Hoedt’s equaliser prevents points from going Wes
SLAVEN BILIC once more was grateful to a goalscoring debutant defender as Wesley Hoedt salvaged a point for stuttering Watford.
The Dutch international, formerly with Southampton but signed on deadline day from Anderlecht, smashed in a 74th-minute volley to grab a point for the Hornets.
And that cancelled out a first-half strike from Bradley Dack with his 50th league goal for Blackburn.
Hoedt’s goal came only a week after new centre-back partner Ryan Porteous scored in his first game against Reading.
And Bilic said: “Both Wesley and Ryan were very good, and they are very impressive.
“Based on this game they already have a good understanding. In the air they are dominant, on the ground they pass forward.
“So together with Wesley’s goal, that is very good. And Joao Pedro after his injury was very good in the first half. In my head was always the danger not to exhaust him in his second game back. That would be a catastrophe.
“I thought we played well today. It was just a lack of quality at the end.”
There was a late coming together with Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson on the touchline, with the Dane suggesting “maybe he was trying to give me a kiss”.
WATFORD
BLACKBURN
But Bilic said: “It was nothing major, and no more in another game like a derby. It was 1-1, five minutes to go. What do people expect – a library? There was nothing under the belt.”
Rovers went ahead in the 24th minute. Joe RankinCostello fired in a shot saved by Daniel Bachmann, but when the ball ran loose, Dack poked the it into the corner.
Dack thought he had grabbed a second, but the flag went up for offside. However Watford were level after 74 minutes.
Sub Ken Sema’s free-kick was only half-cleared, and Hoedt crashed home a leftfoot volley.
Tomasson added: “Look, coming away from Watford with a draw when you see the players and the squad they have, it is okay.”
WATFORD: Bachmann 5; Gaspar
5, Hoedt 7, Porteous 6, Kamara 6; Choudhury 5 (Cleverley (71) 6), Kone 6 (Louza (79) 6); Sarr 6, Martins 5 (Sema (60) 6); Pedro 6 (Assombalonga (79) 6), Araujo 5 (Davis (46) 6)
BLACKBURN: Pears 7; Ranking-Costello 7 (Brittain (86) 6), Carter 7, Wharton 7, Pickering 7; Morton 7 (Buckley (60) 6), Travis 7; Thomas 7 (Gallagher (60) 6), Dack 7 (Szmodics (75) 6), Brereton Diaz 6 (Hedges (75) 6); Dolan 6
STAR MAN: Wesley Hoedt – Helped atone for failing to stop Rovers’ opener with a precious debut goal for Watford.
REF: Jeremy Simpson 7