Burnley 2 Watford 2: Treacy to rescue as Clarets forward forced out of international

Paterson had received his first international call-up in a year for the Euro qualifier against the Faroe Islands but succumbed to injury against the Hornets after admitting he did not feel “100 per cent”.

Howe now plans to speak to Northern Ireland chief Nigel Worthington about pulling him from the midweek game.

The Clarets manager said: “Martin was just not feeling 100 per cent. I wouldn’t say it was a recurrence of any injury, but he said he couldn’t play to his full potential, so he had to come off.

“We need to make sure we get him 100 per cent. He has done all his pre-season and been fine, so it came as a bit of a surprise because I thought he looked quote sharp in the first half as well.

“He won’t go with Northern Ireland now, though. We will try and speak to them and tell them we need him here with us.”

Watford found themselves 2-0 up in the second half of this Championship opener after Craig Forsyth’s header just before the break and Mark Yeates’s cool finish in the 70th minute.

But Charlie Austin pulled one back seven minutes later and with six left on the clock, another substitute, Keith Treacy, headed the equaliser at the far post.

Howe added: “In the end, though, it was a really good fightback.

“At 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go it was always going to be difficult, but Keith came on and gave us real impetus and the lads kept fighting for each other.

“We didn’t feel we’d done too much wrong at 2-0 down but we kept going and got our rewards in the end.”

Burnley: Grant, Trippier, Mee, Amougou, Fox, Elliott (Treacy 64), Marney, McCann, Wallace, Paterson (Austin 46), Rodriguez. Unused substitutes: Jensen, Edgar, Bartley.

Watford: Loach,Doyley,Mariappa,Taylor,Dickinson,Yeates,Eustace, Jenkins, Forsyth, Sordell, Iwelumo (Deeney 68). Unused substitutes: Gilmartin, Mirfin, Mingoia, Massey.

Referee: M Brown (East Yorkshire).

Man of the match: Keith Treacy.