Premiership newboys Watford saw their hopes of a first win of the season slip away on Monday as they threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Fulham.
Marlon King and Ashley Young had given the Hornets a 2-0 lead only for US international Brian McBride and Heidar Helguson -- who used to play for Watford scoring 63 goals in five seasons -- to bring the visitors level.
Fulham actually took the lead five minutes from time through a Damien Francis own goal, but Watford salvaged a point as Young scored his second of the match -- the draw leaves them second from bottom with four points after seven matches.
It left Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd rather deflated.
"We're that keen to get it [a win] that that we get on the back foot rather than on the front foot," he said.
"At 2-0 up, we had a great start to the second half and I would fully expect us to go and win that game comfortably ... But full credit to Fulham for coming back -- and full credit to us for coming back. But I am disappointed," Boothroyd said.
Fulham boss Chris Coleman praised the character his players had shown in fighting back.
"I'm sure both sets of players are disappointed, but our character after the break was great," the Welshman said.
"We clawed our way back into it and for long periods there was only us in it. It's difficult coming here, they play long balls and we did well to stand up to it. I thought we were fantastic and the boys who came on did really well," Coleman added.
Watford took the lead in the 23rd minute as King prodded home past Antii Niemi from close range having been set up by Ashley Young.
Fulham had little to offer in attack and it was no surprise when the hosts doubled their lead through Young, who scored from close range after fine work by Hameur Bouazza.
Almost the first time that Watford's highly-rated 'keeper Ben Foster had to make a save was on the hour mark from Icelandic striker Heidar Helguson, who had only on Monday received a vote of confidence from Coleman.
The lively Bouazza, who had a fierce shot parried by Niemi in the first-half, then went close with a header which drifted past Niemi's post.
However the visitors did at last get themselves on the scoresheet with 20 minutes remaining as McBride shot past Foster having taken the knockdown by Helguson from Wayne Routledge's cross.
Helguson completed their fightback as he headed home eight minutes from time from Tomasz Radzinski's cross.
Three minutes later they were ahead as Francis put into his own net -- trying to clear a Helguson header -- from a corner by French defender Frank Quedrue but Watford had their own reply.
Young was the hero again as his smart volley two minutes from time gave Niemi no chance and allowed the hosts at least to save their honor if not the three points they looked to have earned earlier in the match.
Transfer probe narrowed down
An inquiry into alleged irregular transfer payments in English soccer has been extended by two months, the former top policeman leading it said on Monday as he revealed he was now focusing on 39 deals at eight clubs.
Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord John Stevens told a central London news conference that his team had whittled down the number of deals being probed from 362 to 39 at eight clubs.
The seven-month inquiry remained a "work in progress," he said, but pledged the end result would be "thorough, detailed and robust."
"It's absolutely essential for the game to ensure that there is a process that will prevent the type of things that we have seen alleged and allow the public to take confidence in that," Stevens said. "If we can't expose it, I don't know who can."
Stevens did not deliver any recommendations on how to tighten up transfer regulations and called for patience so as not to pre-empt any findings.
"This, as you know, is not an easy inquiry but we will do everything in our powers to ensure that it is a successful one," he added.
Stevens vowed he would not sign off a single transfer until he was "100 percent" satisfied it was sound and was taking a cautious approach because of potential criminal and/or civil legal implications.
Watford, Sheffield United, Reading and Leeds United have been absolved from taking any further part because either they were not in the Premier League or made no transfers between Jan. 1, 2004 to Jan. 31 this year.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore defended the top flight clubs' collective decision not to name the eight clubs still under investigation to prevent an "unprecedented frenzy" around them.
He also admitted it would be "impossible" at this stage to put an exact figure on how much money was involved in the alleged deals.
Stevens' team have been visiting clubs and speaking to agents as well as holding meetings with "informed individuals" who got in touch via a secure email address.
"There have been a number of those, I can tell you," the former policeman added, wryly.
During the remainder of the inquiry, Stevens' team will review club responses to previous information requests and examine agents' bank accounts, either voluntarily or through the Football Association governing body.
He refused to comment on suggestions that there was a long-established "bung culture" within the English game but said it was essential for the good of the sport to stamp out any alleged shady dealings.
Clubs had offered him "unanimous support" and he was grateful for this, Stevens added.
He also revealed that he had been briefed by the BBC on a recent investigative program shown two weeks ago which claimed that "bungs" and rule-breaking were widespread in English soccer.
Last week, the agent of England manager Steve McClaren said he believed most agents in England were corrupt.
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