Argyle 1
Easter 34
Watford 1
Williamson 37
SOONER or later, the one Luggyism we have not heard since his return was going to be appropriate: in this tightest of races for the play-off places every point is, indeed, a prisoner.
Argyle, reduced to ten men for the second time in three matches, fought for their share of the spoils from a nasty match in which neither side covered themselves in glory.
Losing the points will not concern Argyle, who remain in the last of the play-off spots, as much as the fact they are likely to be without Péter Halmosi, arguably their best player, for some time.
Halmosi injured himself fouling Watford left-back Matthew Sadler midway through the second half and was ignominiously sent off while being carried from the field on a stretcher.
Argyle had taken the lead, against the run of play, it has to be said, when the weekend's most appropriate scorer Jermaine Easter netted a third of the way into the game.
The lead lasted just about three minutes, however, as recalled Watford midfielder Lee Williamson clipped home a delicious free-kick.
The two sides had each showed one change to the respective starting 11s that kept both in the promotion hunt seven days earlier.
Argyle manager Paul Sturrock had recalled goalkeeper Luke McCormick following his one-match suspension for being sent off the match before last at Scunthorpe, on March 11.
Rab Douglas, who had performed so splendidly in the 2-1 victory at leaders Bristol,City the previous Saturday, had long since returned to Leicester after his emergency goalkeeping stint that did not involve him setting foot in Plymouth or, indeed, Devon.
The only changes came on the bench, to where Krisztián Timár was recalled following his two-match suspension. Jim Paterson also returned after several weeks out with a thigh strain: Jimmy Abdou and Lee Hodges made way.
Watford's failure to beat Stoke at Vicarage Road while Argyle were winning the Westcountry derby had kept them out of the top two, but the point gained from the 0-0 draw was achieved in large part without the services of dismissed skipper - and former Stoke midfielder - John Eustace.
Eustace thus began a three-match ban that may yet be elongated by the Football League after he was reported for "failing to leave the pitch in a timely manner", whatever that means.
His place went to Williamson, which meant a recall to the substitutes' bench for Sierra Leone's Al Bangura, the player who won an appeal against deportation earlier this season, and duly used the match-day programme to thank the Green Army for the support they showed him at the fixture between the two clubs in December that Argyle won 1-0.
The Pilgrims were captained, for the first time for more than 15 months at Home Park, by Paul Wotton, and the skipper led from the front as Argyle attacked the gale blowing in from the Devonport end in the first half.
Typically, Wotton's first significant involvement was a long-range volley that Watford goalkeeper Richard Lee was happy to see stay true in the wind and sail wide.
Watford's main thrust came from Leigh Bromby's wind-assisted long throws on either side, the direct approach of the visitors coming as a throwback to the Watford of yesteryear.
The tactic kept Argyle pinned in their own half for longer than they would have liked, with a not unexpectedly quiet crowd doubtless contributing to a tension on the pitch.
Watford's first true opening fell to huge centre-back Danny Shittu, though not, as one might have confidently predicted, from a set-piece. Rather, the Nigerian defender showed a neat turn of pace to skin Rory Fallon on the left wing and bear down on goal for a stabbed shot that McCormick saved at his near post.
The visitors then carved out a genuine chance when Tommy Smith, a regular thorn in the Pilgrims' side down the years, slipped Collins John in behind the Argyle defence, but McCormick came quickly from his goal to get down and stop the Fulham loan striker's shot.
Argyle had struggled to get a toe-hold in the game until Easter released them from their shackles with his sixth goal of the season, and fourth since joining the Pilgrims from Wycombe.
It came from an assist by Fallon, who again revelled in the withdrawn striker's role that had earned him a derby double seven days earlier. Fallon tickled Easter in around the back of the Watford rearguard, and, although he looked offside, took the ball on and clipped it past Lee with alacrity.
The lead lasted barely three minutes as Watford notched their first goal for more than three and half hours. It came from a free-kick awarded by referee Phil Joslin against Fallon, though the reason was not totally clear.
