Watford 1 Wigan Athletic 1 (Abandoned after 56 minutes)

Watford's brave attempt to gain a second Premiership victory of the campaign in their last game of a memorable 2006 came to a soggy end with referee Mr. Tanner calling a halt to proceedings after 56 minutes following a torrential downpour early in the second half.

A bright early morning in the Watford area had given way to ever thickening clouds as kick-off time approached, and the game started with heavy squally rain cascading down onto a Vicarage Road pitch, which had already been used twice during midweek, for Watford's Boxing Day clash with Arsenal and the following day, Saracens' Guinness Premiership Rugby Union engagement against Northampton.

Unbeknown their forthcoming fate, each team took to the field anxious to improve lowly positions in the table, and it was the hosts who began in the ascendancy with Anthony McNamee and Ashley Young in particular starting brightly.

McNamee tested Chris Kirkland in the very first minute, a left foot cross-cum shot that left the goalkeeper scrambling back to just tip over, and soon after Young curled a terrific 20 yard free-kick onto the base of Kirkland's right hand upright before the ball bounced away to safety.

The visitors had hardly figured up until this stage, but against the run of play the Latics took the lead. A neat ball played in from the left hand channel by Kevin Kilbane found Emile Heskey, and the former England man, with his back to goal, easily pirouetted past a static Dan Shittu before drilling a fierce left foot shot that arrowed into the bottom corner of Ben Foster's net.

The goal invigorated the Lancastrians and they had further opportunities to increase their advantage, and thought they had done so when Denny Zandzaat converted Kilbane's cross, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside, and it was a mighty relieved Watford who leveled matters a minute before the break.

A teasing left flank cross by the Golden Boys' Jordan Stewart found the head of Tamas Priskin, and the young Hungarian international, making his first Premiership start, planted a firm header under the despairing dive of Kirkland.

Conditions became unplayable.

The rain which had been unrelenting in the first half became even heavier during the interval and indeed for a five minute spell at the start of the second period the players became a blur as the rain continued to thunder down.

From the comfort of a dry stand the worsening conditions became the main focus of attention, and it was pure theatre to watch the swirling rain come crashing past the illuminated floodlights, off the edge of the Rookery End stand before dropping onto a now completely waterlogged pitch.

However, after trying to play on for as long as they could, the rain drenched officials took the sensible option, convened with both managers and decided ‘in the interests of player safety' it was best to call a ten minute halt to proceedings.

Ironically, the rain then stopped but the Vicarage Road pitch had taken such a pounding that any resumption was impossible and the game was abandoned.

All that remained was for both sets of players to come back onto the pitch and applaud their fans with the Watford team throwing match shirts into the gleeful hands of excited spectators.

Happy New Year…