Watford vs Leeds LIVE: Championship result and reaction after Mateo Joseph’s late equaliser
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Leeds were unable to return to the top of the Sky Bet Championship after being held to a draw at Watford in the late kick off on Good Friday.
Tom Cleverley kicked off his time as Watford interim head coach off to a good start prior to the international break with a 1-0 win over Birmingham City, and followed it up with a hard-fought point against Leeds.
Despite Leeds’ significantly better position in the league, it was the Hornets who started brightly, taking the lead through Vakoun Bayo.
Leeds fought back, Crysencio Summerville scored a stunning individual curled strike into the top corner to make it 1-1.
Emmanuel Dennis put the Hornets ahead with another good goal, this time an individual effort capped off with a backflip celebration, and it looked enough for the home side before Mateo Joseph scored at the second attempt just moments after being brought onto the field.
Daniel Farke boasts an impressive record for promotion to the top flight, having managed to do so twice when manager of Norwich.
Follow all the live action from the Championship clash in the blog below, and get the latest odds and tips here.
Match report
Substitute Mateo Joseph netted a late equaliser to earn Leeds a 2-2 draw at Watford - but that was not enough to lift his side back to the top of the Championship table.
Mid-table Watford led twice before half-time thanks to goals from Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis either side of a fine Leeds reply from Crysencio Summerville.
Leeds were in danger of suffering a first league loss of 2024 until 20-year-old Spaniard Mateo came off the bench and scored seconds later.
Leeds ended Good Friday in second spot however as Ipswich, 1-0 winners at Blackburn earlier in the day, are a point ahead.
Via PA Media
FT: Watford 2-2 Leeds
FT: Leeds cannot push for a winner, and they will leave Vicarage Road with a point having come from behind twice.
Three goals in the first half put Watford ahead, but Joseph, who had only just come onto the field, was in the right place at the right time to tap the ball home to ensure his side remain unbeaten in the league in 2024.
Watford 2-2 Leeds
90+4 mins: Ampadu throws for Leeds, it’s initially cleared but came back to Firpo, and the second ball was headed clear by Sierralta.
Watford 2-2 Leeds
90+3 mins: The game has just stopped for some pushing and shoving, there looked like a foot-stamp off the ball, but maybe too much was made from it.
Watford 2-2 Leeds
90+1 min: Leeds are keeping with their tactics and trying to build from the back, but so far they have just been forced back into their own half.
Watford 2-2 Leeds
90 mins: We are into stoppage time now, Joseph goes down in the box, but the referee believes he has committed a free kick and that will give the home side some breathing room.
There will be five minutes of added time.
Watford 2-2 Leeds
89 mins: It is just feeling like Watford’s threat disappeared when Emmanuel Dennis had to leave the field because of a knock.
The Hornets have struggled to get going since and it is Leeds who have kept pushing, and will keep doing so to try and claim a late winner.
Watford manager Tom Cleverley makes two more substitutions, but can they hold on for a point.
Watford 2-2 Leeds
87 mins: Leeds have just turned on the pressure here, James curls in a corner, and the goalkeeper has to hold on.
GOAL! Joseph scores! - Watford 2-2 Leeds
GOAL! 85 mins: Summerville again was at the heart of it, the ball was bouncing everywhere.
Joseph scuffed his first chance, but on the saved rebound managed to tap it home!
He had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds!
Watford 2-1 Leeds
84 mins: Leeds make another couple of changes, Byram and Kamara off, Joseph and Anthony on.
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