Roy Hodgson watches on as his Watford side earn draw at fellow Premier League strugglers Burnley

The only sirens Roy Hodgson can hear now are the alarm bells ringing as Watford’s fight for Premier League survival becomes increasingly desperate.

This encounter between the bottom two clubs at a wet and wild Turf Moor was a game Watford and Burnley badly need to win but could ill afford to lose. As such, no-one here should be too surprised that it ended in a goalless draw.

However, after taking a solitary point from their last two games against fellow strugglers Norwich and Newcastle – results that finally cost Claudio Ranieri his job – this was another opportunity missed for the Hornets.

Roy Hodgson watched on in his first game in charge of the Hornets at a wet Turf Moor

Hodgson’s first game in charge after returning to football at the age of 74 to become the Premier League’s oldest ever manager and the Pozzo family’s 15th permanent boss since June 2012 couldn’t inspire the win his new club needed even though a draw lifted Watford above Newcastle to third from bottom.

‘Like a siren call from a mermaid as the sailor passes by on his ship,’ was how he described his return after taking the job earlier this week. Hodgson certainly had the look of an old sea captain being battered by a squall as he stood on the touchline in the howling wind and rain continually wiping his glasses so he could see what was going on.

Burnley’s situation remains just as precarious at the foot of the table but at least they have two games in hand on Watford and Newcastle.

This wasn’t a pretty spectacle by any means, and the conditions were only partly to blame for that.

The heavy rain seemed to affect both sides as neither could create many clear cut chances

Watford are still without a win since consigning Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to the sack in mid-November, and came into this game with 14 defeats from 20 games. The last team to survive in the Premier League with a record like that was Southampton 28 years ago.

Burnley’s record is equally bad with just one win all season. The last team to survive in the top-flight with a record like that was West Bromwich Albion in 2005.

So there was no underestimating the importance of this fixture for both clubs in their attempt to beat the drop.

In theory, the wind and rain suited Burnley more. They had the more direct style and a 6ft 6in target man in Wout Weghorst, a £12million signing from Wolfsburg on deadline day who was making his debut.

Sean Dyche’s side remains bottom of the Premier League having won just once this season

New Burnley striker Wout Weghorst was on display having joined from Wolfsburg last week

It was the Dutchman who used his height to create the first chance of the game in the 11th minute.

Weghorst flicked the ball on for Maxwel Cornet who got away from Craig Cathcart to bring a fine reflex save from Ben Foster.

It was to be Burnley’s best effort of an error-strewn first half, though, as Watford defied the weather by somehow managing to get the ball down and play some decent football.

Joao Pedro thought he had a clear sight of goal in the 18th minute only to be denied by an excellent sliding tackle from James Tarkowski, shortly before Joshua King was booked for catching Burnley’s No.5 in the face with his arm.

King then beat the offside trap to latch onto Hassane Kamara’s throughball and try his luck from a tight angle, but goalkeeper Nick Pope just prevented the ball from going through his legs.

The draw moves Watford one point away from safety but they have played a game more

From the resulting corner, Joao Pedro flicked the ball against Ben Mee and it pinged about the six-yard box with Aaron Lennon clearing off the line.

The half ended with Watford’s players surrounding referee Craig Pawson demanding a penalty after Connor Roberts clearly blocked Ken Sema’s pass with an outstretched hand.

Was it intentional? No. Was his arm in a natural position? Again no. VAR ruled against Watford but Burnley tried to do their bit to force the issue by disappearing into the dressing-room before a final decision had been made.

Dyche’s side started the second half strongly as well, and it was only seconds old when they hit the bar.

Weghorst only had Pope to beat but Kamara did brilliantly to block his shot. The ball looped up against the bar and Edo Kayembe did equally well to clear it.

Weghorst rather clumsily sliced another chance well wide, Cornet tested Foster again with a curling effort and substitute Jay Rodriguez glanced a header inches wide as Burnley pressed for a winner.

But Watford still posed a threat and Joao Pedro aimed a header straight at Pope before Mee almost scored in his own net.

Then Pope produced a fantastic save down to his right in the 85th minute from Tom Cleverley’s shot through the legs of Mee after Watford’s other substitute Cucho Hernandez tried to force his way through the Watford defence.

It was a crucial stop to preserve a stalemate that only does so much for both clubs’ hopes of staying up. A point or two squandered? Only time will tell.