Plymouth Argyle 3-3 Watford: Thrilling New Year's Day draw at Home Park
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Morgan Whittaker's fifth goal in as many games for Plymouth Argyle put the hosts 2-1 ahead
Plymouth Argyle and Watford played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in atrocious weather conditions at Home Park.
Edo Kayembe's effort into the bottom corner gave the Hornets an early lead, but Finn Azaz's superb volley levelled the scores soon after.
Azaz turned provider as he teed up Morgan Whittaker to blast the Pilgrims ahead before Ismael Kone's superb effort made it 2-2, only for Ryan Hardie to get a third for Argyle in a pulsating first half.
Ryan Andrews' well-taken goal made it 3-3 before Hornbets keeper Ben Hamer saved an Azaz free-kick and a stoppage-time Whittaker effort to earn the visitors a point in a game that saw Argyle have 29 shots to Watford's 18.
If, as expected, Argyle appoint a successor to Steven Schumacher this week then director of football Neil Dewsnip's temporary period in charge of the first team could not have ended in a more scintillating way.
The point keeps Watford 10th in the Championship table while managerless Argyle are still in 18th spot, eight points clear of the bottom three.
Watford took advantage of some poor defending to go ahead as Matheus Martins picked up a throw in on the right of the area and cut it back to the unmarked Kayembe who drilled home low.
Torrential rain made it tough for both sides and it almost led to a second for Watford soon after when Dan Scarr's under-hit backpass got caught in the wet turf and Conor Hazard had to be quick off his line to bundle it clear under pressure from Mileta Rajovic.
But Argyle got themselves back into the game as, first, Ryan Hardie's low effort hit the inside of the post after good work by Adam Randell before Whittaker forced a save from Hamer a minute later.
From the resulting corner, Azaz hit one of Argyle's goals of the season as the ball was cleared as far as the on-loan Aston Villa midfielder on the edge of the box and his controlled side-footed volley dipped into the right side of the net.
Argyle went ahead when Azaz broke from deep in his own half and threaded a precision pass to Whittaker whose first shot was blocked, but the ball fell kindly to him on his right foot and he smashed in his fifth goal in as many matches.
The dangerous Andrews just missed getting a Watford second while Hardie, Azaz and Whittaker all went close before both sides struck again.
First, Kone played a lovely one-two with Giorgi Chakvetadze before curling into the top corner to equalise, only for Hardie to blast Argyle back ahead at the near post after being put through on goal by Whittaker.
The second half began with more good chances for Watford as Rajovic had a close-range effort blocked by Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Hazard got down well to save a deflected James Morris shot.
Andrews levelled matters again as he brilliantly controlled Jake Livermore's lofted ball over the top before deftly dinking over Hazard.
Hardie and Whittaker had efforts stopped before Azaz saw Hamer pull off a superb save from a free-kick from the edge of the box.
Scarr did well to put a dangerous Morris cross wide with seven minutes to go before Whittaker's powerful effort was palmed over by Hamer in stoppage time after a big spell of Plymouth pressure.
Watford head coach Valerien Ismael told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"As a manager you're not happy when you concede three goals, but I'm pleased because we scored three goals and we should have scored more.
"Attacking-wise we played well, a very strong away game attacking-wise. Defensively I think that we should do better.
"We were more on the back foot rather than the front foot and we got caught two or three times, but otherwise great mentality, great spirit, especially in the second half.
"There was more control and we created a lot of chances, and at the end it was just a case of tiredness and fatigue for the players, the fourth game in nine days and you feel it in the legs."
Plymouth Argyle director of football Neil Dewsnip told BBC Radio Devon:
"It was a really, really exciting game of football, two very attack-minded teams.
"It was quite open, a little bit too open at times for my liking, but incredibly exciting and I'm sure the fans have enjoyed every second.
"I thought that we did enough, particularly towards the end - the goalkeeper has made two incredible saves. Morgan Whittaker's just said to me 'I can't hit the ball any harder than that'.
"They're two top-class saves to stop us winning the game."
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