Watford’s Championship play-off hopes suffered a setback after they threw away a two-goal lead in their 2-2 draw at Reading.

After a cagey opening half-hour, Watford went ahead when a clever team move culminated in Ismaila Sarr stroking in from close range.

Defender Ryan Porteous, on his Watford debut, extended the advantage from a glancing header three minutes into the second half.

Reading, though, reduced the deficit in the 66th minute from a Tom Ince penalty and levelled 10 minutes from time through a superb Jeff Hendrick volley.

Watford had won just three of eight league matches since the second-tier resumption after the World Cup break.

Reading’s form had been poor, too, and they were without a win in four league outings.

Without the suspended Andy Carroll up front, Reading made a solid if unspectacular start at the SCL Stadium.

Although Watford dominated much of the early build-up play, they were unable to make any significant inroads into the home area.

Ince sprung the hosts to life just after the 15-minute mark with a mazy run towards the Watford box. He let fly with a low right-footed drive but goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann made a fine save to tip it behind for a corner.

Ince was involved again soon after, cutting in dangerously from the left only for his cross to be hacked to safety at the crucial moment.

Watford replied when Sarr tried to curl home an effort from 20 yards but it failed to trouble home keeper Joe Lumley as it sailed well wide.

However, it was not long before Sarr did find the target after smart work by Mario Gaspar and Henrique Araujo, whose clever cutback from the byline provided Sarr with an easy tap-in for his eighth goal of the season.

Ince had a chance to equalise shortly before the interval but sent his free-kick high over the crossbar.

Reading were first to threaten after the break, with Hendrick sending a tame effort at Bachmann.

Watford responded quickly, with Sarr forcing a good stop from Lumley, and doubled their lead in the 48th minute.

Matheus Martins swung in a corner from the right and centre-back Porteous, the former Hibernian player, rose unchallenged to nod past Lumley.

Watford appeared to be cruising to victory but were pegged back after Craig Cathcart had clumsily brought down Shane Long in the area – Ince tucking away the spot-kick for his seventh goal of the campaign.

Reading then drew level in the 80th minute when Ince’s deep corner well beyond the far post was spectacularly volleyed in by the unmarked Hendrick.

And only some desperate defending near the end enabled Watford to cling on for a point.