Watford extended their unbeaten run to five matches but could not find a way past a stubborn Preston side as the pair fought out an entertaining draw at Vicarage Road.

An end-to-end encounter during which both sides created plenty of chances finished level after Daniel Jebbison scored for the visitors and Mamadou Doumbia equalised in first-half added time.

Both had opportunities to take all three points each side hitting the post. Watford also had a late penalty shout waved away by referee James Bell.

Yet a point apiece did little damage to either side's hopes of being at the top end of the table heading into the new year push.

Paul Heckingbottom's Preston stay in fifth place, three points behind Stoke City in the second automatic promotion spot.

Watford drop a place to 12th in the Championship table but can take the positives of an unbeaten November which puts them just two points outside the play-off positions.

The hosts had a golden chance to take the lead after six minutes with Edo Kayembe crashing a shot from the right onto the post and Luca Kjerrumgaard failing to control the rebound, skying the ball over from 10 yards.

It was a miss that Preston made them pay for when Jebbison finished calmly after he was put in with a perfectly weighted through ball from Lewis Dobbin.

It was a good finish from the striker and doubly galling for the home support given he had spent six goalless months at Vicarage Road on loan from Bournemouth last season.

But jeers for Jebbison turned into cheers for their own side just before the half-time whistle when Doumbia equalised.

Marc Bola's long cross from the left somehow struck the post with Daniel Iverson scrambling and with the ball only partially cleared to the right side, Watford built again.

A slick exchange of passes between Jeremy Ngakia, Kayembe and Imran Louza put the full-back in on goal, Ngakia's cutback finding Doumbia who slotted home with the help of a slight deflection from Jordan Storey.

Both sides had chances to take all three points. Preston skipper Liam Lindsay had a bullet header tipped onto the upright by Nathan Baxter after meeting a superb cross from the left by Jamal Lewis.

And Jebbison was denied a second brilliantly by Matthew Pollock, the defender sliding in with a perfectly timed block as he was readying to shoot.

Yet it was Watford who pressed harder as the minutes ticked down. Louza had two chances to find the target from a decent range only to put his efforts well wide.

And it was left to Nestory Irankunda to provide the last hope, going down under a challenge from Pol Valentin only to end up in the book for a dive.

Watford manager Javi Gracia told BBC Three Counties Radio:

"I think all of us today we have to be disappointed because we wanted the three points after our last game winning away [at Derby]. All the players made a great effort to get the win but in the first half we didn't start well.

"We had a clear chance but the other team was better situated and we didn't adjust well our movements to be aggressive and recover the ball in the opposition's half. It was tough for us to manage this first half.

"In the second half it was different and we had more control and more chances and more possession. It was the moment when we had the real chance to win the game.

"But in these moments when you have the momentum to win you have to do it. It is difficult to come back and score two goals. We had more chances than Preston in the most part but we have to be more clinical."

Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire:

"That was a good away performance. This is a dangerous place to come with the talent they have and they are a lot more dangerous at home than away so we are really pleased with the performance.

"In spells we were very good with the ball. But we managed to defend our box well and always managed to carry a threat going the other way.

"We felt we could come and have the ball. They had the best chance on the counter. But then we became more of a threat in hurting them. Probably the disappointing thing was we were only 1-0 up when they got the equaliser.

"We could easily have nicked that. We could have been a couple of goals up when they got that equaliser."