Report: Watford 0-0 Plymouth Argyle

• Goalless draw despite dominant second-half display
• Chances at a premium during low-key opening 45 minutes
• Baah returns and shows flashes of his best

Watford had to settle for a goalless draw at home to strugglers Plymouth Argyle as a much-improved second-half performance failed to find a killer breakthrough.

There was little quality on show before the interval but Watford provided a huge increase in tempo when they re-emerged, turning the screw on the visitors and creating a number of chances.

They could find no way through, however, showing the importance of being at your best throughout as the game ended all square.

Tom Cleverley made five changes from the 1-0 defeat at Oxford United last time out as the Hornets returned following the international break.

Caleb Wiley was named for his first Watford start at left-back, while Mattie Pollock was restored in the middle of defence after missing the U’s trip to attend the birth of his son.

Ryan Andrews was preferred at right-back and Vakoun Bayo returned to lead the line, with Rocco Vata also handed a start in a forward role after earning his first senior Republic of Ireland cap during the window.

Jeremy Ngakia, Yasser Larouci, Tom Ince and Edo Kayembe all dropped to the bench, while centre-back James Abankwah missed out entirely through suspension after his red card against Oxford.

The Hornets subs also included the welcome returns of Kwadwo Baah, Pierre Dwomoh and Daniel Bachmann; the trio having all been out injured since January.

Plymouth’s Darko Gyabi received an early card for scything down Tom Dele-Bashiru, and from the resulting free-kick Pollock headed into Conor Hazard’s gloves.

Imrân Louza then received Andrews’ cross in the box but he could only scoop his shot off target at the second attempt.

At the other end, Hornets keeper Egil Selvik had to punch away as Ryan Hardie tried to get his head on a cross from close range.

Michael Obafemi then nearly released Hardie for a clear shooting chance, but Francisco Sierralta pinched the ball off the striker’s toes.

It was an uneventful opening 20 minutes but Vata’s foul on Argyle skipper Adam Randell led to a free-kick in a useful position just to the side of the box.

The set-piece eventually worked its way to Randell again, whose well-struck effort was charged down.

Vata found Louza with an exquisite long pass which switched the ball from flank to flank, but the midfielder’s attempted drag back missed everyone as Watford struggled to fashion a clear-cut chance.

There was suddenly a moment of real danger at the other end, however, as Hardie turned expertly between Sierralta and Andrews after Obafemi’s touch.

The forward's effort looked destined for the bottom corner but Selvik got down well to make a superb low stop.

Watford continued to find it difficult to break down the Plymouth defence, with Andrews caught offside after a Dele-Bashiru pass which did dissect the back four.

Wiley’s dangerous cutback then also found Andrews but he could not control and the visitors were able to thump it away.

In the closing stages of the half, Vata’s low shot fizzed along the ground and wide as both teams went in goalless.

Ngakia replaced Andrews at half-time and nearly made an immediate impact with a through-ball which Plymouth got in the way of.

The Hornets made a bright start to the half and Wiley combined well with Giorgi Chakvetadze; the Georgian’s backheel setting the American away on the overlap.

Wiley swung in a cross which dropped kindly for Bayo but he was unable to adjust to pull the trigger.

Vata was next to be presented with an excellent opportunity but his touch was heavy following Moussa Sissoko’s pass and his shot, now much more difficult, was blocked.

This was still a completely different looking Golden Boys side which had clearly raised the intensity levels following Cleverley’s team talk at the interval, offering more in attack in the opening moments of the second half than the entire first 45.

Julio Pleguezuelo just got the ball back to Hazard as Vata tried to race clear, before Chakvetadze’s cross flashed past the diving header of Bayo in the middle.

Cleverley decided it was time for Baah in the 62nd minute, the returning forward receiving a warm welcome from The Vic as he replaced Dele-Bashiru.

Sissoko stepped into Dele-Bashiru’s boots in holding midfield as Baah moved to the right-wing, and the returning KB almost immediately showed glimpses of the class he had offered earlier in the season.

He first turned away from Pleguezuelo – the Argyle man earning a card for bringing him down – before some trademark speed and strength saw him burst past his man and into the box on the right side.

The ball would eventually find its way to Vata whose shot deflected off a Plymouth shirt and clipped the top of the bar as the decibels around the ground began to rise.

Wiley was then not far away with a low shot from distance, before Baah was sent angling away at speed on Hazard’s goal.

The returning man blasted in his shot but the Argyle keeper was equal to it with a smart save.

Watford kept threatening with Bayo just unable to head home Vata’s cross which ricocheted through the six-yard box, and the Ivorian was then in the centre of the action again.

After evading the offside trap following Vata’s through-ball, Bayo nipped the ball around Hazard but with the goal empty could only find the top of the side netting from a tight angle.

On 79 minutes, Academy product Zavier Massiah-Edwards was given his chance in place of Bayo; the youngster making his home debut and winning a corner almost straight away which Pollock headed wide via a deflection.

Ngakia’s sliced cross landed on the roof of the net before a Baah ball rolled dangerously through the box and out behind before Vata could pounce.

For all the pressure, Plymouth were presented with an excellent chance late on as a corner was collected by sub Muhamed Tijani, who turned before thumping a shot wide.

Substitute Edo Kayembe narrowly missed with a deflected effort during six minutes of stoppage time, but the final cutting edge was not to come for Watford as the points were shared.

Watford: Selvik (GK); Andrews (Ngakia HT), Pollock, Sierralta, Wiley (Larouci 90); Louza, Dele-Bashiru (Baah 62); Vata (Kayembe 90), Chakvetadze, Sissoko (C); Bayo (Massiah-Edwards 79).

Unused subs: Bachmann (GK), Morris, Dwomoh, Ince.