WELCOME back to the Championship Watford. That was so nearly the message handed out by Wolves on the opening day of the campaign, before Jordan Stewart and Marlon King came to the rescue with a wonder goal and a late, late penalty.
A sucker punch in first half injury time had put paid to Aidy Boothroyd's early hopes and expectations as the odd goal looked as if it would be enough for Mick McCarthy's promotion favourites to take the first three points on offer.
But whilst a draw had appeared the most likely outcome to neutral observers, try as they might Watford were simply unable to haul themselves back into the fixture as they failed to recreate their excellent first half impetus after the break.
That was until the dying moments when the unlikely hero of the hour stepped up to fire home a thunderbolt of a free-kick, and with it salvage a sweet Championship point.
Or was that three? Indeed it was as King capitalised on a last-gasp spot-kick to send the Watford faithful into stunning celebrations in the Steve Bull stand.
The big kick-off had earlier signalled debuts for summer signings Mart Poom and Jobi McAnuff as Boothroyd starting with what on paper appeared to be his strongest XI.
Meanwhile Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was left with slightly more of a headache as he started the season without star man Matt Murray in goal, instead having to draft in youngster Wayne Hennessey.
The last game to get underway in the opening day's packed Championship schedule, the match kicked off in glorious early evening sunshine with Watford attacking the Stan Cullis Stand.
In the second minute Tommy Smith put Watford in the early ascendancy, tearing away down the right to win a corner off Seyi Olofinjana, which resulting in former Molineux trainee Gavin Mahon heading narrowly wide.
Wolves' defence were looking vulnerable and Tamas Priskin was the next to test their mettle when in the eighth minute he flashed a cross just inches from the goal line and the onrushing King.
Five minutes later the combination of Priskin and McAnuff set up King at the far post, who volleyed wide from an acute angle. Watford were looking increasingly dangerous.
Under several crunching challenges Smith was next to forge his way up the field with ball, eventually hooking his low shot wide of Hennessey's goal.
Wolves were simply hacking at legs every time Watford swept up the pitch, with the Hornets' quality coming to the fore as the minutes ticked by.
Meanwhile, Wolves' first real chance of the half came late on when their nippy forward Andy Keogh raced into a gaping hole in front of the Wolves defence before releasing a rising drive over Poom and high into the Jack Harris Stand.
Similarly Olofinjana wasted an effort with just three minutes to the break, this time from inside the area when unmarked by the Watford defence.
But, a minute into added time at the end of the half, the Nigerian wasn't to make the same mistake twice.
Bursting through into the area he outpaced Dan Shittu to get goal side and lift the ball neatly over the advancing Poom to open the scoring for Wolves and see Watford ship their first of the campaign.
With no changes at half-time it was somewhat surprising to see Darius Henderson introduced into the thick of the action after just three minutes of the second half for Hungary striker Priskin.
King had the ball in the back of the net after 53 minutes bringing the Watford following to their feet, but an assistant's flag had long since been raised and the strike couldn't have counted.
Reunited with Henderson, King was looking a little more like his old self in the second half although chances were still few and far between for the former Championship top scorer.
Wolves were counter attacking with increasing frequency however, making the game plan ever harder for Boothroyd, who still sensed his side getting back into the fixture at any moment such was the frenetic nature of this encounter.
Indeed they should have been back in it in the 68th minute as McAnuff was guilty of wasting a golden opportunity as he slammed his shot at Hennessey when played into space on the left edge of the area by Smith.
Soon after Mahon instigated a swift Hornets attack as he played a long pass to King, whose cross from the right was put behind for a corner, which sadly came to nothing for the visitors.
Boothroyd went for the jugular in the final ten minutes, introducing Steve Kabba for Berkhamsted boy Smith.
But despite all of Watford's attacking options on display, it fell to the full-back Stewart to snatch what looked to be a point from the jaws of defeat.
With McAnuff sent tumbling on the edge of the area Midlander Stewart stepped up to the plate, lining up a 25-yard free-kick.
Little did anyone imagine that the former Leicester man would hammer the ball home into the very top left hand corner of the Wolves goal, and with it send the travelling 'Orns into raptures on the far side of the field. It was his first ever Watford goal.
It was little more than Boothroyd's men deserved although it may yet have been more as King robbed a statuesque Michael Gray on the byline before smashing a shot off the shins of Hennessey.
And with that they thought it was all over. Not so.
Deep, deep into injury time Kabba got free in space on the left, and, cutting infield he was unbelievably upended, leaving referee Neil Swarbrick with no option but to point to the spot.
Despite several agonising seconds as the Wolves players swarmed around King, the irrepressible Watford forward coolly smashed home his spot-kick and with that Boothroyd's side were off to the best, and most sensational start to their Championship promotion campaign.
WOLVES (4-4-2): Hennessey; Collins, D Ward, Breen (c) (Edwards 69), Gray; S Ward, Potter, Olofinjana, Kightly; Elliott (Bothroyd 75), Keogh. Subs not used: Stack (gk), Henry, Eastwood.
WATFORD (4-4-2): Poom; Doyley, DeMerit, Shittu, Stewart; McAnuff, Mahon (c), Williamson, Smith (Kabba 81); King, Priskin (Henderson 48). Subs not used: Lee (gk), Bangura, Mariappa.
BOOKINGS: WOLVES; none. WATFORD; Williamson (foul 78).
SENDINGS-OFF: WOLVES; none. WATFORD; none.
GOALS: WOLVES; Olofinjana (45+1). WATFORD; Stewart (87), King (90+4 pen).
REFEREE: Mr Neil Swarbrick.
ATTENDANCE: 23,115. (1,109 Watford supporters)
