WATFORD came away from the much-hyped visit to Reading with one point to show for a spirited performance, the quality of which grew as the game wore on.

Both managers might well contend that their team deserved to win it; Brendan Rodgers for a rip-roaring opening 20-minute salvo, Malky Mackay for the way his team responded to going behind to have by far the better of the second 45 minutes.

Billed as a grudge match with Rodgers' summer departure from Vicarage Road still fresh in the mind of Hornets' fans, the two managers greeted each other warmly in front of the dug-outs - suggesting the acrimony doesn't extend among the two sets of coaching staff.

Nothing of the like in the stands however, where nearly 3,500 Golden Boys' followers belted out a mix of displeasure at their former manager and songs in support of their team who've now extended the League run to just one defeat in the opening nine games.

Watford boss Mackay went in with an unchanged starting line-up from that which started at home to Leicester last weekend.

Meanwhile, Royals' boss Rodgers made four changes to the side which surrendered a lead at Peterborough the week before. In came ex-Hornet Jobi McAnuff, along with Jimmy Kebe, Jem Karacan and skipper Ivar Ingimarsson - one of the last remaining faces from Steve Coppell's success - in the centre of defence.

Reading were by far the brighter in the opening exchanges; no surprise at all in truth that they were to take a sixth-minute lead.

Brian Howard had already seen a 15-yard drive fizz just over and a shot bounce against the post after Grzegorz Rasiak's towering header was saved before the Pole gave the hosts an early advantage.

A ball slide in between full-back and centre-halves was collected by Howard's lively midfield partner, Icelander Gylfi Sigurdsson. He fed across to Raziak who showed that goalscorer's knack by stabbing home high into Scott Loach's net from eight yards.

It was little more than the home team deserved for they were by far the quicker out of the blocks on a sunny Autumn afternoon in Berkshire.

And while there were some neat interchanges among Watford's attackers, the play carried no threat. It was at the other end - in front of the massed ranks of Hornets' fans - that the chances continued to arrive.

Loach did well to get a strong hand to Kebe's low cross on 14 and Rasiak headed on top of the net from Shaun Cummings' deep cross on 20.

Watford enjoyed a couple of moments of their own then, as they began to edge their way back into things. Adrian Mariappa's header from a corner was deflected narrowly wide, then Danny Graham shot narrowly wide on 34 minutes - making space courtesy of a neat headed one-two with Tom Cleverley.

Rasiak then headed straight at Loach before Howard drew a decent save low to his left from Watford's England Under-21 keeper - the last of the chances during a first half which started at a frenetic pace but slowed considerably towards the break.

The second half started with nothing like the lop-sidedness of the first, however. The Hornets were more on the front foot and, like Reading, they made a promising start pay with the equaliser.

John Eustace sounded the warning seven minutes in. He reacted first to follow-up a speculative Cleverley volley and found himself one-on-one with Adam Federici. Federici turned his first effort up onto the bar, then the midfielder got crowded out by weight of numbers when the ball fell back to him in between his feet.

But if Eustace felt he'd missed out there, he made up for it with a quite exquisite assist for Graham's sixth of the season.

The 66th-minute goal started at left-back with Mariappa clearing his lines to Cleverley, who turned inside and fed Cowie. On to the increasingly influential Eustace in space and he floated a delightful chip over Ingimarsson and onto Graham's head.

The striker directed a cushioned header past Federici and in under the bar to send over 3,300 Hornets into delirium behind the goal.

Nathan Ellington's introduction moments before the goal was to prove bitter-sweet for the striker.

Having proved an excellent outlet in assisting Graham up front - even forcing Federici into one smart save low down at the near post - he clumsily earned a second yellow card with six minutes left, just as the Golden Boys were beginning to really dominate spells of possession.

The second period barely contained a Royals' shot in anger, yet they drew encouragement from the Duke's dismissal and enjoyed one last chance but Craig Cathcart snuffed out the danger with Raziak looking to steal in on a low centre from the left.

It wasn't one of those games with end-to-end entertainment and countless chances, but it was absorbing all the same given the context of the match.

READING: Federici; Cummings, Ingimarsson (c), O'Dea, Bertrand; Kebe, Howard (Robson-Kanu 69), Sigurdsson (Gunnarsson 53), McAnuff (Hunt 69); Karacan; Rasiak. Subs not used: Hamer (GK), Mills, Tabb, Church.

WATFORD: Loach; Hodson, Catchart, Mariappa (c), Doyley; Cleverley (Harley 86), Jenkins, Eustace, Cowie; Lansbury (Ellington 62), Graham. Subs not used: Lee (GK), Bennett, Hoskins, Henderson, Bryan.

GOALS: READING; Raziak (6), WATFORD; Graham (66).

BOOKINGS: READING; none. WATFORD; Graham (66), Ellington (75).

SENDINGS OFF: READING; none, WATFORD; Ellington (84 - second yellow).

ATTENDANCE: 18,147 (3,389 Hornets).