It had been tagged North End's 'cup final' but there will be few asking for a replay of what proved to be a scrappy, frustrating end of season affair at Deepdale.

North End were looking for the three points which would all but secure their Championship safety whilst the Hornets were looking for any points at all to arrest their startling descent towards the relegation zone.

In the end both managers would have to settle for a share of the spoils as a goal in each half consigned Preston to a third consecutive home draw.

Watford looked the most likely to take all three points on their first half showing. Malky Mackay's side had taken an early advantage when Will Buckley stole in behind the PNE defence to take the lead at the break.

But a second-half comeback was one the menu yet again and this week it was North End who benefitted, skipper Callum Davidson nodding home an equaliser after great work from Keith Treacy.

The point edges Preston nearer to safety with a trip to Palace on Easter Monday the next opportunity to make certain of their survival.

Preston North End boss Darren Ferguson made four changes to the side which had drawn 2-2 at home to QPR seven days earlier. Youl Mawene was restored to the defence alongside Sean St. Ledger, Coutts and Sedgwick returned in midfield while Chris Brown got the nod to partner Jon Parkin in attack.

Ferguson had tagged the game a 'cup final' ahead of the game and the Lilywhites certainly started with plenty of purpose. Ross Wallace probing down the left flank and down the middle in an attempt to find the two big targets in Brown and Parkin ahead of him.

Preston's first clear-cut chance came on the quarter-hour mark. Paul Coutts had been busy in the opening stages and he floated a ball over the Watford defence into the path of Billy Jones who had run in behind from the right channel. Jones took the ball down and put a low cross towards goal which was deflected towards the near post, the keeper Scott Loach couldn't get anywhere near it and the ball bounced off the post and away for a corner.

One minute later and Chris Brown was the next man to test the Watford goal. He picked up the ball inside the box with his back to goal and from an acute angle hit a shot which took the mearest of deflections and away from Loach but just wide of the far post.

Watford had the next change of the game when Martin Taylor nodded the ball over the bar from point blank range. The chance came after Helguson had headed a cross field ball into the six-yard box and the Birmingham loanee was up in attack but the chance went begging.

Andy Lonergan was called into action in the 27th minute of the match when a header glanced across the face of goal and nobody reacted to the ball until it landed at the back post and the Preston keeper had to react smartly with Jon Harley hoping to poke the ball home.

Watford's Will Buckley was booked in the 28th minute for an audacious dive in the box. It was a convincing effort as it looked for all the world as the referee was about to point to the spot as the Hornets striker tumbled over.

Parkin had a chance to strike at goal moments later. From the angle once again, again to took a deflection and was only a couple of yards away from finding the target as it went beyond the keeper.

The Hornets had the ball in the back of the net on 32 minutes. A corner came across the right and after a bit of scramble Lonergan could get nowhere near the ball as his run was impeded by Cleverley. Watford skipper Eustace nodded the ball into the net but the referee had spotted Cleverley's infringement.

Malky MacKay's men had the ball in the back of the net legally three minutes later. A long ball was played up to Helguson and he turned the ball into the path of Buckley who nudged the ball past Mawene into the box before smashing the ball beyond Lonergan.

Preston made an enforced change in the 38th minute of the match. Chris Sedgwick went off in place of Keith Treacy, the North End wingman had gone down under a hefty challenge a few minutes earlier and was clearly feeling the pain in his knee as he hobbled off.

Darren Ferguson made a change at the break when he sent on Neil Mellor to replace Jon Parkin in attack.

The Preston players will have had the words of their manager ringing in their ears as they came out for the second stanza but it was Andy Lonergan who had to make the first save of the second period. Henri Lansbury smashing a free-kick towards the near post, the PNE keeper down well to turn the ball away for a corner.

North End's equaliser came on 53 minutes. A well worked move on the edge of the box, James teed up Coutts who in turn found Treacy, Treacy played a neat one two with Mellor and the Irish wingman played a sublime ball across the face of goal to the back post. Chris Brown was waiting but it missed his head and instead Callum Davidson was the man to nod the ball beyond Loach and into the back of the net.

North End grew in confidence following their equaliser and five minutes after Davidson had levelled they could have gone ahead. Neil Mellor beat his man to the ball on the left flank and set off towards goal, Chris Brown was unmarked in the middle but somehow Martin Taylor managed to intercept Mellor's cross, away for a corner.

From the corner-kick the ball was headed out to the edge of the box and Paul Coutts hit a sliced shot that had plenty of power but it was always on the rise and just cleared the cross-bar by a yard or so.

Preston created another opportunity on the hour mark. Neil Mellor winning the ball with a brave challenge in the middle of the park. Mellor's tackle-cum-pass was into the path of Treacy and he had time and space to drift towards goal, he cut inside his marker before unleashing a left-footed shot at goal which Loach did well to hold on to at the second attempt.

Andy Lonergan pulled off an unbelievable save on 64 minutes. Lansbury played the perfect ball into the penalty area and John Eustace had read it and stooped to head home from eight yards out. The ball looked destined for the back of the net before Andy Lonergan stuck out an arm on his goal-line to prevent the Hornets regaining the initiative.

A cleverly worked free-kick almost ended up with the aptly named Cleverley striking the ball at distance. The Manchester United midfielder had peeled away from the penalty area on a Lansbury free-kick and received the ball with all the time in the world. Cleverley should have perhaps done better with his shot from 30-yards out, it was straight down Lonergan's throat.

North End almost scored with a classic counter attack on 75 minutes. James played a fantastic crossfield ball from his own half into the path of Ross Wallace out on the left flank, Wallace held the ball up whilst the Preston cavalry arrived, two PNE stormed into the box but Wallace played the ball behind them into the path of Mellor who, arriving late, hit a first time shot with his right boot that only just cleared the Watford goal.

Watford had the ball in the back of the net yet again on 83 minutes. A free-kick was played deep into the Preston box, the ball was nodded across Lonergan's goal and there were Hornets players queuing up at the back post to slam the ball home, substitute Danny Graham volleying home but the linesman's flag was up early to cut any celebrations short.

An unlikely combination set-up North End for a last gasp opportunity in the 88th minute of the match. Youl Mawene nudging the ball towards Billy Jones in the penalty area, Jones's left-footed volley looked goalbound but was well blocked by Eustace to deny the Lilywhites a winner.