A SUNNY afternoon in Hertfordshire and the stage was set for the kick off to the Hornets' 2009/10 campaign.

Having not won at The Vic since 1960 and not beating the Hornets since 1977, the odds were on for a home victory for Watford.

Malky Mackay had to watch his first game in charge from the stands due to a pitch side ban from the game against Plymouth last season coming into play.

The Scotsman kicked off his managerial career by naming his strongest possible starting XI with Jobi McAnuff recovering from a pre-season illness to take his regular place in midfield, while Tommy Smith joined new signing Danny Graham in attack.

Summer signing Scott Severin made his competitive debut in the heart of midfield alongside Academy graduate Ross Jenkins.

The visitors included former Hornet James Chambers amongst their starting XI.

Graham opened the scoring for the Hornets with his debut goal in the Championship but Watford were denied the three points by an extremely powerful header from Doncaster striker James Hayter.

Doncaster claimed the first corner of the game but it went safely into Loach's hands.

Lloyd Doyley's throw-in lead to a Don Cowie free kick just outside the area where McAnuff picked up the ball but lost control in the box and the visitors reclaimed possession as the majority of the control came from Watford's South Yorkshire visitors.

Although Cowie and Graham were showing great potential as they linked up on the field, Watford were struggling to get hold of the ball from the northerners as Doncaster continued their onslaught of Loach's goal.

Captain DeMerit rises to the ball

But this was to no affect as their efforts were repeatedly cleared and kicked away by Watford's Golden Boys.

A free kick on the edge of the area on 16 minutes gave their captain Brian Stock his first chance to change the match, but the ball found Loach's gloves instead of the back of the net.

Watford enjoyed brief spells of control, one of which saw a Doyley run provoke the packed Vicarage Road to get behind the yellow shirted team.

Graham's presence continued to threatened the Doncaster defence and it was only a matter of time before the stalemate was broken in the 27 minute.

Don Cowie's free kick floated in to find Smith who crossed the ball from right to left and Graham finished the job and opened his Watford Championship campaign by sneaking the ball into the corner of the net.

Danny Graham gets off the mark for the 'Orns

On 32 minutes, Mike Williamson's foul gave Doncaster the chance to get back in the game but their free kick was confidently punched away by Loach.

The ball was cleared and found Smith who shot down the right, battling with the Doncaster defence to find space with the ball finally falling to Cowie who was fouled on the edge of the area.

A few minutes later, another Cowie free kick was blasted straight at goal but flew inches past the top of the woodwork.

Ten minutes after Watford's goal, Doncaster skipper Stock's cross picked out striker Hayter who blasted his powerful header past Loach, who had no chance against the force of the ball into the corner of the net.

With five minutes left of the first half, the Hornets looked like they might strike again as Mariappa passed to McAnuff who took on the 'keeper and was unlucky not to have his strike finished off by Severin's shot.

Two minutes later, James Spicer threatened to seal the first half as Doncaster's but his shot was too high to find the back of Loach's net.

Adrian Mariappa sails pat a challenge

A Cowie cross outside the box came to nothing as the first half closed at one a piece.

Although Doncaster had seemed to be in control of the match at the beginning of the game, Watford's persistent defending and onslaught on goal paid off as the two teams went into the second half even-stevens.

Smith kicked off the second half by sailing in a cross from the left side of the box and minutes later the forward skimmed a ball past the goal and was unlucky not to finish the job.

On 51 minutes, a Doncaster cry for handball was luckily denied as Jay DeMerit made contact with the ball, away from the gaze of the linesman.

Minutes later, the scales were tipped equal as Rovers were given a free kick on the edge of the area, resulting in a clearance by the Hornets only for the ball to be blasted back in by busy Rovers' skipper Stock.

The England U21 'keeper Loach had his work cut out as the vistors applied the pressure on their hosts, forcing a Stock corner from the right which sailed into the box, meeting Shiels' left foot but only to be denied by Loach's gloves as he stretched to meet the ball.

As the clock ticked towards the 60 minute mark, Graham won the ball for the Hornets, passed out to Mariappa who went on to find the boots of Smith. The current Player of the Year ended up in a tangle of red and white shirts in the box but the penalty calls were waved past by the referee who was having none of it.

McAnuff tries to thread the ball past a Doncaster player

As Mackay watched from the inner depths of the East Stand, alongside Goalkeeper Coach Alec Chamberlain, his side battled on the pitch against some very persistent visitors.

On 64 minutes, an unlucky bouncing ball denied Smith his third attempt of the second half in Doncaster's box as their goalkeeper gratefully clasped the ball in his hands.

Five minutes later, Smith was yet again wanting part of the action as he got on the end of a Mariappa throw in, but his header sneaked past the goal post, keeping the score at a draw.

Striker Will Hoskins joined the party as McAnuff was replaced in the 76 minute. The heat was turned up a notch by Watford as Cowie sailed in a corner from the left but the effort ended in a goal-kick for Doncaster.

After a scramble in the box between various members of the Watford team, Severin went for glory but blasted the ball over the top of O'Sullivan's goal. 

Tommy Smith comes up against former 'Orn James Chambers

Smith yet again tried his luck at goal but his effort didn't have enough power and the ball dribbled into O'Sullivan's gloves.

The South Yorkshiremen seemed slightly panicked as Watford's late pressure continued, although the Hornets were struggling to finish their efforts as the game was seeping into the last quarter.

A last minute attack in the dying embers of stoppage time by Doncaster perhaps shook the Watford nerves a touch, but the whistle blew to signal the end of Watford's 2009/10 opener with the Hornets sharing the spoils with their Northern visitors.

WATFORD: Loach; Mariappa, DeMerit (c), Williamson, Doyley; Cowie, Severin, Jenkins, McAnuff; (Hoskins 76) Graham, Smith. Subs not used: Harley, Lee (gk), Ellington, Eustace, Bryan, Hodson.

DONCASTER ROVERS: Sullivan; Chambers, Sheils (Coppinger 67), Hird, Roberts; Lockwood, Stock (c), Woods, Spicer (O'Connor 87); Hayter (37), Heffernan (Oster 73). Subs not used: Guy, Wilson, Oster, Smith, Dumbuya.

BOOKINGS: WATFORD: none. DONCASTER ROVERS: none

SENDINGS OFF: WATFORD; none. DONCASTER ROVERS: none.

GOALS: WATFORD: Graham (27). DONCASTER ROVERS: Hayter (37).

REFEREE: Mr N Swarbrick

ATTENDANCE: 15, 636 (away 1,419).