Defender Ryan Porteous marked his debut with a second-half goal as Watford were ultimately held 2-2 by Reading, with forward Ismaïla Sarr having earlier broken the deadlock at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

After a tentative start to proceedings in Berkshire, Sarr prodded in his eighth goal of the Sky Bet Championship season in the 30th minute, while Matheus Martins and Henrique Araújo both looked threating throughout the first 45.

Porteous made it two soon after the break with a well-dispatched header, but a Tom Ince penalty fired the Royals into life and Jeff Hendrick volleyed in the leveller with 10 minutes to go.

A point on the road keeps the Hornets in the top-six with 30 games of the second-tier campaign played, ahead of a clash against play-off rivals Blackburn Rovers back at Vicarage Road next Saturday (February 11, 3pm KO).

Head Coach Slaven Bilić made three changes to the XI that fell to defeat in Middlesbrough last time out, with Porteous coming in for his first Watford appearance, Araújo earning his full debut, and Leandro Bacuna returning to the midfield.

Watford were patient in their play in the game’s very early stages, with Porteous and central defensive partner Craig Cathcart enjoying plenty of touches, but the first real chance fell to home number 10 Ince, whose right-footed attempt from 18 yards needed palming away by Daniel Bachmann.

Sarr showed his value in the defensive third with a crucial clearance moments later, and then at the other end the Senegal star went close to breaking the deadlock with a curling effort that narrowly flashed past Joe Lumley’s upright.

A handful of Reading attacks required the visiting backline to remain alert, as the clock ticked past the halfway point of the first half, but Watford’s hard work was rewarded shortly afterwards when Mario Gaspar’s sumptuous pass picked out Araújo, whose pull-back duly teed up Sarr to tap home from close range.

With the momentum in their favour the Golden Boys quickly went on the charge in search of a second, and after home midfielder Amadou Mbengue was booked for stopping Sarr in his tracks on the left, Martins’ subsequent free-kick bobbled into Lumley’s arms.

Portuguese youngster Araújo went close to notching a first goal in yellow with a quick-fire shot at the near post in the 39th minute, and although Ince fired a long-range free-kick towards the away goal on the stroke of half-time, Bilić’s men were well worth their slender lead at the whistle.

Royals midfielder Hendrick fashioned the first shot of the second half, though he was unable to test Bachmann, and just seconds later Sarr was denied a second for Watford one-on-one with Lumley, with Gaspar winning a corner with a deflected effort in the follow-up.

And the set-piece did produce a second for the Hornets, with new-boy Porteous rising highest to meet Martins’ ball and head across goal past Lumley, before celebrating wildly with the jubilant supporters nearby.

A Sarr header won another corner as Watford continued to push, though this time ultimately without reward, and the 24-year-old then thought he had doubled his tally on the 55-minute-mark, only to be flagged offside.

Martins was next to test Lumley, with the Royals’ goalkeeper doing well to acrobatically get down to his left and palm the ball to safety, and then the latter’s opposite number Bachmann showed his quality when stopping a Mamadou Loum fizzer.

Reading were handed a lifeline when referee Steve Martin judged Cathcart to have fouled Shane Long in the 18-yard box and pointed to the spot, and Ince did indeed reduce the hosts’ deficit to one goal with a well-taken spot-kick in the 66th minute.

Keen to hold onto the lead, Bilić sent on João Pedro for his first minutes since Boxing Day, alongside recent arrival Britt Assombalonga, but it was Reading on the push and Bachmann was soon called on to smartly save a stinging Femi Azeez volley.

Long almost found himself an opening, but for a vital last-gasp clearance from Cathcart, and though Martins thought he had grabbed a third for Watford 12 minutes from time, Assombalonga’s touch saw the goal ruled out for offside again.

The scoreline didn’t stay at 2-1 for long, but this time it was Reading celebrating as Hendrick fired in a neat equaliser from inside the area, and with little time left Bilić threw on Ismaël Koné and Tobi Adeyemo.

Yakou Méïté had a good chance to win it for Paul Ince’s side, but could only shoot wildly off target with two minutes to go, and though four minutes were added to the normal 90, neither team could convert their efforts into what would have been a dramatic winner.