West Brom 2-2 Watford: A last-gasp Richarlison header earns Marco Silva's side a valuable point after the Baggies cave in and let a two-goal lead slip

• e-mail

Having said scoring at the death against Swansea City last weekend was the stuff of dreams, Brazilian 20-year-old Richarlison yet again turned into Watford’s hero.

The £11.2million summer signing saved his side in the fifth minute of stoppage time against West Bromwich Albion, who threw away a 2-0 lead at the Hawthorns.

Marco Silva’s 100 per cent record on the road may have come to an end but he and all of Watford celebrated the equaliser like it was a winner.  

Watford's Brazilian forward Richarlison peels away in jubilation as Abdoulaye Doucoure chases him after scoring the equaliser

West Brom forward Salomon Rondon celebrated after scoring the opener which was his first goal of the season 

The 28-year-old outmuscled Christian Kabasele to slot past Heurelho Gomes after latching on to a Grzegorz Krychowiak pass

Jonny Evans doubled the home side's advantage from a corner and collided with his team-mate Ahmed Hegazi 

The West Brom players all celebrate together after scoring their second goal during the first half at the Hawthorns

Abdoulaye Doucoure halved the deficit after bringing the ball onto his left foot and driving low into the corner past Ben Foster

MATCH FACTS, THE LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE

West Bromwich Albion (4-2-3-1): Foster 6; Dawson 6, Hegazy 5.5, Evans 6, Gibbs 6; Krychowiak 7, Barry 6; Brunt 6 (Livermore 62, 6), Rodriguez 6, Phillips 6 (McClean 58, 5); Rondon 7 (Robson-Kanu 72, 6)

Subs (not used): Myhill, Nyom, Morrison, Chadli

Scorers: Rondon (18), Evans (21)

Booked: Evans, Livermore, McClean

Manager: Tony Pulis 6

Watford (4-2-3-1): Gomes 5.5; Femenia 6, Mariappa 5.5, Kabasele 5, Holebas 6; Doucoure 6, Capoue 6 (Pereyra 62, 6); Carrillo 6 (Gray 74, 6), Cleverley 6, Richarlison 7.5; Deeney 6.5

Subs (not used): Karnezis, Janmaat, Britos, Hughes, Watson

Scorers: Doucoure (37), Richarlison (90+5)

Booked: NONE

Manager: Marco Silva 6

Referee: Michael Oliver 6

Attendance: 24,606 (2,715)

Man of the match: Richarlison 

Season at a glance

• Live tables
• Fixtures
• Scores

• Premier League
• Premier League
• Championship
• League One
• League Two
• Scottish Premiership
• Scottish Div 1
• Scottish Div 2
• Scottish Div 3
• Ligue 1
• Serie A
• La Liga
• Bundesliga

• More tables
• More fixtures
• More scores

Grzegorz Krychowiak played a superb accurate long pass for Salomon Rondon to run onto and fire past Heurelho Gomes to give West Brom the lead. CLICK HERE to see more from our brilliant MATCH ZONE.

Advertisement

After Abdoulaue Doucoure got Watford back into the game, it was a Jose Holebas cross that Richarlison met to make it 2-2, silencing the home support.

It was not without controversy, with West Brom boss Tony Pulis feeling the free-kick that led to the leveller was not a foul and that too much time was played.

Even so, at the final whistle, each and every Watford player went to the 2,700-strong away support to toss them their shirts. They sit fifth in the Premier League and Silva has installed a feel-good factor there.

‘We showed big character, big personality, big spirit,’ Silva said. ‘Everybody believes.

‘He (Richarlison) is a huge talent. An amazing boy, a worker. He wants to improve, to learn. He never gave up.

‘When I told our board that I want him, I had analysed him for a month. I saw in him different things that are not normal in Brazilian football. I believe in him.’ 

Watford forward Troy Deeney tries to fend off Gareth Barry as he shields the ball and retains possession for the away side

West Brom goalscorer Rondon leaps in the air and wins the flick on from Watford defender Adrian Mariappa's challenge

Craig Dawson dribbles the ball out of defence and takes on midfielder Kabasele as Jose Holebas tracks his run

Kiko Femenia pulls his shirt over his face and looks dejected after Watford conceded their second goal in the first half

Benfica loanee Andre Carrillo dispossesses West Brom forward Jay Rodriguez and travels forward with the ball

Marco Silva's players celebrate together after Doucoure grabbed one back for the away side with his third goal of the season

 West Brom thought they had the win courtesy of Salomon Rondon’s first strike of the season and a header by Jonny Evans.

It is the first time this season they have scored more than once in a Premier League match and Pulis used his post-match press conference to take aim at referee Michael Oliver.

‘The challenge from (James) McClean is fair,’ Pulis said. ‘He plays the ball.

‘It’s one that’s gone against us. It’s disappointing. Very disappointing. He played a minute over too. He gave four, and they’ve scored in the 95th minute.’

After a slow start, it was in the 18th minute that West Brom scored out of the blue.

A ball over the top by Paris Saint-Germain loanee Grzegorz Krychowiak gave Rondon something to chase. He had Watford centre back Christian Kabasele for company but used his strength to shrug off the threat before scoring from the tightest of angles.   

West Brom boss Tony Pulis barks orders from the touchline in his club tracksuit after his side saw their advantage cut by one 

Evans comes in from behind and times his tackle to perfection to dispossess Watford's Richarlison during the second half

Etienne Capoue holds his head after almost equalising from a long-ranged effort as the away side start to take control

Midfielders Tom Cleverley and Gareth Barry jump in the air and compete to head on a long punt forward 

Less than two minutes later, Kabasele came close to slicing a cross into his own net. It went out for a corner instead and, from the subsequent cross, West Brom made it 2-0.

Watford’s Doucoure tried to clear at the near post but only sent the ball to the back, where Evans was waiting to head home. Finally, two goals.

By the half hour mark, Watford had not managed a single shot, on or off target.

They finally had one in the 33rd minute when Richarlison skewed a shot that found the head of Andre Carrillo, who could not find the target from five yards.

Referee Micheal Oliver blows up and beckons captain Evans over as he gives Foster a ticking off for time wasting

Substitute James McClean sets off on a mazy run down the right wing and attempts to cross as Kabasele closes him down

Watford's Brazilian forward Richarlison reveals a large wound on his back and requires attention after a clash in the air

The Brazilian got up off the floor and dusted himself down to rise high and head in the equaliser in the last moments 

Less than two minutes later, Kabasele came close to slicing a cross into his own net. It went out for a corner instead and, from the subsequent cross, West Brom made it 2-0.

Watford’s Doucoure tried to clear at the near post but only sent the ball to the back, where Evans was waiting to head home.

The visitors handed themselves a lifeline before half time when Doucoure broke through and finished via a deflection from Evans.

Silva introduced Andre Gray as a last roll of the dice with 15 minutes remaining but it was Richarlison who saved them. A foul from McClean gave Watford a chance from a free-kick, Holebas crossed, and the youngster headed home.

They missed out on making it four away wins on the trot but, with thanks to Richarlison's equaliser, the bubble didn't entirely burst here.

The Watford players embrace each other and celebrate after Richarlison's late header earned them a share of the spoils