Patson Daka pays the penalty as Leicester and Watford play out goalless draw

Patson Daka missed a penalty dented Leicester’s Sky Bet Championship survival bid in their 0-0 draw against Watford at Vicarage Road.

Daka’s 40th-minute spot-kick was brilliantly tipped on to the post by home goalkeeper Egil Selvik. The striker also headed wide of a near open goal in the second half as the Foxes failed to climb out of the bottom three.

A largely sterile draw did little to improve Watford’s fading play-off hopes, either. Indeed, it took Ed Still’s side 70 minutes to manage a shot on target

The first half passed in a haze of tackles, challenges and attempts to force openings, but without any glimpses of inspiration on how to create goalscoring opportunities.

It seemed that Abdul Fatawu was joining in the general mediocrity when he was left beating the turf in frustration after slipping as he attempted to beat two defenders.

Moments later, fed by an Oliver Skipp pass, Fatawu produced a moment of skill out of keeping with the match as he skipped past Watford defender Formose Mendy before being tripped in the area.

Daka’s penalty was low and true, but Selvik produced a superb stop, plunging to his right to push the ball on to the post.

The penalty apart, the first period was notable only for a bizarre incident involving referee Josh Smith.

The official had endured an appalling 24 minutes in the eyes of both sets of supporters with a number of baffling decisions when he suddenly disappeared down the tunnel without a word of instruction to any player or either manager.

He returned nearly five minutes later to a chorus of boos after changing his communications equipment, according to the announcement made over the Vicarage Road tannoy system.

Leicester’s sense of urgency for victory appeared the greater of the two sides and they continued to press forward into the second half.

The game finally saw the first shot on target from open play after 52 minutes but Stephy Mavididi’s shot lacked the power to beat Selvik.

Much of Watford’s threat came from the dribbling skills of Giorgi Chakvetadze and it was no surprise that two of Leicester’s four bookings, to Jordan James and Fatawu, came from attempts to stop the Georgian.

With time beginning to running out, Leicester substitute Divine Mukasa shot straight at Selvik before Daka missed a glorious chance to atone for his failed penalty when he headed a Bobby De Cordova-Reid cross wide from only five yards with the home keeper scrambling across his goal.

Leicester’s energy finally began to wane and as it did, Watford finally managed an effort on target with first Nestory Irankunda, then Luca Kjerrumgaard denied by Jakub Stolarczyk in the Leicester goal as the match ended in a draw which suited neither side.