Watford 1-1 Blackburn Rovers: Championship rivals take a point each at Vicarage Road
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Bradley Dack's goal was his seventh of the season for Blackburn
Bradley Dack scored his 50th league goal for Blackburn as they earned a point against play-off rivals Watford at Vicarage Road.
Midfielder Dack kept his composure to find the net after keeper Daniel Bachmann pushed away a Joe Rankin-Costello effort.
He found the net again in the second half, only to be denied a double by an offside flag, and Watford levelled when Dutch defender Wesley Hoedt marked his debut by volleying home left-footed.
Lewis Travis forced a good save from Bachmann with a shot from outside the box but Rovers had to settle for a draw and have now won only one of their last seven away games.
Both sides slipped a place in the table, with Watford sixth and Blackburn eighth - but the visitors are only one point outside the play-off spots.
With Blackburn looking for a seasonal double over Watford, having won 2-0 at Ewood Park in September, boss Jon Dahl Tomasson restored Tyler Morton and Tyrhys Dolan to the starting line-up, while Watford had midfielder Tom Cleverley on the bench for the first time since suffering an ankle injury last August.
The Hornets had the majority of possession in the opening half but it took them 20 minutes to produce an on-target effort as captain Joao Pedro's shot was saved by Aynsley Pears.
And it was Rovers who went ahead when home keeper Bachmann failed to deal with Rankin-Costello's none-too-potent shot and Dack slotted into the corner.
Pedro went close to an equaliser with a shot which may just have shaved the woodwork but Slaven Bilic decided he needed a greater threat up front and sent on Keinan Davis for Henrique Araujo after the break.
They began the second half on the front foot with Ismaila Sarr and Hassane Kamara testing Pears and Matheus Martins swinging in a dangerous cross which just eluded Davis and Ismael Kone.
But it was Hoedt - signed from Anderlecht on transfer deadline day - who finally came to their rescue when the visitors failed to clear a free-kick and Davis was just too high with a header moments later.
Cleverley made his return to action as a 71st minute substitute but it was Rovers who had the best opportunity in stoppage time at the end of the game as James Wharton headed wide from John Buckley's cross.
Both teams have tough assignments in midweek with Watford away to leaders Burnley on Tuesday and Blackburn taking on West Brom at The Hawthorns 24 hours later.
Watford head coach Slaven Bilic told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"They created one chance [in the first half] - and it didn't look like they were going to score from that, but they did unfortunately.
"Apart from that, it was all us but the quality in the final third, the end product, decision making and poor touches [let us down].
"I think it was a really good performance - we're not happy with the result, of course - and we can add on top of that that we are getting players back [from injury] now."
Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson:
"At the end of the day, coming away from Watford with a point, when you see their squad and the players they have at Premier League level, I think it's OK.
"Maybe if we were a little better on the ball and showed more bravery, like we did in periods of the first half, we could have created something more.
"I'm pleased about Bradley Dack, I've been trying to get him back on track and he's getting closer and closer. He had a good performance, we know he can score goals."