Hendrick howitzer late sting for Bilic as Hornets slip up
SLAVEN BILIC slammed his wasteful Watford side for allowing punch-drunk Reading to climb off the canvas.
The Hornets saw a faltering promotion bid suffer another setback as the Royals roared back to snatch a point from a match that looked lost.
Ismaila Sarr and debutant Ryan Porteous gave the visitors a two-goal lead but a Tom Ince penalty and a wonder goal from Jeff Hendrick saw the spoils shared.
Tempers flared in stoppage time resulting in a free-for-all after a bad tackle from sub Joao Pedro – who was booked along with Hamza Choudhury.
Tom Holmes was lucky not to see red for Reading.
And Bilic was left to rue two game-changing moments – a clumsy foul by Craig Cathcart on Shane
Long for the spot-kick and a third ‘goal’ from Matheus Martins disallowed for offside.
Bilic said: “It is a big waste for us, we can’t drop points like this. It feels like a defeat, when we should have three points.
“It was there for us. In boxing you would say they were groggy, and you don’t wait for the 12th round. Don’t win on points – knock them out.
“At 2-0 it is never buried but it should be enough. And we had so many situations for the third goal.
“With the disallowed goal, the goal was given and then the referee told me after the game there was a communication with the linesman.
“They said Britt Assombalonga was in an offside position and in the line of the goalkeeper. I have seen many goals even with VAR like that given.
“That was a key moment and so was the penalty out
READING
Ince 66 (pen), Hendrick 80 WATFORD
Sarr 30, Porteous 48 of nothing. That was a sloppy one, cheap.”
Cesare Casadei, on loan from Chelsea, found it tough going on his Reading debut while early on Ince saw his 25-yard effort finger-tipped around the post before Sarr curled a 20-yard effort just wide.
However Sarr and Watford broke through on the half-hour.
Mario Gaspar found Henrique Araujo and he turned the ball back for Sarr to tap in.
After half-time Joe Lumley saved from Sarr. And when Gaspar’s effort was deflected wide, Porteous rose to head home a corner.
Then suddenly Reading were back in it. Cathcart fouled Long and Ince tucked away the penalty.
Martins thought he had put Watford 3-1 up after 78 minutes only for the officials to disallow it.
And minutes later Hendrick smashed in a glorious equalising volley from Ince’s corner.
Substitute Yakou Meite could even have won it for the Royals.
Reading assistant boss Alex Rae said: “The boys showed brilliant character. They could easily have folded at 2-0 down.”