Boothroyd blasts ref

Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd described referee Mike Pike's performance as "mind-boggling" after the 3-2 defeat at Barnsley,

Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd described referee Mike Pike's performance as "mind-boggling" after the Championship leaders went down 3-2 at Barnsley. Barnsley's winner came in the 66th minute as keeper Richard Lee punched a Brian Howard free-kick into his own goal under pressure from Lewin Nyatanga. Then in the last minute of normal time the visitors were denied a penalty by Pike when striker Marlon King appeared to be hauled back. Hornets boss Boothroyd said: "We had a clear penalty and a foul on the keeper and I have had a chat with the referee. "Some of the decisions in the second half were mind-boggling, I was mystified by some of them and on another day we would have got a penalty and a free-kick for a foul on Richard. "I have said my piece to the players and we all know that we shouldn't have been 2-0 down. I am disappointed, we don't want to be two goals behind before we start scoring, and we have got to take our chances." The visitors dominated the opening 30 minutes and Barnsley took the lead in the 31st minute against the run of play when Howard scored on his 100th appearance for the club.

Doubled

Three minutes later Barnsley doubled their lead when Martin Devaney scored against his old club when he met Jamal Campbell-Ryce's cross from to volley home. Watford pulled a goal back nine minutes before the break through Danny Shittu who headed home a Lee Williamson free-kick at the far post. The visitors equalised in injury-time again through Shittu at the far from Tommy Smith's cross. Barnsley boss Simon Davey said: "If we had come away with no points I would have said it has been a fantastic game. I thought our defending was magnificent, the back four stood strong all game. "Watford are a very powerful side and you've got the match them in every department. We got two goals up, probably against the run of play. We knew they were going to come back at us and they got the two goals but in the second half I though we could have made it four or five. We got our goal and it was backs to the wall stuff. "You have got to compete in this division and today we have competed with the best. We have come away with three points and that will give a lot of believe in that dressing room. "I am not going anywhere, the board and the club have been fantastic to me, they gave me the job from academy director to manager. I've brought in 15 players in and I want to stick with them."