Millwall manager David Tuttle avoided defeat in his first home game in charge - but that is the only consolation the struggling Lions can take from a dreadful match.

This result keeps Millwall - who have won only once at home in the league this term - bottom of the Coca-Cola Championship, while promotion-chasing Watford will be reasonably happy with a point.

Gavin Mahon and Darius Henderson both squandered excellent chances for the visitors, but those incidents came after former Watford striker Bruce Dyer had hit a post and Kevin Braniff had missed a sitter for the home side.

Tuttle, 33, succeeded 34-year-old Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd as the division's youngest manager when he took over from Colin Lee, but it remains to be seen whether he achieves the results Boothroyd has managed.

Tuttle's team played some neat football in patches, but - as has been the case all season - struggled to threaten the Watford goal, and when they did create a chance, luck deserted them.

Barry Cogan - making his first start of the season - outfoxed James Chambers on the right in the 21st minute and picked out Dyer with his cross - only for the on-loan Stoke player to head against the far post with goalkeeper Ben Foster beaten.

Twelve minutes later, Millwall were left to rue their poor finishing. Paul Robinson's effort from the edge of the box ricocheted off Clarke Carlisle and fell to the unmarked Braniff, who somehow steered a right-footed volley past the right post from eight yards.

But it was not only Millwall who were capable of wasting easy opportunities.

With seconds left before the break, Henderson outmuscled Zak Whitbread on the Watford right and squared the ball for Mahon, whose close-range shot wide of the right post was as bad as Braniff's had been at the other.

As they had been at the start, Millwall were the brighter team in the opening stages of the second half but they did not test Foster.

Indeed, it was left to Millwall goalkeeper Colin Doyle kept his team level with a remarkable save from Henderson.

Marlon King - menacing through - steered a clever flick into the path of Matthew Spring in the 66th minute, and Henderson - three yards from goal - met the midfielder's perfect left-wing cross with a downward header that on-loan Birmingham man Doyle somehow stopped with his feet.

Eight minutes from time, King turned Robinson 20 yards out and flashed a low drive just past Doyle's left post as Watford finished the stronger.

Teams

Millwall Doyle, Dunne, Paul Robinson, Whitbread, Craig, Cogan, Elliott (Phillips 77), Morris, Livermore, Braniff (Williams 57), Dyer (May 55).

Subs Not Used: Simpson, Hendry.

Booked: Cogan, Dunne.

Watford Foster, Doyley, Carlisle, Mackay, Chambers, Devlin, Mahon, Spring, McNamee (Bangura 43), King, Henderson.

Subs Not Used: Chamberlain, Stewart, DeMerit, Grant.

Booked: Spring, Carlisle, Chambers.

Att: 8,450

Ref: A Marriner (W Midlands).