Watford's promotion hopes took a knock, and Huddersfield were unable to improve theirs at Vicarage Road in this scrappy undistinguished game which did not liven up until the 70th minute.

Watford looked the better in the first half, but it took them 28 minutes before Richard Johnson put in the first shot of note, and this went just wide.

Watford stuttered and spluttered. Without the services of their first-choice striker pairing - the injured Gifton Noel-Williams and Allan Smart - they lacked all cohesion in attack.

The best chance of the half fell to midfielder Micah Hyde eight minutes from the interval. Peter Kennedy's cross was challenged for by makeshift striker Tommy Mooney. The ball bounced loose and Nick Wright set up Hyde who fired wide.

Huddersfield were fortunate not to have full-back David Phillips sent off four minutes into the second half when he fouled the escaping Wright as the Watford striker homed in on the penalty area.

Phillips received a yellow card, and from the resultant free kick Nico Vaesen dived to his left to fingertip wide a fierce shot from Kennedy.

Watford continued to press, but when the ball fell to Mooney in a goal-mouth scramble, he failed to get hold of his shot, and Vaesen made comfortable save.

Huddersfield had few opportunities to threaten, and the nearest they came at that stage was a glancing header from Kevin Gray.

Then after 70 minutes Watford broke the deadlock. Mooney climbed to meet a Richard Johnson free-kick and nodded beyond the reach of the 'keeper from the corner of the six-yard box.

Within a minute, Huddersfield were on terms. Watford half-cleared to the left of their goal mouth, but Simon Baldry robbed Robert Page and hooked over a cross for the stooping Chris Beech to meet with a header from five yards.

Then it was Huddersfield's turn to apply the pressure. Baldry cut in and fired goalwards, but Watford 'keeper Alec Chamberlain made a fine save and then dived to his left to tip wide a hooked shot from Marcus Stewart.

Watford put on a late burst of pressure, but Huddersfield hung on deservedly for a point.

Watford: Chamberlain, Bazeley, Kennedy, Page, Palmer, Iroha (Smith 85), Wright, Hyde, Mooney, Johnson,Daley (Ngonge 46).

Subs Not Used: Easton.

Booked: Iroha.

Goals: Mooney 70.

Huddersfield: Vaesen, Phillips, Edwards, Johnson, Dyson, Gray, Baldry, Hamilton, Stewart, Beech, Thornley (Facey 71).

Subs Not Used: Barnes, Edmondson.

Booked: Phillips, Edwards.

Goals: Beech 71.

Att: 10,303

Ref: L Cable (Woking).