A LATE equaliser from recalled centre-half Malky Mackay earned 10-man Watford a hard-earned 2-2 draw at Leicester City.

The players celebrate Malky's late leveller

The Hornets battled hard to stretch their unbeaten run in the League to seven matches against a Foxes side shorn of confidence.

In front and looking comfortable, Watford were unable to drive home their initiative gained from an early Marlon King goal and allowed Leicester to gradually take control before half-time.

Having previously said before he's not frightened to change a winning side, Aidy Boothroyd brought in Mackay for Jay DeMerit at centre-half and there was one change on the bench too - Joel Grant for Darius Henderson.

Leicester boss Craig Levein also made a couple of changes from the side that lost at Burnley on Saturday with Richard Stearman and Elvis Hammond replacing Nils-Eric Johansson and Dion Dublin.

Marlon King nets from a 10th-minute free-kick

Watford took the lead after ten minutes. A booming kick by Ben Foster was chased down by Paul Devlin and he was bundled over by Patrick McCarthy on the edge of the Leicester box. While Ashley Young looked the likely taker, it was Marlon King who stepped up to join Young on nine League goals for the campaign with a low free-kick which seemed to go under Rab Douglas' wall, low into the net.

The Hornets went on to enjoy plenty of possession after the goal, but, instead of the visitors seizing the initiative, it was Leicester who gradually eased themselves back into the game and took control.

Momo Sylla's corner on the half-hour provided the warning, squirming through a forest of legs before being hacked clear by Clarke Carlisle.

But, with Watford offering little by way of controlled attacking, City's possession increased and Joey Gudjonsson first scored to make it 1-1 then went close with a 20-yard drive.

The opening home goal came on 37 minutes. Sylla played it square across the box to Ryan Smith who went outside Lloyd Doyley. His low cross deflected into the path of Gudjonsson arriving at the far post, and the Icelandic international swept the ball home.

Matt Spring protests but the ref awards a penalty for handball

Two minutes before half-time it was 2-1 to the Foxes after Matthew Spring was adjudged to have handled Sylla's corner at the near post. Gudjonsson sent Ben Foster the wrong way from the spot for his second of the night.

Carlisle spared the Hornets any further pre-interval blushes with a goal-line clearance to deny Elvis Hammond's goal-bound shot, just before being booked for diving at the other end.

Adding to Watford's woe, inside two minutes of the second half, Carlisle was shown a second yellow card for bringing down two-goal Gudjonsson on the very edge of the Hornets' box. It was a simple decision for the referee who might have been inclined to show a straight red had the centre-half not already been cautioned.

Clearly feeling he needed to change the approach, Boothroyd plumped for a 4-3-2 approach after 53 minutes, sacrificing wingers Anthony McNamee and Paul Devlin. Jay DeMerit came on to bridge the Carlisle gap and Al Bangura was chosen to sit behind Gavin Mahon and Matt Spring.

Without working their man advantage to its fullest possible benefit - further goals, of course - City made sure Watford were chasing possession more often than not. Caught off-side a number of times, they threatened but rarely delivered - especially when sub Dion Dublin shot wide when put completely in the clear eight minutes from full-time.

Just about visible, centre-half Malky Mackay opens his Hornets' account to earn a point

Yet at the other end, with Watford looking unlikely to muster another effort on-target to add to that lone King strike with the game just 10 minutes old, the recalled Mackay slotted home six minutes from the end.

Sub Al Bangura fed Mahon in the inside right position. The skipper's excellent low cross was perfect, between keeper and defenders. It ran to Young at the far post who tapped back across for Mackay - still up from a corner - to apply the finishing touch.

With injury-time beckoning, there was just time for Foster to preserve parity with a full-length stop to deny a low curling effort from the veteran Dublin.

Line-ups:
Watford: Foster; Doyley, Carlisle, Mackay, Chambers; Devlin (DeMerit 53), Mahon, Spring, McNamee (Bangura 53); King, Young. Subs not used: Chamberlain (GK), Stewart, Grant.

Leicester: Douglas; Stearman, McCarthy, Gerrbrand, Maybury; Smith (Tiatto 83), Gudjonsson, Kisnorbo, Sylla (Hughes 73); De Vries (Dublin 75), Hammond. Subs not used: Hume, Hamill.

Ref: Darren Drysdale (Lincs). Att: 18,856 (992 Hornets).

By Richard Walker at The Walkers Stadium