Nevertheless, Watford - who treated set-pieces with the care and assiduousness that NFL special teams go about their business - capitalised when Williamson lifted it up and over the defensive wall and past McCormick on the right hand side.
Argyle were again pushed on to the defensive, but might still have gone into the interval ahead.
Paul Connolly's lofted cross from the right went all the way across the goal before falling at the feet of Chris Clark, who, maybe surprised to see the ball make its way to him, could not squeeze out a shot.
Then, on the brink of Joslin's whistle, a right-wing corner from Halmosi caused some concern to the Watford defence as Marcel Seip strode in at the back post, but the ball was cleared for a corner.
Argyle emerged with Teale and Halmosi having swapped flanks, as Watford resumed their war of attrition, and the second period rather strangely followed the pattern of the first: a Wotton long-ranger followed by silky skills from Shittu. Not a flash in the pan, then.
A Watford breakaway caught Argyle overloaded in the middle and saw the free Jobi McAnuff unsuccessfully attempt to curl a shot around McCormick, left to right.
Then came two clashes between Halmosi and Sadler. For the first, both were booked; for the second, Halmosi, who did nothing more than trip Sadler, was dismissed, a second yellow, having Gazza'd himself.
The Watford bench, in front of which the second incident happened, inflamed the situation. As Halmosi lay, seriously injured, at least one of their number callously sprayed him from a water bottle.
Then substitute Steve Kabba tried winding up the already furious crowd by the dug-out who had seen this happen, and, when he got some back, did not like it and irresponsibly tried to wade into the crowd. Only the good grace of the Argyle stewards prevented him getting into all kinds of bother.
Naturally, Joslin and his many officials saw nothing of this, and also turned a blind eye to Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd's extensive on-field coaching.
Down to ten men for the second time in a fortnight, Argyle again showed good fortitude and came close to an unlikely victory when Wotton drove a low long-range free-kick against the foot of Lee's post.
McAnuff shot over as the clock ticked down but Watford looked more afraid to lose a point than gain three, despite having drawn their last six matches.
Perhaps sensing their anxiety, Luggy sent on Timár for the injured Fallon to partner Easter up front just before the beginning of ten minutes of added time, and the Hungarian announced his arrival by clattering into Shittu
That was not the only time the cult character shook the visitors up, but despite, his rampaging, the breakthrough would not come.
Watford so nearly snatched the winner when Shittu - now up front himself - powered a header goalwards from Sadler's corner, but Paterson, on as a substitute for Teale, kneeed the ball off the line.
Argyle (4-4-2): 23 Luke McCormick; 2 Paul Connolly, 21 Russell Anderson, 19 Marcel Seip, 18 Gary Sawyer; 7 Gary Teale (Jim Paterson 74), 6 Chris Clark (4 Lilian Nalis 74), 15 Paul Wotton (capt), 16 Péter Halmosi; 14 Rory Fallon (5 Krisztián Timár 88), 36 Jermaine Easter. Substitutes (not used): 9 Steve MacLean, 25 Jamie Mackie,
Sent off: Halmosi 68.
Booking: Halmosi 58, Anderson 82.
Watford (4-4-2): 16 Richard Lee (gk); 6 Jay DeMerit, 19 Leigh Bromby, 4 Danny Shittu, 5 Matthew Sadler; 21 Tommy Smith, 14 Lee Williamson, 35 John-Joe O'Toole, 11 Jobi McAnuff; 9 Collins John (Nathan Ellington 77), 10 Darius Henderson (capt). Substitutes (not used): 1 Mart Poom (gk), 3 Jordan Stewart, 15 Steve Kabba, 20 Al Bangura.
Booking: Sadler 58, Henderson 89, O'Toole 90.
Referee: Phil Joslin (Nottinghamshire).
Attendance: 17,511 (1,227 away).
Match Sponsors - Wrigleys
Match-Ball Sponsors - Disc Manufacturing Services Ltd.
