AIDY Boothroyd declared himself as happy as he's ever been with a goalless stalemate after Watford battled the odds - and the referee - to take a point that could have been more at Vicarage Road today.

After his side were reduced to ten men, the Hornets continued to pummel a Stoke side who could only manage 41% possession despite their man advantage, and could only manage a single shot on target, such was their sole intent to take a point back to the Potteries.

It all pointed to Boothroyd being a man proud of his players after the final whistle: "We attacked with vigour; I thought we were strong, we were fast, and I thought we put the fear of god into them at times, but just didn't finish it off.

"That was a fantastic performance and I thought the whole occasion today was absolutely fantastic, I thought we played as well as we ever have done in the first 20 minutes especially.

"We dominated the game from start to finish and normally there is a little lull and the opposition comes in, but I thought we were fantastic today and I do have to say that one the main reasons for that was the crowd, because they were brilliant today.

"We're a point gained with ten men, we've outplayed a team that's up there with us. I thought we were terrific today and at the end of it I look at what's happened today and I'm quite happy.

"I'm quietly confident and very happy. It's the happiest I've ever been after a 0-0 draw. I think there was only one team going to win today and that was us"

Afterwards in the tunnel area, the Stoke players were overhead saying it wasn't a red card for their former team mate John Eustace, but what was Boothroyd's assessment of Rob Styles' big decision?

"I haven't seen the sending off and I won't be critical until I've seen it," he said calmly. "If I am critical I'll do it privately.

"I think it shocked everybody, we had to readjust quickly and that was important. I thought we did that. I'll have a look at it and see what I think."

Styles, some cynics might say, evened things up with the award of a second half penalty for the 'Orns which Darius Henderson failed to convert - only on this occasion Aidy was in wholehearted agreement with the official.

"I personally thought the one his did give us, the penalty, was a penalty. I thought there was another one too when Ryan Shawcross handled it but he didn't give that one.

"The situation is when you get them, you've got to take them. Obviously Hendo's very disappointed because that's two in a week.

"I'll have a chat with him when I see him and we'll decide what we're going to do and there's no shortage of people that want to put it in there."

Boothroyd now believes Watford are in the best position of all the clubs, to come together, galvanise and press on for the finish line.

"I don't think there is another club who are in this situation whose fans are as behind them, whose Chairman and board and staff are together, and players who are just so desperate to win and play for the shirt.

"We're 11 unbeaten now and have 15 clean sheets and I'm thrilled today. We're in as good a shape as anybody right now."