Coventry City 2-2 Watford: Ben Sheaf earns Sky Blues draw with leveller against Hornets
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Ben Sheaf's equaliser for Coventry was only this third goal of the season
Ben Sheaf moved Coventry City to within three points of the Championship play-off places by scoring a second-half equaliser against fellow promotion hopefuls Watford.
The Sky Blues also appeared to be controversially denied the chance to complete their fightback from 2-0 down with a late penalty, as shouts for a foul by Hassane Kamara on Brooke Norton-Cuffy were ignored.
An excellent run and finish from Joao Pedro for his 10th goal of the season gave Watford the perfect start, and Imran Louza doubled the advantage before the break with a cool finish after his initial attempt was blocked.
Matty Godden pulled a goal back with a sublimely curled shot that snuck inside the far post, before Sheaf turned home an effort from close range to set up a tense finish that was to be defined by the penalty decision.
Watford's failure to leave Coventry with maximum points after looking comfortable at 2-0 up will hurt their chances of reaching the play-offs, as a run of just two wins from 14 games now leaves them six points adrift of the top six with five games to play.
A point for Coventry keeps them in touch of the play-offs, having now lost just once in 12 games.
Watford boss Chris Wilder made six changes following Friday's defeat by relegation-threatened Huddersfield, with Britt Assombalonga among those to come in as he made his first start since returning to the club after almost a decade in January.
An expertly-delivered long diagonal ball from Ryan Porteous, which Assombalonga cleverly let run into the path of Pedro, set the Brazilian up for a brilliant opening goal.
He raced into space and then cut back inside Kyle McFadzean at the top of the box before finding the bottom corner with a well-placed finish.
But Assombalonga's influence lasted only a few minutes more as he was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury.
It took a crucial save from Watford goalkeeper Ben Hamer to deny Gustavo Hamer, who carved out Coventry's best chance of the first half soon after.
Good work from Ismaila Sarr on the right teed Louza up for Watford's second in injury time at the end of the first half, although the Moroccan needed two attempts before finding the back of the net.
Louza tested Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson with a dipping shot early in the second half and, after Sheaf dragged an attempt across the face of goal for the hosts, Godden curled home brilliantly to reduce the deficit just before the hour mark.
Coventry had a penalty appeal ignored as they searched for an equaliser, with Viktor Gyokeres going down in the area and drawing an angry reaction from his marker Leandro Bacuna.
While Sheaf wasted a free header to level in the 67th minute, he made no mistake five minutes later when he turned home a low cross - which was helped on by Gyokeres - from point-blank range.
Watford's Pedro sent a header over the bar and Coventry also threated to find a winner as late chances piled up, but attention will undoubtedly be on referee Keith Stroud's decision not to award the hosts a penalty when Norton-Cuffy was clumsily brought down in the box.
Coventry boss Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"Rubbish first half, brilliant second. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb: we can't allow that to happen against any team, but especially a team like them, with speed merchants up front. We opened up straightaway and allowed them to run behind us. We weren't catching them.
"They end up with a goal after six minutes and you're 1-0 down against a really top-quality set of players. We had decent chances during the first half to get back into it. We conceded the second one just before half-time which was really, really poor.
"The next goal was really important. Matty Godden deserved it because of his work-rate. It was a brilliant finish. The intensity went up and we controlled the game.
"The lesson is not to fear anything. The fact we're anywhere near the play-offs - everyone deserves an unbelievable amount of credit."
Watford boss Chris Wilder told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"It was a rollercoaster. I'd rather see that than walking off the pitch against Luton Town last Saturday feeling the way I and the coaching staff did. We went looking for the third goal during the second half and we should have found it - that's my little criticism.
"The third goal is the most important of the game and they get it through a couple of mistakes. It gave them and the crowd a huge lift.
"We're a little bit fragile from a confidence point of view; we just needed to reset and do what we did for an hour. A point for has not really done either team any favours.
"They've got the best player in the division in Gyokeres. He's incredible, such a handful. They're a really good attacking side. Mark's done a fantastic job."