight.
“But we had an xG of 2.7 goals, so a point is not enough. We needed to take the points but we were conceding easy goals, most goals, in the first half of too many games and we have to fix it.”
Gracia had no issue with Louza taking the penalty, even though DR Congo international Kayembe has a 100 per cent record from the spot for Watford. He shrugged: “We have two (penalty) takers and we trust both of them.
“To be honest, my first view is that Kayembe was just inside the box when the penalty was stuck.”
Sheffield Wednesday head coach Henrik Pedersen, who saw Charlie McNeill score again to break the deadlock, said: “The first feeling is of disappointment because we were so close – but I’m also very proud because we gave everything and played with a fantastic togetherness.
“The tactical discipline and courage of our players was a big step forward. We know about Watford’s speed and power going forward in transition and how we played in the second half was amazing.
“The boys were all disappointed in the dressing room afterwards, but we asked the team for commitment, intensity, discipline and togetherness and they were very, very strong. The players have done a fantastic job and they have grown a lot as a team.
“Charlie is learning more about himself and his empathy for his team and the club has let him grow a lot as a player and as a person.”
