Wrexham rescue a point against Watford in front of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac

Wrexham rescued a 2-2 draw at home to Watford as Oliver Rathbone struck a stoppage-time equaliser in front of owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.

Watford brushed aside Josh Windass’ opener as first-half goals from Mamadou Doumbia and Othmane Maamma put the visitors on course for all three points.

But Rathbone’s late intervention meant Wrexham avoided a second successive defeat.

With the sides separated by just a point and hovering on the edge of the play-off places, both knew a win could ignite a promotion push heading into the festive period.

Wrexham were keen to respond after suffering their first league defeat in nine matches at Hull in midweek, but it was Watford who threatened early as Marc Bola’s low strike flashed across the face of goal in the second minute.

The hosts struggled to create chances in the opening stages, with Max Cleworth blazing over from distance and Windass sending a free-kick wide.

Watford had a great opportunity to open the scoring in the 20th minute when Luca Kjerrumgaard’s effort from the edge of the area drifted just past the post.

That miss proved costly a minute later as Windass collected a Matty James through ball and fired past Egil Selvik to put the Red Dragons ahead, much to the delight of Reynolds and Mac, whose actress wife Kaitlin Olson was also in attendance.

Their joy was short-lived, however, as Doumbia levelled nine minues later with a superb strike off the underside of the crossbar with the aid of a deflection.

Watford turned the game around three minutes before the break, Maamma reacting quickest in the box to fire home from six yards out with goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo helpless.

Wrexham almost equalised on the stroke of half-time when Callum Doyle’s close-range header crashed against the crossbar from a corner.

The visitors started the second half as brightly as the first and almost increased their advantage, with Okonkwo thwarting Doumbia from close range just after the break.

At the other end, the home side went in search of an equaliser and could have pulled level in the 65th minute when Ryan Longman headed wide from just a couple of yards out following a teasing cross from James McClean.

It was then Kieffer Moore’s turn to go close, but his header from the centre of the penalty box failed to trouble Selvik in the Watford goal.

Chances continued to come in the closing stages, with Windass seeing a fierce 20-yard shot pushed around the post as the away side struggled to get out of their own half.

When the home side eventually got the ball over the line, Dominic Hyam’s close-range effort was ruled out for offside.

But with the visitors seemingly on course for victory, Rathbone popped up on the edge of the area to fire Wrexham level.