Hornets stung by late Hammers strike

Watford claimed their first point in the Barclays Premiership this season - but they were desperately unlucky not to claim all three against West Ham.

Marlon King - who also hit the post in the first half - put the home side in front with a tremendous strike in the 63rd minute, but Bobby Zamora equalised for the Hammers barely a minute later to preserve an unbeaten record against Watford that stretches 21 years and as many matches.

Zamora could have won it for West Ham in the 71st minute - but that would have been tough on Adrian Boothroyd's hard-running, committed team, who went close through Ashley Young, Dan Shittu and Darius Henderson.

Alan Pardew's West Ham side were technically superior to their hosts, but at times they struggled to cope with Watford's physical strength and with the power and pace of King, who had an inspired match.

The Hornets face their toughest test so far when Manchester United come to Vicarage Road on Saturday - but this display will have filled Boothroyd and his players with confidence.

Watford brought in Hameur Bouazza and the fit-again Jay DeMerit for James Chambers and Adrian Mariappa, while West Ham also made two changes, with John Pantsil - making his full debut - and James Collins replacing Tyrone Mears and Yossi Benayoun.

Watford began the match using the direct, purposeful style that served them so well in winning promotion from the Coca-Cola Championship last season - but posed the visitors few alarms.

The home side looked secure at the back in the early stages - until West Ham threatened seriously for the first time in the 17th minute.

Marlon Harewood robbed his former team-mate Chris Powell - making his home debut - and headed for goal, but DeMerit did superbly to force the powerful striker wide and block his eventual shot.

Watford came much closer in the 26th minute, though, when Bouazza made a 60-yard run down the left and crossed for King to steer a right-foot volley against Roy Carroll's left post.

The game opened up after that near miss. DeMerit produced another terrific intervention to deny Nigel Reo-Coker in the 29th minute after Young had mis-kicked inside his own penalty area, and two minutes later Young showed the brighter side of his game when he sent an overhead kick narrowly wide of the right post from 12 yards.

In the 33rd minute, Zamora out-jumped Powell at the far post to reach Paul Konchesky's left-wing cross but his header drifted tamely wide of Ben Foster's goal.

Early in the second half, Bouazza for Watford and Konchesky for West Ham both went close as the home side continued to hold their own against the team that finished ninth in the Premiership last season.

But it was the home side who took the lead in breathtaking fashion in the 63rd minute when King, facing away from goal, collected Young's lay-off from the edge of the area and powered a magnificent 30-yard shot into Carroll's top-right corner.

Watford's lead lasted barely 60 seconds, however. Konchesky crossed from the left and the unmarked Zamora reacted the quickest to volley in off the bar from eight yards.

Immediately after the goal, West Ham sent on Teddy Sheringham and Benayoun for Harewood and Danny Gabbidon as the visitors switched from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2.

But it was Boothroyd's team who went close to regaining the lead when Shittu headed Bouazza's corner just over the bar - seconds after Pantsil nearly headed into his own net.

Watford came even closer in the 70th minute when Carroll's remarkable one-handed save prevented Anton Ferdinand turning King's cross into his own net.

The match, relatively quiet in the first half, was now compelling.

Zamora should have scored a second in the 71st minute, but shot wide from 10 yards after Sheringham had taken advantage of a rare Foster fumble to set up his strike partner.

Watford's aerial threat continued to pose problems for West Ham, and Henderson was just off target after meeting Young's right-wing cross with a firm header with 12 minutes remaining.

The home side continued to create chances and in the 80th minute, King found himself free inside the area but his volley was wild and flew well wide.