Preston had taken the lead through a well-taken Lewis Dobbin strike in the 19th minute but were pegged back by Othmane Maamma’s cool 55th-minute leveller and fell behind due to an unfortunate own goal from Odel Offiah two minutes later.

Milutin Osmajic returned to the North End squad after his three-match suspension and bagged his sixth goal of the season on 70 minutes to claw the Lilywhites level.

Watford boss Still said: “We had to stretch them and once you can do that, it will open up the space in the midfield to be able to control the ball a little bit more which is exactly what happened.

“We managed to find Maamma a little bit more [as well] so the second half was really positive.

“We’ve conceded a goal from a throw-in where we’re not quite sharp enough in the box so we have to get better at that quickly, and the second goal is in transition where we’ve got an overload on the midline and we can manage that better as well.

“There are things we can improve on and we need to improve quickly to be able to capitalise on the good stuff that we’ve done.”

Paul Heckingbottom was also left with mixed emotions, and the North End manager said: “It was a good game to watch, we’ve learned lots of things.

“You’re frustrated when you don’t win but I also know we went behind and were a dangerous team and as we were pushing they were countering us all the time.

“For us to get back in the game and score that good goal, I’m not displeased with the performance, I’m just frustrated that we weren’t able to take it through.

“I shouldn’t really feel this flat but for some reason I do because I know it was a good game. I enjoyed the effort and the spirit and the moments and the spells of the game [that we] played well. It’s just frustrating.”

Osmajic was once again back among the goals but Heckingbottom knows that finding the net is not the overriding issue for his striker.

“I know what he is and who he is as a person,” he added. “Professionalism is the challenge. You just see what he does on the pitch: the good and the bad.

“[I’ve] no problem with him in terms of his effort, he’s just got to live the life of a footballer and be in a better place all the time and that will allow him to be better.”