Watford 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday: Vivaldo Semedo earns late point for Hornets
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford and Sheffield Wednesday at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night; Vivaldo Semedo strikes late to earn a point for Javi Gracia's Hornets.
Tuesday 9 December 2025 23:09, UK
Substitute Vivaldo Semedo's equaliser in the seventh minute of stoppage time denied Sheffield Wednesday a second Championship win of the season.
Charlie McNeill's third goal in two games appeared to have handed rock-bottom Wednesday a rare bit of cheer in a difficult campaign.
But just when wasteful Watford, who missed a penalty through skipper Imran Louza, seemed to have run out of ideas, Semedo squeezed a volley from Mamadou Doumbia's cross under goalkeeper Pierce Charles to salvage a point.
Struggling Wednesday were relieved not to fall behind inside five minutes when Giorgi Chakvetadze strike was too close to goalkeeper Charles from Othmane Maamma's low centre.
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But from their first meaningful excursion into Watford territory, the Owls went ahead after 17 minutes.
Max Alleyne's poor headed clearance from Yan Valery's cross fell straight to McNeill and crisp left-foot shot extended the Hornets' dismal sequence of just one clean sheet since April.
It was also the eighth time in 11 home games this season that Watford have conceded the first goal.
And the division's comeback kings, who have rescued 19 points from losing positions this season, left it desperately late to add to their tally.
Louza placed his shot just the wrong side of a post from fellow Moroccan Maamma's pass, before the Golden Ball winner at the Under-20 World Cup was guilty of a glaring miss from six yards.
With loyal veteran Barry Bannan marshalling the Owls' resistance, Henrik Pedersen's men somehow held out until the break.
As Watford laid siege to the visitors' goal, hapless referee Dean Whitestone's inadvertent body-check on Marc Bola almost set up a Wednesday breakaway, and the visitors were upset when the experienced official stopped play for a drop-ball.
Whitestone was the centre of attention again when Louza's penalty, awarded for a foul on Bola by substitute Sean Fusire, rattled the crossbar and Edo Kayembe steered home the rebound.
But Kayembe was penalised for encroaching and Watford's night of missed opportunities reached a frustrating new low.
Louza did his best to atone for his spot-kick miss, twice extending Charles from long range, and Wednesday looked like holding out until Semedo's second goal of the season broke the 1,578 travelling fans' hearts.
The managers
Watford's Javi Gracia:
"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."
Sheffield Wednesday's Henrik Pedersen:
"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."
